Northwestern Fall 2011 Transfer Thread

<p>Couldn’t find another thread about the possibility of transferring winter quarter.</p>

<p>Thoughts though? </p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>Ohio State University, Art History major (freshman, but came in with 25 credits from AP scores so technically a sophomore in credit standing)
Major GPA: 4.0 with 500 and 600 level classes (graduate level) completed with high As
Overall GPA: 3.871 (deans list every quarter) </p>

<p>ECs: Undergrad Student Government, Ohio State Equestrian Team, Buckeye Leadership League, Ohio State Welcome Leader, Homecoming Exec Board (fall 2011), Delta Gamma Sorority, alternative break program to Miami (habitat for humanity)</p>

<p>Internship/ Career Related: accepted to Sotheby’s London Summer Study this summer</p>

<p>LoR: from an acclaimed art historian who has written numerous major papers and speaks on a regular basis at institutes such as UC Berkeley and Brown</p>

<p>LoR: a critic of the Washington Post and the new head of the Bubble project at the Hirschhorn Museum and Gallery (old professor and good friend)</p>

<p>Highschool Stats:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.82
5s on Art History and English Literature (graduated AP scholar)
ECs: equestrian for 11 years, student council, business chair for an event that raised over 250,000 for Cystic Fibrosis, honor roll, ect</p>

<p>Test scores (will kill me…)
ACT: 26 (perfect on essay)
SAT: 1890 (perfect on essay)
planning on retaking one or the other before i reapply, but thoughts?! I am extremely passionate about the art in chicago and coming to the program at NU. I feel like my qualifications are pretty good but I am really worried about my test scores. Honest opinions please! I wont be offended! I just really need to know if its even worth my time to apply. Good luck to everyone else too :)</p>

<p>Does anyone know if NU is need-blind or need-aware for transfers? They’re need-blind for first-years ([Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)), but I haven’t seen anything indicating their transfer policy.</p>

<p>Brown, for example, is need-blind for first-years and need-aware for transfers. Here’s why that’s significant: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/936056-brown-transfer-applicant-survey-fa-need-aware-admissions.html?highlight=need-aware[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/936056-brown-transfer-applicant-survey-fa-need-aware-admissions.html?highlight=need-aware&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>^ I’m not familiar with Ohio State’s academic reputation, but based on your college gpa you should have a pretty good chance. I’m not sure how much emphasis NW places on test scores, but they will certainly hurt you; however, I think your college record may more than compensate for the subpar test scores. Also, your acceptance may depend on whether they want/need another Art History major; which is another variable that we can’t really account for. </p>

<p>You have 25 AP credits, yet you only mention gettings 5’s on two tests. What were your other AP scores, I think NW requests them. NW certainly will not give you credit for 3’s (not sure about Ohio State). </p>

<p>If you want to go to transer to NW, I think it is worth your time and money to apply. You have at least a decent chance.</p>

<p>Make sure you check to make sure you are able to apply for the Winter quarter. NW needs at least a year of college which you’ll have obviously. But check their website.</p>

<p>yeah they were 4’s and 3’s but I dont think Northwestern accepts those. You can apply winter quarter because I will have a year and a quarter under my belt and Im planning on taking some online classes this summer for credit. what are the average test scores for transfers? for the sat and act?
and thanks for your advice and opinions!</p>

<p>When do we hear back?</p>

<p>June 1, I think.</p>

<p>Bumping my question about need-blind vs. need-aware financial aid.</p>

<p>I don’t remember where I heard this, but I was told that they are need-aware. I may be completely wrong on this one, though.</p>

<p>just checked my final grades… 4.0! (*^▽^)/</p>

<p>btw, i can’t find anything on northwestern being need-aware for transfers.</p>

<p>^Yeah it says they’re need-blind on their financial aid website.</p>

<p>I seem to remember reading something on CC that insinuated that Northwestern is need-blind for transfers too. This might be born out by the fact that Brown is need-aware for transfers, and it causes a lot of commotion on the boards here. I can only think that if Northwestern operated the same way, it would be a big deal.</p>

<p>@augustus1 Do you remember where you saw that? [Application</a> Instructions for Prospective Transfer Students: Undergraduate Financial Aid - Northwestern University](<a href=“http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu/tasks/prospective/transfer_instructions.html]Application”>http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu/tasks/prospective/transfer_instructions.html)</p>

<p>I saw it in several places. First, on the transfer aid page, it discusses how Northwestern’s committee determines financial aid:</p>

<p>"The basic equation for need based financial aid is as follows:</p>

<p>Cost of Attendance - Expected Family Contribution = Demonstrated Institutional Need</p>

<p>When determining a student’s Expected Family Contribution, the Committee performs a needs analysis on the required application materials. The student’s demonstrated institutional need will first be met with any federal funding for which the student may be eligible. If need remains, the student will be considered for institutional funding."</p>

<p>Second, on the FAQ page:</p>

<p>“1. Does Northwestern offer merit aid?
Northwestern is an institutional sponsor of National Merit Scholarships. In addition, the School of Music awards a number of talent scholarships to incoming students with outstanding performance in auditions. The remainder of the Northwestern scholarship funds are awarded in accordance with our need-based financial aid policy which allows our uniformly high quality students to attend regardless of their ability to cover the cost.”</p>

<p>So yeah, it doesn’t look like they distinguish between freshman and transfers. They provide need-based financial aid for all who apply: “We are among a small group of private institutions that continue to meet the full demonstrated institutional financial need of our aid applicants.”</p>

<p>Yeah, but, none of that address whether or not NU is need-aware for transfers. A school can meet the full demonstrated need and still be need-aware in its admissions policies.</p>

<p>^ exactly.</p>

<p>The info [url=<a href=“http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/financial-aid/frequently-asked-questions.html#7]here[/url”>http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/financial-aid/frequently-asked-questions.html#7]here[/url</a>] seems a bit less clear as it only addresses citizenship/residency and makes no clarification about the type of applicant to whom this answer is directed:

Does this mean we should assume transfer admissions follow the same policies as freshman admissions, who knows?</p>

<p>Ah, whoops, good catch, I misread that. Yeah, it doesn’t look like they distinguish in their need-blind policy between domestic freshman/transfers undergrads.</p>

<p>They explicitly say on their international page that “the amount of financial aid needed by an [international] applicant may also be a factor in a final admission decision.” If they haven’t explicitly said that they *are *need-aware on their transfer aid website, and they’ve already said that they’re need-blind for US citizens, then it seems reasonable for them to also be need-blind for transfers.</p>

<p>They could clear this up with really just an extra sentence of explanation on the financial aid website.</p>

<p>freshman overall 3.83, got one B+ and one B the spring semester…will that hurt? By the way, i take 6 courses this semester…i just mailed my transcript, and feel really worried ><</p>

<p>^EC’s? no EC’s might hurt</p>

<p>Do you all want to post your stats to pass the time (and maybe ease our collective anxiety a bit) while we wait? This may help give us a rudimentary sample of the applicant pool and an idea of where we stand. I’ll start: College gpa around 3.7, SAT 2250ish, decent ECs, applying as an incoming junior.</p>