<p>I'll keep this nice and concise (intentional rhyming). </p>
<p>I graduated high school with a 2.0 GPA in 2010. I barely graduated, although I normally tested very high. The reason why I did so poorly in high school was because my family was considered impoverished. Because of this, I was often going to the food shelf in the middle of the high school day (I'd intentionally skip school for this) in order to make it before it closed, this was exactly once a week. I did it behind my mother's back, so that she didn't feel helpless, and I did it to help support my little brother and sister that were going to bed hungry every other night. I would also support her financially, by starting my own landscaping business and running it while I was in high school. </p>
<p>Four years later, I enrolled in college and just ended my first semester with a 4.0 GPA with rigorous classes (17 credits). I'd easily be able to attain shining referrals from these professors. My ACT in 2010 was a 27... I could probably take it again and score much higher. I did literally zero studying for it and I didn't take the test too seriously, due to my distractions at home. </p>
<p>What are the odds of transferring to Harvard, or other Ivy League schools? </p>
<p>Other factors... I am enrolled at a prestigious private college, and I am an elected Senator in our Student Senate. I am a very good football player, currently being scouted by D1 schools (such as the U of Minnesota - Twin Cities). I was in the Army National Guard for about three years. I currently volunteer with YouthLink, a homeless youth center. I also participate in quite a few GLBT advocacy programs and events, mainly through my work (a nightclub with a primarily homosexual clientele). </p>
<p>Why transfer when you finished just one semester in your “prestigious private college”? Your one successful semester will hardly erase the rest of your academic history. Stay where you are and continue to flourish.</p>
<p>Well, frankly, because it doesn’t live up to my dream of attending an Ivy League school. It’s fairly prestigious, yes, but it isn’t Ivy League standards. </p>
<p>Either way, I am transferring. It is too expensive for what it’s worth, compared to a much cheaper option (such as a state school). I’d be willing to suck up the price for an Ivy League education, obviously. </p>
<p>Regardless, I believe there is something to be said about my “situation” in high school, and it may actually prove to be beneficial due to the exigent circumstances involving my family. </p>
<p>@boolaHI Going to an Ivy does not necessarily mean you will get superior education. They hire professors who are in the top of their fields who spend a lot of time on research, so the students might not get the full benefit. The reason Ivies are prestigious is they only accept outstanding students who stand out from the rest of the crowd, so they would succeed no matter what reasonably good college they get an education from. My cousin applied and got in to Emory just for the sake of prestige so he could he more competitive when he applies for a job and I know I’m only going to apply to top schools too just for the sake of prestige. </p>
<p>@paul2752 And where are the statistics that say that? If you look at college student interview on youtube, ALL of them say that they applied to a x school because of its prestige. Again, you will get the same education level that you get in an Ivy with most colleges. Ivies only accept the best and the brightest separating them from other colleges. People apply to Ivies simply because its human nature to want to be in a world-tier reputation school and want to be recognized for that. If you had an option between going to Harvard and a lesser known school knowing they provide the same education, which would you choose considering the tuition costs are the same? 99.99% people would choose Harvard.</p>
<p>@paul2752 Then please don’t say random statistics that you made up on the spot because it can be misleading for people. And Youtube == All. The interviews from You can find out pretty much anything you want to about this world from its 14 bilion+ videos. <a href=“Ivy Dreams 7/10 College Interviews - Asian Americans - YouTube”>Ivy Dreams 7/10 College Interviews - Asian Americans - YouTube; <– Shows how students are applying for schools based on prestige. Next time, don’t make up random facts just for the sake of saying things. Ok?</p>
<p>Uh I didn’t apply for Brown for prestige…? more like because it has better programs and humanitarian opportunities
And when I said “the majority” it was more like an expression, not literally over 50%. </p>
<p>Also many of your answers to multiple threads are plain rude and barely constructive, so stop that!</p>
<p>@paul2752 I’m just saying the truths to people with 3.0 GPA applying to Stanford and what not. Then why didn’t you use the term minority, I mean you can’t mix up those 2. I know about fifteen people from family and friends that have gotten in to an Ivy or some other top tier universities just for its prestige. </p>
<p>However, ridiculing them isn’t really a nice thing, right? I know what you mean, but deriding people who will already waste money on app to colleges for which they have no chance is more than enough, I think, (I remember one kid who has awful GPA but asked for Harvard chances thanks to his huge active legacy and his rich grandfather. A few people were like “seriously??”)</p>
<p>Again, I meant “many,” not literally 50%(anyone would understand what I mean) </p>
<p>Prestige or not, wouldn’t you apply to top schools that offer top programs if you have good stats and whatnot? That’s what I think.(In fact I had no interest in Ivy leagues except Brown when applying. It was largely for financial purpose) As you said top schools’ educations aren’t always better, but you have relatively better chance of getting more high quality education. </p>
<p>However, I understand your motives…there are certainly people who are completely clueless.</p>
<p>Harvard accepts about 1% = about 15 from 1,500 +/= transfer applicants. Princeton does not accept transfer students. I don’t know about the others, but you could Google their transfer acceptance rates.</p>
<p>Have you filled out the athletic recruiting questionares for the Ivy League schools? If the Gophers are recruiting you, you could likely play ball in the Ivy League (provided you qualify academically) - It’s a relatively weak football conference.</p>
<p>FYI the Ivy League does not give athletic scholarships. </p>
<p>First of all, that is anecdotal. Second, Emory, while a very solid school, is not an Ivy, nor even an Ivy-plus school. On a more quantitative level, if one were to take a survey of academic on the tops programs in the nation, Ivy schools dominate the upper margin of almost every discipline. My daughters have attended two Ivy schools, and I have had appointments at one as well, and it was for sake of scholarship, not prestige (while that certainly could be one of the subordinate factors) that are central to people’s affiliation.</p>
<p>These kind of questions are so frustrating. There is simply no data to work with in Dec of your freshman year. Harvard basically doesn’t take transfers.They are doing fine building the class from freshmen. Maybe each year they will take 0 to 12. Those people are either a recruited athlete position or have a compelling academic reason to transfer–perhaps they have a particular professor who would like to work with you because of your summer research in X, maybe they have a library with original materials that you would like to access for your thesis. Shining ‘did well in freshman class’ referrals aren’t really meaningful.</p>
<p>I will be frank back with you, “it doesn’t live up to my dream of attending an Ivy League school” is about the worst reason I have heard to try for an ultra selective transfer. Because what it really reveals is that you are not the kind of person they are looking for. I’d suggest you try to become that type of person by creating the dream, by seizing opportunities that exist around you. There are hardship stories that certainly can impact holistic admissions decisions but there are an awful lot of students with hardship stories who somehow miraculously pulled out top grades too, just look in the Questbridge forum and you will see dozens of them posting. So while it can always be a factor, transfers are a lot more about what is the academic situation now, what you need, what the target school needs. But recruiting is a game changer.</p>
Prestige is 90% of Ivy experience. People who say that’s not why they are so popular are just trying to compensate for the fact that they could not get in. The Ivies are the best universities in the world due to their huge endowments because, guess what, their prestige. Now, for non-political careers that prestige is not as important, but if you ar elooking to go into politics, it is absolutely necessary to go to a top notch school unless you want to be Scott Walker.