Prospective Junior Transfer Applicant seeking for advice.

College Search & Selection
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<p>So, I am currently a freshman mathematics major at SUNY Geneseo (NY resident), hoping to transfer for many reasons. Based on my statistics, I was wondering if the school I am transferring to is right for me both socially and academically.</p>

<p>College GPA: 3.2 (first semester - 14 credits) - not a great start;
~3.4+ (this semester - 17 credits) - All A's but one C in biology (the biology program here at Geneseo is difficult)...
I came in with about 28 credits worth of AP's (5's in Physics B, Chemistry, and BC Calc; 3's in Microeconomics and Statistics)
I'm taking Calc III and Japanese I over the summer (about 7 credits).
Next semester I'm taking Japanese II, Probability and Stats I, Intro to Game Theory, Art History, Honors Math III (equivalent to Linear Algebra), and either Abstract Algebra, Real Analysis I, or Astronomy.
GPA Goal for sophomore year: 3.7+</p>

<p>Oh and if Math GPA matters, it's currently a 4.0 (and probably/hopefully will remain a 4.0)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: I am a hired math tutor and spend about 5+ hours per week. I took the Putnam Exam and didn't do so great. I also took the University of Rochester Math Olympiad and received "honorable mention." Next year, my goal is to do well on the Putnam and the Math Olympiad.
I also participated in Chamber Singers and Festival Chorus and Tennis Club.</p>

<p>High School GPA: 95.8 unweighted average (Rank: 1)
Extracurriculars: ESYO Chorale, NYSSMA Area AllState Participant, USAMTS Bronze Winner, Albany Area Math Circle, took the AIME senior year, major role of a community musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chamber Orchestra (a lot more), play Varsity Tennis at high school.
SAT Scores: 1270/1600 or 1800/2400 (780M, 490CR, 530W); 770 Math I, 790 Math II, 700 Chemistry</p>

<p>I am considering schools like Purdue, UIllinois Urbana Champlain, Rutgers, NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, UMichigan Ann Arbor, UCLA, and Berkeley as a junior transfer.</p>

<p>How are my chances with these schools? If I have no chance please let me know why. I am open to all suggestions as well. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>You might have a chance at a few of those schools if your grades improve, but can you afford those schools? The only one that might give you some aid is UNC-CH.</p>

<p>Will your parents pay $40-50k+ per year for those other schools?</p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that when you apply, your schools won’t see your last semester’s grades during the admissions process, so those GPA points won’t help you.</p>

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<p>I am really unsure of my parent’s financial status, but supposedly they don’t have a problem with it. I talked to them for many days about it and we haven’t reached a consensus yet. But I would assume that they are able to pay the ridiculous amount of money.</p>

<p>Thank you for the note. I’ll keep that in mind!</p>

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<p>As long as you gave them specific figures (they may not know how expensive these schools are for OOS students - many parents think OOS fees are just a few thousand more.).</p>

<p>If they know that these schools cost $40-50k+ per year, and they are fine with it, then go for it.</p>

<p>However, you need some more matches and some safeties.</p>

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<p>No chance at Berkeley or UCLA, pretty sure they don’t take transfers from 4 years excepting on a miniscule level, and your transcripts won’t be strong enough.</p>

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<p>mom2collegekids: Thank you for your suggestions and input! I’ll look for backup schools just in case.</p>

<p>BrownParent: I have a feeling that Berkeley and UCLA are both out of reach because they give people who reside in California priority. Besides, I really don’t know if my parents will be too happy about me going to a CA school. How about the other schools? Besides getting good grades, how else can I improve my transcript? Thanks!</p>

<p>PS: I am always willing to consider schools with a great statistics program and a math program, so if anyone would like to suggest a school matching my stats, feel free to do so! Thanks! This has been helpful so far.</p>

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<p>General Question: For OOS transfers (since I’m applying to schools not in NY), what GPA is generally required? I’m not doing so hot throughout my entire freshmen year, but throughout sophomore year, hopefully I’m able to raise my cumulative GPA to a 3.5+.</p>

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<p>First we need to know why you’re struggling grade-wise. </p>

<p>It would be a bad idea for you to transfer to a more difficult school if you’re having problems at an easier school. </p>

<p>Do you see what I mean?</p>

<p>BTW…what do you want to do career-wise as a math major?</p>

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<p>This may not seem like a legitimate reason for my struggle in freshman year, but for the first half of the year, I didn’t prioritize. I know I have the potential to raise my freshman first-semester grade to at least a 3.5+. It was a mistake in my part, which eventually happens to be a very deleterious mistake. The two classes I “struggled” last semester are Intro to Sociology, because my teacher didn’t really know her material. I ended up with a B+ in the class without any effort, but had I tried, it would’ve been an easy A. The other class is a requirement for the math major: “Computer Science Java”. I have a really nice professor but a very unfair man. He would teach us the concepts associated with computer programming, but challenges us with difficult projects. He never taught us syntax, because this was my weak point in computer science. Literally everyone in my class generally struggled. He also promised to curve the grades at the end of the semester, but never did so. Through the hard times, I received a C, the class average. Due to my failure to prioritize and actually study computer science independently, I would have received at least a B (I scored really well on my final exam). This would have boosted my first semester GPA to at least a 3.5.</p>

<p>Thoughts ran through my head wondering what I wanted to be when I grow up. This semester, I tried pre-med to see how it’s like at Geneseo (a school known for its “great” biology program they say). I retook Chemistry II for this reason and a potential Chemistry minor (I scored a 5 on AP Chemistry). I have a teacher who cannot teach the material. Every chemistry lecture is like a guessing game, when 85 students sit there trying to “fill in the blanks.” I took chemistry so I can review for organic chemistry next semester (which I don’t plan on taking since premed is out of my mind, as well as a Chemistry minor). His online quizzes were ridiculously difficult. And he never gave enough time to finish the Chemistry exams. From the looks of it, it appears that I am receiving a B+, struggling to raise that grade to an A-. Chemistry should have been a relatively easy A.</p>

<p>Biology this semester was the worst class ever. I sit in lecture wanting to learn the material but my biology professor speeds the lectures and crams in about 3 chapters a day. Then she throws the test (which counts for 75% of your grade) asking one line information from a 1500 pged textbook… Simply ridiculous. I knew that the biology program was difficult and tried to switch it to Pass/Fail, but missed the deadline by one day. I didn’t want to withdraw from the class because I wanted to learn biology. I tried getting help, but the harder I try, the more annoyed my professors are. From this, I am likely going to get a C, likewise struggling to raise that to a C+. (I’m actually studying for biology right now).</p>

<p>Second semester, I did not make the same mistake that I made first semester. I’ve been devoting so much time to biology and chemistry for so long, and nothing is improving.</p>

<p>From many past experiences, many teachers at Geneseo, especially biology, computer science, and chemistry, don’t want to help their students succeed. I would like a school that has a supportive, enthusiastic and academically gifted faculty in many disciplines, especially mathematics and statistics (Geneseo doesn’t have a statistics program as well). It seems that I am one that wants to learn from teachers who enjoy teaching the material. I tend to reflect that based on the grades that I have received in the past (high school included). I came to Geneseo for cost purposes, but since that shouldn’t be a problem now… I think it’s right for me to transfer to a school that personally suits me academically and socially.</p>

<p>It’s not that I’m struggling at an easier school… I know I have the potential to do well. But I don’t have the right ingredients to reveal that.</p>

<p>With my math major, I plan on either becoming an actuary (hence a statistics program would be suitable for that reason), or graduate studies in either mathematics or statistics. If all else fails, my immediate backup plan is engineering (which I completely despise).</p>

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<p>Any other suggestions?</p>