<p>I've been attending university in Canada for a few months now, and I was wondering if I should transfer to a school in the US. For a lack of ambition I didn't think about doing this in highschool, but seeing several of my class mates accepted to Princeton and Harvard I'm having other thoughts.</p>
<p>My first semester gpa at sfu was 4.0, and I qualify as a "national ap scholar", having achieved at least 4 on 6 highschool ap exams. I haven't taken the SAT or the ACT as of yet.</p>
<p>I've done some research and I understand Stanford has a relatively low transfer gpa, and that they look more at your extracurriculars - which I have in abundance.</p>
<p>I have very good relations with my highschool principal, having done literally hundreds of service hours at the school developing their presentations and website. I am also an accomplished graphic/webdesigner, having contributed to several large ad campaigns in Vancouver as a part of the design firm Kubix Media (if you live in Vancouver, you may have seen the orange "travelsavingstoday" bus ads ;). During highschool, I won several awards for my design and animation work, including the provincial teen animation contest and the electronic arts teen scholarship. I currently study at SFU engineering and do freelance design work part time under my registered proprietorship PurewebDesigns.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I can get good recommendations from my old creative director at kubix, as well as their marketing director Lorne Furtner - the guy who originally created the air miles program.</p>
<p>From my credentials, is it worth the effort to apply? Also, my family is well off, but not rich. I may have to apply for financial assistance. Will this hurt my chances?</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the number of transfers admitted is only 50 each year. </p>
<p>You're from BC? Which highschool did you go to and how many of your friends got into HYPSM? I'm just wondering. I'm from Vancouver. </p>
<p>Anyway. I think it's 50 - from all around the world, INCLUDING America. So, that's tough competition. </p>
<p>Also, I think your financial state is a huge factor if you're an International. If you apply for financial aid, it's pretty much a bye bye. Stanford doesnt like to give FA to In'tls.</p>
<p>Colleges dont really like transfers that much. They're going to wonder WHY are you transferring? Usually, they accept transferees because they want to "rescue" these students from institutions where they have absolutely exhausted their courses and are searching for more intellectual invigoration, OR, say the student chooses a parochial school, and decides to opt for a different major of some sort. Otherwise, colleges are just going to wonder why you haven't made the most of your resources where you are right now. Anyway. </p>
<p>I have the Stanford viewbook at hand. Total applicants for Fall Transfer 2005: 1282.
Admission rate was 4.5% (Holy smokes, lower than the med school acceptance rates!) </p>
<p>Total matriculants: 50</p>
<p>So they accepted about 58, but 50 matriculated. </p>
<p>Besides, do you REALLY want to attend Harvard and see Xin every other day? Haha. Quite the infamous guy around here.</p>
<p>Also, if you do want to go abroad and explore the world, apply for a youth exchange program of some sort. I know Canada has a TON of those. And even if you don't want to move to another country for a few months, you could always go across Canada to Quebec. There's also co-op. So, you have ample resources and possibiities right where you are at the moment. </p>
<p>Also, other than the desire to get away from your current school, and explore new places, why DO you want to go to Stanford? And why do you think Stanford wants YOU? </p>
<p>Do some research into the schools you're interested in. If you go for prestige, you'll end up hating whereever you may land yourself.</p>
<p>ah, but I'm afraid I hate xin on a very personal level as well - we used to be buddies at one point...</p>
<p>anyways, I have to admit that prestige and job prospects are a part of it. Who applying to an ivy league school can say otherwise?</p>
<p>The reason I want to go to stanford is that it has a great engineering faculty. I used to live in California as well, and I'd like an opportunity to go back there for school. I've heard they take a good look at extra curriculars and accept students from a diverse background and on the basis of their wholistic accomplishments, so I thought I might stand a fair chance of getting in. But perhaps that's not the case.</p>
<p>Canadian schools are great, but I feel that there's a lot more opportunity to be had in the US. The engineering co-ops at sfu are mostly sys-admin and comp sci positions - even at the senior levels. I'd love to get at some real hardware/systems design jobs, but there's not a lot of those floating around..</p>
<p>Your chances of getting into Stanford grad school are much higher. Grad school is slightly easier to get into. Anyway.</p>
<p>I'm sure there's lots of opportunities available for you, whereever you may be at the moment. You may not be looking hard enough, or just looking in the wrong places. Make the most of what you have. Colleges aren't looking to find a student who has gone through some set pathway to success. Pursue whatever you're passionate about, and whatever that is, colleges will be able to see your blossoming interest. </p>
<p>I can understand your disquietude about staying up at SFU. </p>
<p>It seems like students in your graduating class ventured off into America to witness greater things and to conquer the world. I believe that names such as Harvard, Stanford and Princeton ARE inflated. Nonetheless, the names do open doors for you. </p>
<p>Also, much of the course material taught at say an ivy league institution differs little from what you would learn at UBC or SFU. First year Chemistry will BE first year Chemistry. </p>
<p>As a Harvard student told me:
"You don't learn that 7 X 8 = 56 at Harvard, and then go off to Princeton to learn that 7 X 8 = 42."</p>
<p>The stuff you learn is the same. So the real question is: What can YOU do for and with Stanford? </p>
<p>What is really different about the schools is the fact that different from SFU, the Ivys are all private schools. This basically means they have A LOT of investors, and hence, they have state-of-the-art resources, technology and buildings. But what really makes the difference is the unique flavor you get from interacting with such an eclectic mix of students. </p>
<p>Vancouver is a pretty asian city, and because SFU and UBC are public schools,, entrance is mostly based on GPA. If you consider how much asians prize their education, it's obviously that your freshmen body will be mostly asians. At an ivy league, they're not looking for diversity and individuality as well. Also, SFK (Saint Francis Xavier) is a college in Canada that's more oriented towards the undergrad experience, and comparable to a liberal arts college.</p>