<p>Basically, I screwed up my first two years of high school (I've had a 4.00 since junior year). My current UW GPA including the first half of senior year is a 3.63. If I continue all As this year, my final high school cumulative GPA will be 3.68. I like to be an optimist, but I am also a realist, and I know that this GPA will keep me out of the schools I want to attend. So, here's my question:</p>
<p>Is it wrong to go to a university with a plan to transfer out of it? I want to go to a local university (it is still a very good school with an admirable program), attempt to get a 3.9-4.0 GPA my freshman year, maybe try to improve SATs (colleges still look at those for transfers, right?), and then attempt to transfer to my dream school. What are the disadvantageous of this plan? Should I wait until my sophomore year in college to begin the transfer process? I've been told that entering college my the mindset of transferring can have adverse effects. Is this true? Please no crass or hostile comments. I'm looking for truthful, helpful, and constructive insight.</p>
<p>Wait until the results come in. Then, put the plan in action. Honestly, if you’re set in transferring and you don’t get into the school you want, just go to CC for a year. Saves you money, easier to get good grades, and colleges will contact YOU to apply.</p>
<p>Hogwash. As long as you have good grades, it doesn’t matter if you’re from Austin Community College or Vanderbilt. Better a 4.0 at the former than a 1.7 at the latter.</p>
<p>I’m not a transfer student and am not as familiar with the process, so these are just my personal, inexpert opinions…I think it really depends on the school to which you want to transfer. You probably already know this, but transfer acceptance rates into ivies and other extremely competitive schools are very low, sometimes lower than the freshman acceptance rates. You’ll also be competing for a spot with people applying from top universities/lac’s and outstanding applicants who might have been admitted to top schools but who attended less competitive schools for financial reasons. I’m not saying that you’re not qualified or that you don’t have a chance (I don’t know your stats and personal experiences), but the chances for anyone of transferring into those top schools are slim. </p>
<p>You mention that you’re going to try to get a 3.9-4.0 your freshman year…again, not saying that you can’t do this or that you’re not motivated or smart, but it’s a LOT harder to get that GPA in college than it is in high school, and I’m speaking from personal experience. I got all A’s and A+'s in the hardest courses available to me for 12 years and am looking at A-'s and B+'s in two of my courses freshman year…but your GPA will depend on the courses you take. You’ll be competing with other people with 3.9 and 4.0 GPA’s from schools of varying difficulty levels. You might also want to ask yourself what you can accomplish in one or two semesters at college that will change how the admissions officers look at your application? I mean obviously people transfer to top schools from other schools and even cc’s, but the competition is fierce, and usually the people who are accepted were outstanding applicants in high school. </p>
<p>Personally, I think it’s dangerous to go to a school with the intention of transferring out, just because at this point you don’t know how you’re going to do there and because the chances of transferring into a top school are unpredictable at best. It’s very risky to go to a school you don’t like and bet on your getting into another school, because you might end up stuck at a school you really don’t like for four years. It’s not wrong to prefer to go to a different school than the one you end up at freshman year, but it would be bad for you I think to go to a school you know you won’t like and count on transferring out because you could end up miserable. Why not try looking into good schools that are similar to the ones you want to transfer to and that you can picture yourself at but that are less impossible to get into? That way you can still be in the environment you like but have the option of transferring if you want. I think it would be healthier and more enjoyable for you to be excited about the first school you attend and to focus on adjusting to college life and exploring academics freshman year rather than focusing on preparing an application to transfer. But hey, that’s just me, and this rambling might not be of any help to you and I might be completely wrong about the transfer admissions process. Good luck with whatever you do, but don’t put yourself in a position where if you don’t get into those schools as a transfer student, you’ll be miserable for four years.</p>
<p>^Yea, I agree with you. Actually, though, the university I’m planning on going to my first few years (and as you said, possibly all 4 years) is not a bad one. I really would not mind going there. It’s ranked in the Top 25 in the country for undergraduate business and it’s in the Top 50 on USNWR for universities. Plus, it’s local so I can save money by not having to pay for housing. I have another question. If I do get rejected when I attempt to transfer after freshman year, can I still try again the following year when I’m a sophomore?</p>
<p>Also, the school I want to transfer into is indeed an Ivy League school. I’m hoping the school will see that after 3 years of great grades (Junior Year, Senior Year, Freshman Year of College), they should not care too much about my bad grades the first two years of high school.</p>
<p>I’ve been planning on transferring out of my school from the very moment I committed (it was my best option but also a horrible fit).
The most adverse effect I’ve experienced has been mind-crushing ennui. I spent my first semester ignoring my peers under the mindset that I’d be waving them good-bye in a matter of months and devoting all my time and energy to classwork and extracurricular activities.
I felt pretty disingenuous signing up for clubs and organizations with the sole intent of having something interesting to put on my transfer applications, but I guess it was nice having the foresight to put in the work instead of deciding to transfer and then looking back on an empty track record.
If you’re not 100% on transferring out of your school I would recommend testing the waters first (you might wind up loving your college. You can get a good education just about anywhere and dream schools are for suckers) while investing a small amount of time in extracurricular activities that genuinely interest you. You should also invest in a solid GPA whether or not you plan on transferring.
If your SAT score is below 2000/2400 you might want to consider retaking it, but otherwise, there are more important factors to worry about at this point. If you’re still in high school (it sounds like you are) and have the time to prepare (e.g. a whole summer break), go for it.</p>
<p>Samonuh, I was in this EXACT same situation! This is my advice, now that I’m a sophomore in college and have reaped the benefits (more like painstaking problems) of my actions: do not go to a school that you hate with the intention of transferring out. Much emphasis needs to be put on “Do not go to a school that you hate.” Now I know that you’ve stated that you’re most likely going to this top 50 school that you are okay with going to, but again, don’t put emphasis on the whole this school is top whatever and that school is only ranked there by USNWR. Really put a lot of emphasis on the fit. </p>
<p>And what is the reason for doing this? If you go to a school that socially is a complete misfit, you’re not going to be an environment that is conducive to strong academic achievement. And if you’re GPA starts to drop, you’re current unhappiness will only be further compounded, which will only make it even harder to do well. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. Rather depressing.</p>
<p>With that being said, you need to be very honest with yourself. The schools that make up the Ivy League are very different in terms of admissions selectivity and admissions-related procedures for transfer students. Brown, for example, is need-aware for transfer admissions while Penn is not. Some are known for being fairly transfer-friendly (Cornell) whereas others are not (Harvard–they literally take less than 15 people). Keep this in mind.</p>
<p>With ~3.7UW in hs, a 4.0 for two years in college, and–I don’t know–a 2200ish sat score, I think you would definitely have a shot at Cornell and Brown. Dartmouth is a huge crap-shoot. HYP are out of the question (P does not even accept transfers). Penn and Columbia seem to be somewhat plausible, although I must say that both of those school generally take students with 3.8+ UW GPAs. Obviously, essays, recs, and activities are all important as well. Hope this helps.</p>