<p>So, I messed up in high school, and wound up with a 3.4 UW putting forth very little effort. I was rejected from the liberal arts schools I applied to. After a semester at a large public uni (if you can't tell which one by my name shame on you), I still desire the small school feel. I got a 3.86 GPA first semester taking 2 honors classes and 2 300 levels (15 hours), and scored a 32 on the act. Is it sensible to reapply to these schools? I know that liberal arts colleges are traditionally very hard to transfer into, but will their familiarity with me as a candidate be beneficial? </p>
<p>Here's a list of schools I've been toying with sending apps to:
Grinnell (top choice, rejected edII last year)
Brown
Swarthmore
Oberlin
Bard
Macalester (also rejected last year)
Reed</p>
<p>Financial aid does matter, but I'm not afraid of some debt.
Potential majors: Anthropology, Philosophy</p>
<p>I’d say there’s no harm in reapplying to these schools since you already know how challenging it may be to get into them given that top quality schools often accept very few transfer applicants and can afford to be choosy. If you are determined to transfer, however, I would add a few schools that are similar to the ones you’ve mentioned in significant ways but that also may be more accessible, i.e., larger so they take a greater number of transfers, second and third tier as safeties so that you will have options when the time comes to choose. Look for schools that are strong in your areas of interest both academically and extra-curricularly, as well as with enough programs that you would be able to switch majors if you discover other interests. I would look very carefully at each of the schools you’ve already selected and see whether they are as strong when you consider location, breadth of academic options, extra-curricular possibilities, etc. You may decide to add to your current list or substitute other institutions once you do a thorough comparison. You may be hurt by the fact that many small liberal arts schools found themselves over-enrolled this fall; I’m thinking specifically of Macalester. Your chances at a school where that was the case would definitely depend on a lot of those students transferring out.</p>