<p>Hello, </p>
<p>I know this has been discussed before on this forum, but I've heard mixed things from different people. What I want to know are what is most important for sophomore transfer applicants to focus on - some people have told me that the why X college is the most important; some people have told me that college GPA is most important; some people have said that professor recommendations are most important. I hear these are all equally important, but I wonder where the high school statistics weigh. </p>
<p>Here's the deal: when I applied to college as a first-year student, my GPA was iffy (weighted 4.8/5.3) and my SAT score was not very strong (2160/2400). So I ended up at Cornell University, which, after a semester, I realized isn't the right place for me. It's too pre-professional, the students are not intellectual enough, and the campus is simply too large for my liking. However, I managed to get a 3.92 for first semester (3 A's and 1 A-)! I know that people say college GPA is the most important when trying to transfer, but it's only been one semester. How seriously will colleges look at my college GPA and determine that yes, I have improved since high school, and accept me? I'm looking to apply to mostly liberal arts colleges (Swarthmore, Haverford, Oberlin, and Wesleyan) and the University of Chicago, my absolute dream college. What are my odds? ^^</p>
<p>Cornell is an excellent school. I don’t think that you have improved much - you got in to an Ivy League school! Hard to improve off of that. Your first semester is excellent too. I wouldn’t worry about trying to show you have improved - you’ve already showed that you are a high achiever.</p>
<p>UChicago, when I applied, wasn’t hard to get into (or at least not as hard to get into as Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, etc.)</p>
<p>With a 3.9+ and good reasons, you should be fine.</p>
<p>I don’t think you should be comparing your freshman admissions results to what could happen through the transfer process. Odds are that when you applied the first time around, you weren’t dinged because of your credentials, so there’s really no need to “improve” off of anything. Academically, you were and are qualified for any institution.</p>
<p>Freshman admissions is just very difficult. People with great numbers get rejected all the time.</p>
<p>Thankfully, the transfer admissions process is slightly more predictable. I say “slightly” because I think that in the last few years, good schools have gotten more selective in the transfer process, and more people are applying (both people who wouldn’t have had a shot in the first place, and people who are just looking to “upgrade”). The best way to guarantee your spot at any of the schools you listed above is not just to maintain that GPA, but also to demonstrate through other avenues that you’re a special person. The essay will be key.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>