My transfer chance! Where should I apply?

<p>Hi. I am currently studying at the University of Melbourne in Australia. This is my first semester here and the reason that I want to transfer out is because I feel that the work here is too easy and not challenging for me. They dont offer any honors college, nor do they offer accelerated program.</p>

<p>I am doing a double major Electrical and Electronics engineering/Physics. Here is the list of universities that I am interested in. I believe most of them are reaches so please tell me which one do I have a realistic chance, so I can apply to them.</p>

<p>Caltech
Stanford
Duke
Columbia
Cornell
Rice
Carnegie Mellon
U of Michigan</p>

<p>Here are my stats:
High school grades: IB - 35 points
IB Math HL 6
IB Physics HL 7
IB Chemistry HL 5
IB English SL A1 4
IB Economics SL 5
IB Thai B 7
Bonus = 1</p>

<p>These SATs are all taken during the time I was attending high school:</p>

<p>SAT 1 - 780 math, 460 verbal, 580 writing, essay 10/12 <-- I might retake SAT 1
SAT 2 - 800 math 2c, 800 physics, 760 chemistry
toefl computer based - 267/300</p>

<p>I havnt received my full college grade yet, but I believe it will be high 80s, if not in the early 90s (out of 100 - different grading system). I will get all H1 honors which is basically if you get more than 80% in a subject. I dont know if I will get valedictorian rank, but if not I will most probably be in the top ten students out of a few hundreds.</p>

<p>As you can see my High School grades are pretty bad, but college grade is alot better. Will my bad HS grade affect me that much? Please analyze my chances!</p>

<p>What are you talking about your highschool grades being bad? Your IB scores are really quite good. A 7 in a HL course is nothing to be sniffed at!! Retake your SAT 1's and you'll be fine. Do you have any EC's?</p>

<p>Well I guess saying that it is bad is relative to a frame of reference. I was predicted 38 btw. That is why 35 is bad, because underperformance. I really should get 7 in Math and at least a 6 in Chemistry. I just didnt revise enough, and I was kinda a slacker back in high school. Anyway my college grades are alot better than back in high school, partly because I am taking only math, science, and engineering subjects.</p>

<p>Yes I have ECs. I was in varsity swimming back in HS, and play soccer, bball and table tennis for fun. I got various awards back in high school for outstanding performances in math, physics and chemistry, but that was a few years back in grade 9-11. I also represented the school in math competition, and ranked 15th in Thailand. I passed the British Math Olympiad round 1, and was invited to attend round 2, which typically the only top 700 students were invited.</p>

<p>As for community services, I assisted in a day care center, and wrote books for children, but that was all part of the CAS program of the IB diploma.</p>

<p>I dont know if i should even apply to caltech, stanford, duke and the likes, since their transfer acceptance rate are all < 10%....!!!
How are my chances for the rest though, like cornell and columbia.</p>

<p>ah how I forgot about the community service aspect of the diploma. Generally speaking, or what I was told back in the day when I went to my first IB info session is that you usually have a lot easier in to any of Ivy's if you score 35 and above. </p>

<p>If it makes you feel any better, I got a 2 on my IB Math exam!! I just find that so hilarious I can't even be disappointed in myself. We had no consecutive teachers in our math program and in our final year we had a crazy old uni prof. who was half deaf and didn't explain anything properly. Oh well. so really you are over exaggerating if you think your marks are bad. I'm not that familiar with admissions to those uni's but I would say that you have a strong chance even with their low transfer rates.</p>

<p>Your a math genius man, you SHOULD apply to Caltech (most definately), Stanford, Duke, and maybe even throw in MIT to the mix. Your stats and ECs are very very good, your SAT 1 scores a little low, but 800 on math 2c and physics? That's pretty darn good. </p>

<p>I think your application will come down to the essay. Write the best one you can. If you need help, don't hesitate to find help. Also, try to get good recommendations from your profs as they aso weigh in big. Do this, and you'll be one of the most competitive people this year.</p>

<p>sorry, but 800 on IIc, 800 on SAT I math doesn't mean your math is good, just means that you are a diligent person
Caltech
Stanford (requires high verbal score)
Duke (requires high verbal score)
Columbia (requires high verbal score)
Cornell
Rice
Carnegie Mellon
U of Michigan
i think you have a chance at Cornell, UMich and Carnegie Mellon. Other than that, i think while Caltech and MIT are looking for math geniuses, you just don't have accolades to prove to them you are MATHY (no olympiad medal, no math awards, no contest placements)
and i don't know aobut your ECs
However, i do wish you the best of luck in pursuit of your dreams, because we all have those reach schools that we have applying to even though we know we got like less than 1% chance of getting in he he ;)
good luck :D</p>