<p>PA Resident
Race: Black
Gender: Male</p>
<p>Colleges:
-Penn State-University Park (Top choice)
-University of Maryland-College Park (Top choice)
-University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
-University of Georgia
-University of Florida
-CU-Boulder
-University of Arizona (Barrett Honors College)
-USC
-Saint John's University
-Columbia University</p>
<p>Intended major: Biochemistry </p>
<p>Current Major: Chemistry
GPA: 3.60 (My transferrable GPA is between 3.7 and 3.9 with 5 A's and 1 C)
College: Northampton Community College. This college was ranked in the top 50 among community colleges nationally</p>
<p>Clubs and Activities:
-Science Club: 1st and 2nd semesters
-Engineering Club: 1st semester
-Spring 2014 Leadership Class (I learned about leadership principles and met with business leaders in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania)
-Residence Life Council: General member
-Phi Theta Kappa: General member freshman year; elected as secretary for my sophomore year</p>
<p>Hooks:
-Possible first generation student (Mom and dad don't have a Bachelor's degrees; however, my mom has an Associate's degree)
-Single parent household (I don't know if this is an actual hook or not, but I just decided to throw that out there)
-URM</p>
<p>Honors/Awards:
-Made the Dean's List for the Fall 2013 semester
-I am am in the honor's program, and I have taken three honors courses thus far
-I am a SMaRT Scholar, or a recipient of a scholarship from the National Science Foundation, based on my intent to enter a STEM field
-Member of Phi Theta Kappa</p>
<p>Work Experience/Internships:
-POS Associate (Cashier) at Kohl's during my senior year of high school
-Hired as an RA for the dorms</p>
<p>Do I have a good chance at admission with any of these schools?</p>
<p>What does it take to get a response on this thread?</p>
<p>@FutureDoctor31 I’m not familiar with the transferrable GPA, but if the one the college will see is between a 3.7 & 3.9, then I think you’d have a decent chance. If I may ask, did you apply to any of these schools the first admission cycle you went through? Additionally, have you considered Cornell for your transfer list?</p>
<p>I’m not sure about any of your schools except for St Johns and you have more than a decent chance of getting in. They threw a lot of money at my son and his grades were just so so (however his SAT’s were very high). Just be aware that dorming at St Johns is very expensive and off campus housing is just as expensive. </p>
<p>One MAJOR missing piece of this post, is your income bracket or affordability.
At this point you are not going to get any full aid from almost any school because you are a transfer student.
And realistically, the way transfers to top schools work is basically your GPA and affordability.
So what’s the number (affordability) you are working with?</p>
<p>@coco2018 To be very honest, my mom (single parent) and I have never had a discussion on affordability. I’m assuming that she may not want to spend more than $20,000/yr; however, I would be willing to do whatever it takes to attend my dream school so long as the debt doesn’t get too crazy since I must attend medical school after college.</p>
<p>@JanAnna By transferable GPA, I mean the GPA of the courses that will actually transfer. So far, I have taken 32 credits. At all of my aforementioned schools, seven of my credits (3 from College Algebra, 3 from Trigonometry, and 1 from College Success, a course similar to freshmen seminar courses taught at four year institutions) will not transfer. The other 25 (Gen Chem I and II, Bio I and II, Honors English I and II, Honors American History II) will transfer. To answer your second question, I applied to Penn State during my first admission cycle. I was accepted, but I turned it down in lieu of the better deal presented to me at Northampton (I’m in the honors program, I have room and board, and I’m taking 17 credits for around $3,000/semester).</p>
<p>@bucky0926 Thank you for bringing this up. I was not aware of how much on and off-campus housing costs at St. John’s. If anything, however, St. John’s will be a safety school on my list, along with Arizona and CU-Boulder. </p>
<p>Hi FD, congratulations on finishing freshman year strong. I take it you will apply this year to be considered as a transfer after two years. Does your school have an articulation agreement with Penn State and the other state campuses? Since finances are always a consideration for most people, applying to several of your state colleges will maximize your chances of being accepted at an affordable price. OOS publics may be much higher. You might get in, but if it is not affordable, it isn’t going to be an option. </p>
<p>Since you are aiming at med school, keep in mind that any of your in state options are quite acceptable to prepare you for that. Your dream school might be an ideal, but it’s two years vs loan repayments that last longer. I think this is hard to grasp for a student now, but having these loan payments down the road when one is considering something like buying a house, or starting a family can be tough. I understand you want to apply to some dream schools, but also be sure to apply to your affordable options. </p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 Thank you so much! I really did work hard this year.</p>
<p>As far as I know, my school does not have an articulation agreement with the main campus. My school does have articulation agreements with prestigious schools such as Lehigh University. It also has agreements with schools closer to my portion of the Philadelphia, including West Chester University and Temple University. I may include these two schools in my final list, along with possibly Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pitt.</p>
<p>Within that list of colleges is a mini-strategy that I have been formulating after researching financial aid. Through my research, I have learned that UNC-Chapel Hill, USC, and even UVA meet near-full or full need. I have also heard that the University of Maryland offers decent financial aid. Though I am not sure what these colleges will offer me as a transfer student, I will apply and see what happens. This way, assuming that I get accepted at all of my colleges, I will have financial safeties, along with my top-choice schools (Penn State, University of Maryland, University of Florida, University of Georgia) and my academic safeties (Arizona, CU-Boulder, and St. John’s). </p>
<p>I have always had a desire to move out-of-state. Though I love the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Philly area, I have always desired to see the world and all it has to offer. If an OOS public does become too expensive, then I may just wait until I apply for medical schools to consider OOS options. </p>
<p>@JanAnna I forgot to mention that I have not considered Cornell for my list in my original post. Should I be looking at Cornell?</p>
<p>It’s been said here that transfers to Ivy’s are very selective. Since they meet full need, it’s not unthinkable to apply, but I would not rely on it. Most of the colleges that meet full need are very selective. Consider what they require as well- some want SAT/ACT scores and high school record, some don’t. If your scores are lower than your high school GPA, you might want to consider this factor when making your school list.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2013/09/18/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need-2014</a></p>
<p>What is a “safety” and what is not is probably not really applicable where finances and uncertainty of transfer acceptance is concerned. Nothing is a “safety” if it is too costly. So wherever you apply, be sure to include colleges you can afford, and are also likely to get into. </p>
<p>Also I assume you have been in touch with your college guidance office. Since it is a community college, surely they are aware of the popular transfer patterns of students, and the financial aspect since many students who are planning on four year degrees attend a CC to save costs. Remember, your real goal is to do as well as you can without taking on huge debt ( and the stress that goes with it). There is plenty of time to experience living out of state after college too. </p>