<p>I'm applying for transfer for the spring from a community college to a four year institution and I am looking for some ways to boost my possibility of acceptance. I was academically dismissed from my first university 3 years ago due to low gpa, and when I applied to schools for this past fall I was rejected either because the grades from my first school dropped my cumulative gpa too low or I was rejected outright for having a dismissal on my record. Could anyone who has worked in admissions give me some tips on overcoming this situation?</p>
<p>These are my current stats:
-24 year old white male
- live/attend college in maryland
-political science major
-1.1 gpa over 27 credits at first 4 year school
-3.44 gpa over 55 credits at community college
-SAT - 1850 (710CR 550M 590 W) but am retaking
-SAT II - US Hist 730 World Hist 760 Literature 740
-Completed 2 internships in local government(1 semester 25 hrs/week) and in the government affairs office in DC of the largest privately owned company in the country(1 semester 35 hrs/week)
-member of college republicans, political awareness association, future debaters of america, and history club at community college
- former intercollegiate athlete while at my first university
- work approximately 20hrs per week while attending community college when I do not have an internship</p>
<p>The clubs are a recent addition to attempt to boost my EC's, and I am retaking the SAT I and some classes this semester that I received a C in previously to boost my gpa. Any thoughts on potential schools for someone in my situation or things I could do to improve my chances would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Your under 3.5 GPA probably seriously cuts into your chances for a top school. However, with those top schools, you never know (if you know what I mean ). Your CC GPA will probably eclipse that of the previous school. You could expain in your essay what happened and why you had a 1.1 GPA. Also, you have a nice CR score but a very dismal writing and math. If you apply to schools that ask for SAT I from transfer students, I would retake that (with preparation beforehand ;)). Bump it over 2100 maybe? Sounds very doable since Math and Writing are the easiest sections to improve on. Your SAT II are decent for any school.</p>
<p>Have you taken your questions to the transfer office at your community college? They deal with students like you all the time, and should be able to advise you on how to present yourself better. I’ve heard nothing but good reports about the transfer office at MC in Rockville. If you are at MC, make an appointment with them.</p>
<p>happymomo1,
i’ve gone to them asking about potential transfer options, but 90% of the student body elects to transfer to an in-state public university, whereas I would like to go out of state to either a public or private institution. Because of this, they seemed to have a very limited knowledge about potential schools for me to transfer to outside of maryland. I am not at MC because it is too far away, but it is a very good CC. and many of the students there get accepted to UMD.</p>
<p>YAHA,
That SAT score was a retake from oct 2008 because my SAT from HS did not have the writing section. I haven’t had a math class since calc II in spring 2004 and did no prep for the SAT when i retook it in 2008 so my math skills were quite rusty; I’m certainly going to take your advice and prep this time around and get above a 2100. Also, I didn’t think schools cared too much about the writing section so I didn’t take it very seriously and unfortunately only wrote a very short essay the first time around.</p>
<p>As for the CC gpa eclipsing the previous gpa, thats what I was hoping for, but it gets averaged into my cumulative gpa and brings it down to below a 3.0. I’m hoping that I can wrangle an interview with some of the schools I apply to so I can address the issue in person as well as in my essay. Unfortunately the last round of admissions people didn’t seem to realize that you can mature quite a bit between the ages of 18 and 24</p>
<p>Go back to the transfer counselors, and work through them until you hit one who either has more interest/experience with students who want to go out of state, OR is willing to spend some time on the phone with the folks at MC who do just that. </p>
<p>You also need to think long and hard about which in-state schools might work for you so that you can apply to an appropriate list of institutions.</p>
<p>rosey,
yes you have to include all course work. If they find out you have previous credits earned and didn’t submit them they can revoke your admission.</p>
<p>I would write an essay explaining what went wrong at the first school and why it’s not going to happen again. </p>
<p>I would also advise applying in the Fall if at all possible instead of Spring. For many schools they have few or no spaces for transfers mid-year, making Winter/Spring more competitive than Fall.</p>
<p>Do you ever lose the bad grades from the first year? Does your gpa start clean after the transfer? When you apply to grad school are the first year grades from the other school part of your gpa calculation?</p>
<p>Yes it usually does, rosey. But in future applications you have to submit both transcripts so they will see your gpa at your new school and the one at your old one. They are not averaged together, though.</p>
<p>twisted your comment on the semester of transfer is a good idea. what about schools that admit transfers to begin in the summer? are they typically more/less competitive for admissions slots over the summer in relation to the fall and spring?</p>
). Your CC GPA will probably eclipse that of the previous school. You could expain in your essay what happened and why you had a 1.1 GPA. Also, you have a nice CR score but a very dismal writing and math. If you apply to schools that ask for SAT I from transfer students, I would retake that (with preparation beforehand ;)). Bump it over 2100 maybe? Sounds very doable since Math and Writing are the easiest sections to improve on. Your SAT II are decent for any school.</p>