Ivy + Top Business Transfer Chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am a Canadian student who’s US applications did not go as well as desired.
Rejected: Wharton ED, Dartmouth, Cornell AEM, NYU Stern, Michigan, USC
Accepted: NYU Tisch (Alternate Offer)

I will be attending UWO in Canada with Ivey AEO status, but I decided I would like to try at US schools again next year. I put way too much time into studying to be rejected from every school I applied to. I think my biggest mistake was failing to make myself standout through my essays.

I’m planning on applying for transfer admission to the Ivy’s (minus Princeton of course), Michigan Ross, NYU Stern, UCB Haas, and am willing to add more schools if anyone has some suggestions. I am aiming for schools that would prepare me for a career in finance.

GPA: Grade 9: 86, 10:86, 11:94, 12:97.15 Will try my best to be as close to 4.0 as possible during my 1st year.
Rank: 2/50ish
Courseload: Went to a Canadian private school that only offered college or university level courses, almost no students take college courses, all of mine were university level. Took Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Data Management, International Law, English, and Economics in my senior year.
SAT: 2200 (one sitting) 760M, 730 CR, 710 W, took the test 3 times but my last sitting was my best, 750 Math 2 and 710 Chemistry

Awards:
Junior Athlete of the Year (Grade 10)
Senior Athlete of the Year (Grade 12)
Most Valuable Player (Basketball) x 2
Most Dedicated Player (Volleyball) x 2
Most Improved Player (Track and Field and Basketball) x 2
Top 10% of Test Takers for the Pascal Math Contest
Top 25% of Test Takers for the Cayley Math Contest
School Champion for the Euclid Math Contest
Excellence in Mathematics Award

Extracurriculars:

  • School Sports (9-12) Volleyball and Basketball all throughout, with Track and Field up to grade 11, and badminton in grade 10
  • Student Council Treasurer Grade 12
  • Was part of my school’s missions team that went to the Dominican Republic
  • Attended the EF Berlin Science and Innovation Summit in March 2014
  • Played club basketball from grade 8-10
  • Club volleyball from grade 11-12 (made provincial team training group)

Summers:

  • Spent past summers working in a family owned business
  • This summer taking part in a mentorship program, learning about business from the Senior Vice President of a financing company in downtown Toronto.

Other:
Essays: Will be starting from scratch and not reusing any of my old essays.
Recs: I aim to get to a few first year profs really well and hopefully receive great recommendations.
I may have missed some minor extra curriculars but I covered the major ones.

Any advice on the admission process would also be appreciated.

2

Transfer admissions is usually for special case students, who for one reason or another ended up attending a school that they weren’t happy at, or was well below their qualifications.

Trying not to be too blunt, but I don’t think you’re one of those people. Your stats are impressive but top schools like the ones you listed get tons of applications that looks exactly like yours. Now you’re going to be applying for transfer, which is MUCH MUCH harder than freshman admission. Last year, I believe UChicago admitted something like 20 (2%) of their transfer applicants. The fact that you’re an international student probably doesn’t help your case either. You mentioned how you’ve put way too much time into studying to be rejected from every school. Well don’t waste even more of that time sitting in front of your computer screen begging (likely futilely) for a second look.

With that being said however, I think you’re set on applying to some transfers anyway. So instead of advising you to just scrap the transfer option, I’ll just urge you to STAY AWAY from the ivies. Their transfer rates are ridiculously low, and if they didn’t accept you the first time, they sure as hell won’t again (unless you cured cancer or something). The exception to this is Cornell, they typically take a sizable chunk of students as transfers. Other than that, NYU, Michigan, and UCB are solid schools that you would have a shot at. Good luck, but don’t get your hopes up.

3

Thanks for the advice, you’re right in saying that I do not want to scrap the option of transferring. I honestly think that I did not convey my personality effectively through my previous essays. I recognize that transfer rates are very low for Ivy’s but they are also low for NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, and UCB Haas. It cannot hurt to give it another shot at Ivy’s in my opinion.

4

It definitely can hurt you. Do you really want to spend half of your freshman year grinding out even more college apps, when you could be focusing on more important things like your grades/social life? I had a list of colleges similar to yours, and writing apps was akin to a full time job for me over the fall. I couldn’t imagine having to balance the entirety of college life along with it…could you?

That’s why I’m suggesting you narrow down your list to more realistic goals. And you can’t just look at the acceptance rates. The caliber of people applying for ivy transfers is likely much higher than that of Stern/Ross/Haas. With a quick glance at your stats, the ivies would have been a pretty high reach for you for even just freshman admission (esp. since you’re international). Compound that with the fact that you were already denied once, and your chances look exceedingly low. (Sorry, not trying to be harsh, just pragmatic). In contrast, you look pretty well matched for the three non-ivies you were considering. By all means apply transfer, but please think twice before you commit half of your freshman year to an exercise in futility.

5

I guess that is also true, essays can be a major pain. Just did some research and found out that to transfer into Ross I must have attended an American college. I guess UCB --> Haas in 3rd year is an option, as well as transferring into Stern. I guess applying to every Ivy wouldn’t be worth it (too many essays). I may do some research and maybe apply to 2 or 3. Thanks your your input!

6

UMich Ross does not accept transfer students from outside of US.

7

@billcsho realized that, also found out transferring into Haas and Stern is near impossible.

8

@billcsho realized that, also found out transferring into Haas and Stern is near impossible. Any additional transfer suggestions would be appreciated!

9

If you are willing to spend another year with uncertainty, you may transfer to UMich LSA first and then apply to Ross the year later. Ross is a 3 year program though.

10

Right now on my list of schools I have Columbia, Duke, and Georgetown MSB.

11

bummmmppppppp

12

Not sure if you submitted your applications yet but transferring applications but transferring into Stern is next to impossible. They accept very few transfers, something like 2%. They also have a strong preference for internal transfers from NYU CAS rather than external transfers.