Non-traditional transfer...making a list of possibles... Help!!!

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I am 22 years old who have taken a 3-year break from school to dance in a ballet company in NYC.
I attended a prestigious ballet boarding school for my middle and high school, did my freshman year at Indiana University as a ballet major(only reason I went there was bc it is arguably the #1 for ballet),
with academic scholarship, and invited to honors college as well as honor societies. </p>

<p>University GPA: 3.97 (second semester was 4.0)
with that said, I was only able to take certain classes(those before 11am and after 5:30pm) because of ballet.
Classes taken: Art History, Intro to Psy, Law and Public Affairs, Arts Management, Markets and Policy, and Asian Diaspora Studies, and other music electives etc.
I am not happy about the classes I took, but these were the only ones I could take that were either certified as Core or toward my previously intended 2nd major for 'Arts Management' I also tested out of basic math and english composition course so I wanted to get a head start on completing the requirements.</p>

<p>My GPA from High School is a bit complicated because of my ballet grades.
On the transcript, it says that only the ballet classes are weighted, and it is: 3.91.
But if the schools only look at my academic grades, it would be 4.0 as I had straight A's.</p>

<p>SAT I: Reading Comp: 700, Math: 740, Writing: 600......about average?I think..</p>

<p>My ECs are not much other than ballet, I have 4 months of volunteer experience at an organization helping people w HIV/AIDS and homelessness, but frankly I devoted all my time and soul to dance but I had to stop because of injuries. </p>

<p>I do not want to go back to IU because I am not dancing anymore and I did not like the Greek or partying atmosphere.
I intend to major in Public Health, or others related to medicine and science, as I am planning to go to medical school after undergrad. </p>

<p>Currently I am in the process of applying for Columbia GS(bc of my non-trad background), NYU, CUNY for Spring 2015
I am also going to apply for UNC Chapel Hill bc I would be paying in-state tuition. </p>

<p>Will someone chance me on above schools? I also want to know more schools which I should apply.
I want to stay in the North East Region and prefer more urban city campuses.
Any insights and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! </p>

<p>Thanks! :)</p>

2

<p>…BUMP…</p>

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<p>Just for the record, 22 isn’t really considered a “non-traditional” student. That title is typically reserved for students that are 25+.</p>

4

<p>Actually, there’s no authoritative definition of a non-traditional student, </p>

<p>Yale defines it as a gap in education of 5 years.
Tufts looks for a minimum age of 24.
Pitzer aims slightly lower at 23.
Brown coyly sidesteps the age limit by mandating 6 years since your last high school coursework.
Columbia merely looks for a gap of 1 year or a “compelling reason” for access to part time study.</p>

<p>This does mean that many top non-trad programs are off limits to you right now, but not all.</p>

<p>Columbia GS is a great option for you, as they have made a point of courting dancers who want to transition into the next phase after their dancing career. Given your college GPA, I’d say you are a strong candidate in spite of the high but not stratospheric SATs, but even GS is highly selective. They have a higher acceptance rate than CC but that is in part because they try to “wave off” interested applicants who are not a good fit before they even apply. Likely acceptance, but by no means guaranteed.</p>

<p>I’d consider Johns Hopkins on the strength of their public health program. UNC Chapel Hill is strong in the field as well, so it’s good you’re considering it. A common complaint against many non-trad admissions programs is that the financial aid is much less than traditional students get, so having a “financial safety”, especially when it is one with an excellent reputation in your field(s) of interest, is a very good idea.</p>

<p>I’d also suggest looking at some schools that have student-run EMS programs, as that could be a great way to get some real-life experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few I know off the top of my head: Georgetown, Johns Hopkins (again), Boston College, Boston U, Clark, Columbia (again), Hampshire, Brown. You can find a full list at the National Collegiate EMS Foundation</p>

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<p>Comfortablycurt, I realize that I do not fit into most schools ‘non-traditional’ programs, other than Columbia GS. I just meant I was a non-trad, given my educational background at a ballet-focused school. I would be applying as a transfer student for other Universities. </p>

<p>Thank you so much for the information DreamSchlDropout! It is a great help.
I just submitted my application for GS, keeping my fingers crossed! :slight_smile:
I will definitely look into the schools with student-run EMS programs. </p>

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<p>Penn LPS also has taken post-career dancers. You have flexibility, and Philadelphia has a wonderful dance community.</p>