ACT: 34 in one-sitting, 36 super score on all sections
SAT: 1510 790 MATH 720 ENR
High School GPA: 4.96 3rd in class
APs: 5 on Calc BC exam 4 Bio, Bio Gov, 4 Lang
College GPA: 3.58 (had to take humanity courses, CS major with interests in politics as shown by model UN interest and desire to complete pre-med reqs)
current school: UVA
ECs: Founded humanitarian organization at current school that is partnered with international organization All Hands and Hearts and provides students an opportunity to volunteer in disaster-affected areas (food and housing payed for) over breaks
Secretariat for VIGMUN conference and vice chair of another conference
Model UN President in High School
CS club leader senior year
volunteered at local church and in soup kitchen since sixth grade
Captain of high school soccer team since sophomore year
spent half of high school on homebound schooling(had to teach myself, teachers only came to administer tests) due to severe injuries, some related to soccer some not, and despite this, obtained wonderful stats.
US Army Reserve Scholastic Athlete
Interned with NASA for computer engineering and material engineering over sophomore year
Have completed three internships with various plastic surgeons, E.D. Doctors, and radiologists
Graduated from Governor STEM recognized science and medicine program, 3rd in class, as reiterated.
Reason to transfer: Strong desire to move out of a comfortable environment(UVA) to up north with a new culture where I would be surrounded by some of the world’s most intellectually curious due to the academic stature of the schools I am applying to. Very driven individual who wants to be surrounded by the peers and resources I need to continue growing.
@willsucceed4evR i think you have a good shot
I was just about to take this down because I need to just trust the process but thank you. I hope you have a lovely holiday!
I have no idea how to interpret your high school GPA. Different schools calculate this very differently, and your posted GPA is not possible at the schools that I am familiar with.
I think that your biggest problem will be your university GPA.
Your second biggest problem will be explaining why you want to transfer. With a 3.58 college GPA it is hard to argue that you are not challenged at your currently school, and UVA is a very good university. The best students at UVA will be just as strong as the best students anywhere.
How long have you been at UVA?
@DadTwoGirls i agree UVA is a very top tier school
My high school GPA is weighted, just means I got straight As. I understand the problem with the college GPA, but it is primarily due to me getting B+s in an advanced history course and advanced English literature course. This is my first semester so that is why those grades had such a large impact. I guess my reason for transferring extends beyond the academic rigor as to the larger availability of resources for undergraduates and the desire to experience a different culture. Grew up with UVA in the family because a sibling went there but never really wanted to go there myself. UVA is my comfortable, due to the familiarity and what not, and these schools offer a completely different atmosphere which would truly challenge me, and as demonstrated above in my stats, I thrive in a challenge.
From my corner, your post says ‘got rejected at preferred schools / still want the prestige’. Experientially, Penn, Cornell & Brown are strikingly different. For CS, there are a bunch of undergrad places that are stronger.
This just doesn’t ring true. Penn is a great university, but imo the % of truly “intellectually curious” students is no higher at the very pre-professionally oriented Penn than at UVa. Indeed, if Penn wasn’t in a particular sports league I don’t think it would have any more social OR academic status than UVa. And I say that with a collegekid there at atm.
I doubt that you will find Brown or Penn more of an academic challenge, but Cornell (also have a collegekid there atm) will be, so if you have a choice of the 3, that is the one to take if you really are looking for a challenge.
@collegemom3717 Thank you for the valuable feedback. I assure you my intentions are as stated and I am not just seeking the ivy league prestige. Regarding choosing a school specifically for CS, I am more interested in a strong liberal arts education, as implied above with my broad interests, but your comment is important to note. Your personal insight is very helpful and thank you for it.
@collegemom3717 I just said I was interested in politics, CS, and pre-med. The reference to humanity courses was me having to take a required English literature course haha.
N.VA native checking in - take a look at the 5 colleges at Cornell…very different transfer rates depending on which you apply to and some have interesting looking interdisciplinary components. If you’re truly into CS and a culture change you should be looking at the west coast schools as well.
If you’re a DMV native you won’t find anything about the 3 listed to be that different culturally from growing up near DC. If you’re from elsewhere in the state then you’ll be escaping the fratty southern culture.
DM me if you wanna talk shop about joining the army reserves and applying to H/Y/P/S/M level schools
I have to agree with @collegemom3717. This sounds to me as if you didn’t get into an ivy and are trying to prove something to someone. You’ve mixed in a LOT of HS accomplishments with your college activities.
You’ve only been at UVA for a semester. How is it possible that you’ve had time to explore all of their options? The schools that you mention would question this need “to be with your peers” and “needs challenges” after barely a maximum of one semester. Give the ad coms some credit: they have to deal with all of the transfer wannabes that were rejected flat-out of high school.
From us west coasters, we’ve seen that UVA is noted as an academically strong school.
Here are your transfer issues:
GPA- (Current not HS gpa)
Costs-transfers get lousy financial aid. Your parents are ok with spending $70k per year?
Professors LORs- you may have issues finding professors who will write a letter, given your lack of time at UVA.
Minimal transfer acceptances by those schools- the Ivies typically don’t take transfers.
Most IVY universities REQUIRE the humanities coursework; they’re kind of KNOWN for that. Expect more “humanities” coursework, not less.
Chances? Pretty much zero. Your college GPA does not cry out, “I’m an academic star.” Your reasons for transferring are of no interest to an Ivy League Uni given your GPA. (You can be around the best of the best by searching out Jefferson Scholars.)
Don’t waste your time and money with an app to those schools.
If you want to give it a try nobody here will stop you but the odds are slim given your first semester GPA and the fact that you have no meaningful reason to want to transfer (other than perceived prestige). UVa can get you wherever you want to go in life and if you want a chance of pace consider taking a semester abroad.
@“aunt bea” I simply said the humanity thing because I took an English class that I did not like. I normally love English. You mentioned I listed a lot of HS activities. Being that I have only been in college one semester, what do you suggest I include instead? I already have my recommenders, as I have already contacted them regarding this. Obviously I am not ok with spending that much, but, to my understanding, the transfer programs are put into the same pool for need-based aid as the rest of the student population. I did not apply to these schools out of high school. Kinda just applied to UVA and a few others because it was familiar, but I always felt that I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone of the familiar. Thank you for your feedback and I look forward to future correspondence!
@thestandard I grew up in a more rural/suburban environment and look forward to the more urbanite atmosphere that brown and penn have to offer. Cornell and UVA are similar in their small college town atmosphere, but that has its plus sides too. My main reason for transferring is that I feel as if UVA and I are not the right fit. It’s someone else’s and I do not want to spend the three-and-a-half years in this limbo.
@bluebayou thank you for your feedback, but I feel as though you have narrowed down my reasons for transferring as just one. As stated before, I wish to be in an unfamiliar environment, with a good academic caliber, UVA is, of course, a great school. I am not trying to imply that I am better than UVA. It is a wonderful school, but for someone else. To put it simply, I want something different. This leads to me looking into schools of similar academic caliber in different regions. But, again, thank you for your feedback!
@happy1 thank you for your response! I never thought my first semester GPA was poor. I have seen many on other forums be admitted with less and with similar reasons to mine. My expressed reasons, which I feel has been misinterpreted, is to go somewhere that I am not familiar with. I grew up with UVA, but I cannot help to desire something different. That is why I choose the more urban brown and penn, while also including the more northern school, Cornell. Thanks again!
Willsucceed4ever- I would suggest (I know it might be challenging) to visit or learn more about each school you mention. They are in fact very different. Pre professional Penn Vs open curriculum Brown, Ithaca a bit isolated and rural vs Philadelphia or Providence, Cornell 13k undergrads vs Brown 6k. Each school including UVA has its own pace, culture and unique qualities.
I honestly don’t care about your motivations, not my business. Your best chance however of successfully transferring or being happy where you are is knowing as much as possible about the alternatives.
It seems like you took the path of least resistance when applying from HS (not being critical just as you described). As a result any change now will be tougher to accomplish but won’t happen unless you can clearly express in an informed way why you want to transfer. You seem to be on the path to explaining it but to get it done you will need real detail not broad generalities about geography and climate. Take the time and make the effort, good luck.
PM if I can provide any Brown info.