Current School: T20 non-ivy
Applying as: Sophomore, Fall 2019 or Spring 2020 entrance
College GPA: 4.0
HS GPA: 3.7 UW, 4.24 W
APs: English (5), US History (5), Physics 1 (4) => HS did not allow for many AP classes to be taken, only ~3-5 total over course of 4 years
SAT: 1540 (780 CR, 760 M)
Intended Majors: 1) History 2) Anthropology
Race: White
Sex: Male
Applying for FA: No
Awards: Some state-level placements in FBLA exams, competing at nationals but never placed.
EC’s: if you think these will be a deciding factor I’ll provide more details
(Ostensible) Reasons for transferring: Want to be at a school with similar academics in a new location as setting is an important aspect of the college experience (I stayed in my hometown because the school is very good, but I now realize this was a mistake), love the Open Curriculum (will give the reasons that everyone else does)
Ask me for more details if you need them to assess my chances.
I’m not going to directly assess this because 1. I’m woefully underqualified & 2. From what I can remember (I may be wrong) the number of transfers that Brown accepts annually are a single digit. I read an article a while back explaining that ivy league transfers are especially difficult because those that have a genuine chance often come from highly prestigious schools, and as such are expected to provide a genuine reason for wishing to transfer (which you seem to have, though it’s likely something they’ve heard before) and will be subject to a more rigorous scrutiny than normal applicants. I can’t say for certain if this makes admission more difficult, but they definitely give serious candidates close consideration.
The reason you give for wanting to leave may raise a red flag because it can also infer you change your mind easily, and as I’m sure you’re aware, top schools want students that will stay and graduate (thus not screwing over their graduation rate).
We can talk more if you want, feel free to dm me with other questions about transferring. I research when my anxiety gets bad and it’s always bad so I have a lot of information I’ll never use.
@musemuse Brown’s transfer acceptance rate is pretty low compared to most schools, but traditionally one of the highest among the Ivies (cornell excluded), accepting about 8-9% which is about 150 per year
@musemuse
Thanks for raising those points. I do not think these schools could rightfully be concerned about me “changing my mind” easily, as I provided specific reasons for changing my mind about the importance of location in my essay.
@happy1
I already submitted my application so all I can do is hope for the best now! Luckily I would be happy to stay at my current school, so for me this is a win-win situation.
I think your reason for transferring – wanting to get out of your hometown, is a solid reason, and as long as you wrote effectively about it, you have a good shot. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m fairly certain Brown does not allow mid year entries - they most definitely do not allow it for freshmen, but I’m not completely sure about transfers.
@Gourmetmom
Brown now considers transfer applicants for fall of the same year and spring of the next year. So I’m being considered for both Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. If I get in Spring 2020 I’ll do a semester abroad in the fall.