<p>I developed a passion for philosophy. My old college did not have a major, I had exhausted the philosophy course-work in that school by the end of my freshman year, my professors wanted me to attend a better school, and I had chosen Georgetown specifically because of its program; that is, I did research on the professors, the major, the department, and made clear in my essays why those factors made Georgetown an important place to me.</p>
<p>I did the same for Chicago and Rice, though I was only admitted at those places as a junior transfer.</p>
<p>I read a lot of essays here: they all emphasize very general reasons for wanting to attend a school. Going into the specifics shows that you've done the research and that you are earnestly interested in that school, and not some generic top 25 institution, such that you can adapt your essays for each such institution merely by substituting a school name for another one.</p>
<p>Nspeds, I am considering transferring to Georgetown from ASU. Having transferred from an easier school yourself, I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to how difficult it is to obtain an A both at your previous school and now at Georgetown. Is it significantly harder to get the same letter grade for a similar class at Georgetown?</p>
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I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to how difficult it is to obtain an A both at your previous school and now at Georgetown. Is it significantly harder to get the same letter grade for a similar class at Georgetown?
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<p>Yes, significantly harder, partly because my previous school didn't offer A-s, so a 91 would still give me an A for the class. That doesn't happen at Georgetown.</p>
<p>I really disagree with that grading system. If a +/- system is going to be used, all schools should follow a format similar to Washington & Lee University, in which an A+ is equivalent to a 4.3333 and an A is equivalent to a 4.0.</p>
<p>Amen. CU Boulder and many other schools won't give you a 4.333 for an A+, and it is total B.S. For every A- I've gotten, I've practically aced a class, but is that reflected in my GPA? No. Drives me crazy.</p>
<p>The grading system aside, however, is it harder to get an A in your new school than your previous one in the same class? If so, how much harder? I ask because I currently attend a pretty easy school and am worried my GPA will go in the toilet once I transfer to a more difficult school.</p>
<p>Aquafina - I really think that, if you get in, you will do fine at whatever college you end up transferring to. Especially at Georgetown, I hear the administration has been very impressed with the success of its transfer students, so much so that they will be admitting more in the future. In other words, they know how to pick em. </p>
<p>If you continue with good study habits, you can succeed at any college.</p>
<p>If the administration feels that you are in any way not qualified to perform satisfactorily the work here at Georgetown, they will not admit you.</p>
<p>BIG Caveat: If the the admissions office DOES admit you, that doesn't at all mean that they predicted your earning straight As. The admissions office expects that from no one, and would like to keep it that way. The average Georgetown student will have somewhere between a 3.0 and a 3.3. So unless you are really good at what you do, do not expect to get straight As. A 3.65 here is roughly the top 20% of the class, and that is just below an A- average. </p>
<p>In terms of professional school admissions, your 3.5-3.6 GPA will count for more since it was earned in an environment that is reputable and historically rigorous.</p>