Need some advice for my situation

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm a freshman at Northeastern who is looking to transfer to a liberal arts college next year. I rushed into choosing a major so I started first semester as a part of the business program and did not enjoy it and really struggled. I talked with my academic advisor and after some talk of changing majors we decided it might be best to consider some liberal arts schools for fall of next year.</p>

<p>My first semester gpa was pretty bad (2.8) so my question is how crucial is a good first semester gpa to a transfer application? And will the fact that I struggled in a business program help make up for my bad gpa since im applying to all liberal arts schools?</p>

<p>Also, this semester is off to a much better start, so how do I effectively communicate that Im doing much better on my application, assuming I'm able to maintain the improved grades I have now through the rest of this second semester?</p>

<p>Here are my highschool stats...
3.6 gpa (honor roll) at a pretty well regarded college prep school
2100 on the SATs
Lots of extra curriculars (Jazz Band/varsity soccer/lots of community service/ speech and debate/ NBC internship/ etc.)</p>

<p>Schools I'm applying to...</p>

<p>Reaches
- Wesleyan
- Hamilton
- Amherst
- Macalester</p>

<p>Possibly reasonable
- Puget Sound (Previously accepted)
- Wheaton</p>

<p>Hopefully this doesn't sound arrogant, I'm not trying to blame my grades on the school, I just am trying to see what my options are.</p>

<p>Thanks!
Any general advice is appreciated as well</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately, your college GPA is going to place you out of reach of all your reach schools. All of those school especially Amherst which accepted only 14/500 transfer last year, have very small transfer acceptance rates.</p>

<p>I do not know anything about Puget Sound or Wheaton but I am sure they would favor at least a 3.0 minimum for transferring but you would need to look on their websites.</p>

3

<p>I figured as much, does anyone know how important high school grades and SAT scores are for a freshman transfer? I’m trying to gauge if it’s even worth it to apply.</p>

4

<p>I think that it would really be in your best interest to stay at your current school for now and then apply as a Spring 2014 transfer or a Fall 2014 transfer in the fall–is this a possibility that you’d consider? If you stay at your current college and raise your GPA (show improvement!), I think it’d really help your chances of getting into a school you’d like to attend. </p>

<p>As far as your question regarding the importance of high school grades and SAT scores is concerned: I think that your SAT score is helpful to your applications, but I don’t know that your high school GPA is at this point. If you improve your GPA by staying at your current college and then apply for the Spring 2014 or Fall 2014 semester, I think you’d be a more attractive candidate! Just my opinion! :)</p>