<p>Hi, I'm planning on transferring to Pomona as an intl student , possibly domestic by April or May(long story with USCIS), from McGill Univ. (in Montreal, Canada). The only info they give on the website regarding transfer is just "extremely competitive". I know that those two words would be the accurate description, but does anyone know any specifics? i.e. admission rate, transfer applicant pool. </p>
<p>Also, what do the adcoms at Pomona look for in the application/applicant? What specific topics or personal traits or activities would boost admission chances? How big of a weight are academics and test scores? If my SAT IIs ( in science and math) are all in the 750-800 range but SAT I verbal is only 680, (800 math and 700 writing) would that hurt my chances?</p>
<p>Since i'm only a freshman in a huge college, how significant would my college records be?</p>
<p>Since my high school doesn't give out ranks, I only officially know that I'm in the top 10% of my class, but I'm pretty confident that I was either 4th or 5th in my class of 180 at a very competitive suburban school in Ohio. I took mostly honors and AP courses, received a year of AP equivalent credits at McGill. My high school recs were good according to the teachers who did the honors, and I also have a good rec letter from my private violin teacher, the assistant concertmaster of Cleveland Orchestra. Tho my college recs won't be as good given that I've only been at this giant, impersonal school for a less than a year. ECs emphasize violining at different levels (state orchestra to school orchestra to pit orchestra); tutoring a total of around 20 students in 3 years various subjects in music, math and science; arts editor of the school paper; scholastic gold keys during my freshman year then gave up art; captain of science olympiad team; coordinator of student blood drives; participated in mock trial for 2 years as a witness; and have definitely over 100 hours of volunteering, summers spent in Canada hiking, traveling, working, volunteering, reading.</p>
<p>In college, I was a research technician for a research project that has just been published in an extremely prestigious journal, and currently conducting research on another topic with a different professor. On the side I play the violin and dance (mostly latin/south american dances). </p>
<p>Thanks in advance</p>
<p>l3tranger, some information on transfer admissions can be found in the Common Data Set (click on the tabs on the bottom of the page):</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pomona.edu/institutionalresearch/collegedata/CDS%200708_v2.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.pomona.edu/institutionalresearch/collegedata/CDS%200708_v2.htm</a></p>
<p>It is very competitive, especially for ladies. Good luck!</p>
<p>the link appears to be dead...</p>
<p>Here's transfer information that I pulled up from the link:</p>
<pre><code>Provide the number of students who applied, were admitted, and enrolled as degree-seeking transfer students in fall 2007.
Applicants, Admitted Applicants, Enrolled Applicants
</code></pre>
<p>Men: 77, 13, 7<br>
Women: 104, 6, 3<br>
Total: 181, 19, 10 </p>
<p>If you really want to attend Pomona, I would encourage you to apply. Good luck!</p>
<p>Hmm, I asked the admissions office myself and i got similar numbers for the past few years. Anyone here who applied and got in as transfer? Any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>What the Admissions Office really looks for in transfer applications is a strong, cogent argument for why you want to transfer to Pomona. But don't just bash your current school, you need to articulate what you find lacking in your current experience and how Pomona can better fit your needs as well as how you can contribute to Pomona. Good luck!</p>
<p>Strong arguments for transfer seem to be the number one importance on every transfer application, regardless of which college. My reasons that Pomona would offer a better fit than McGill is simply that Pomona attends to individuality through cooperation within the Pomona community. I heard that they recently built a new building for neuro/cognitive science research, and that they provide more tailored preparation for individuals for med school or career fields. I went on campus and fell in love with the music hall and its Greek/Roman themed architecture. At McGill everything is harsh, mature and dangerous, and the consequences are severe. But Pomona students keep telling me that it guides inspirational paths, while McGill just throws first years in the cold and let them wander around aimlessly. Pomona holds high expectations for all students, yet it feels like a home instead of a dysfunctional bureaucracy. Being at McGill taught me how to survive in a city, and now i've started to miss going to school.</p>