<p>hey all (i'm new to the forum, but a long time lurker)--</p>
<p>i'm going to be a freshman at iowa this year and i'm looking to transfer out of here, not because i don't like the school but because i had the chance to go elsewhere as a freshman but i didn't. i have some questions about the whole transfer process and i hope you all can give me some good advice. thanks for your time.</p>
<p>-with regards to professor/counselor recs. for the transfer application, how exactly do i go about getting them. i know it's very simple, you go up to the professor and ask them. but at what time of year is the best? since i'm going to be new to the school, chances are that the professors won't get to know me very well in order to write a really good rec. so how do i actually approach them about my transfer rec. and how do i get to know the professors better? i was thinking around the beginning of school i would find a professor that had some interesting research (i'm a physics major) and asking him if i could get involved and also if there are any scholarships/internships that he could recommend me for. then around winter break or so, ask if he could write the transfer recs. and have them to me by the early-mid march deadline. any advice?</p>
<p>-i've looked around on the transfer threads and it seems like most of the emphasis of the transfer process is on numbers. high school grades/scores and college grades (correct me if i'm wrong). i'm a little hesitant to put my stats and schools i'm looking at up at this time because i know this isn't a chances thread, but if you all are willing to check them out then i will. but really, how is the transfer process different from the freshman admit process.</p>
<p>you seem to have a pretty good idea about what to do and when to do it. my tip is to try to work\ for a professor in your field and ask him\her for a reccomendation after the first sem. also, be sure to apply for summer internships\research at the same time, which will also require reccomendations.</p>
<p>the transfer process is numbers-heavy, certainly. For 1st year transfer, they will look far more at your hs grades / rank / SAT. In my opinion, that counts for at least 60% of your application. The smaller portion are the soft factors such as EC, work, personal factors, and reccs. </p>
<p>The transfer admit process isn't greatly different than freshman admit, except the addition of college grades and professor reccomendations. Generally, at most schools the admit rate is lower for transfer than for freshman admit. However, if you were a strong freshman admit candidate you have a pretty good chance.</p>
<p>if you are able to take any smaller, seminar-type classes during your first term, that would be another way to get to know a professor. Visiting any of your profs (from larger classes) during ofc hours to ask qx... is another way. If you have a number of very large classes with TA's, it is also possible that a TA/prof will collaborate on a rec. So develop relationship(s) with any good TAs you have.</p>
<p>Your sense of timing is pretty much on target - at or toward the end of the first term is fine. Most transfer apps are due in March, so this will give your profs plenty of time to write a good rec.</p>
<p>another question: does a college admit based on major for a transfer student? would one major be admitted at a higher %age than another major? thanks for all your help.</p>
<p>I believe that will vary by college and by the major. For example, some schools have very high admit rates for transfers in general, but might be ranked in the top 5 in the US in Engineering - the admit rate for that program is likely to be lower. Whether they distinguish between someone who plans to major in English Lit versus French, I don't know. I don't know of any published statistics on that.</p>
<p>I believe that for many schools you can still apply for sophomore standing as Undeclared. Not sure if you could do that for Junior transfer, though.</p>
<p>i imagine that some underrepresented majors at a college may have higher selection, partially because they might stand out from the rest of the applicant pool. however, at most schools the difference would be negligible.</p>
<p>i'm also a little confused about the UC transfer process. is it possible to apply to say UCLA or UC Berkeley from out of state for sophomore standing? or is UC admission for out of state transfer hopeless?</p>
<p>and...my hs stats are 3.62 gpa and 1530/2270 SAT. would my slightly low gpa hold me back for transfer as a sophomore?</p>