Redemptive college frosh looking to transfer to Top Cal LACs/USC/NU

Transfer Students
1

<p>Ugh, sory for length....lots on the mind ya'll!</p>

<p>22 ACT
3.6 GPA</p>

<p>I'm an incoming freshman at Temple University( #132 in USW Ranking/64.6% AR)....and I deserved it.</p>

<p>I can bet that a lot of you have had that moment where you realized what you wanted in life and what it was going to take to get it; The point in time where it just "clicked", where the light bulb finally turned on. I, for one, never had that moment until I committed to Temple.</p>

<p>But despite my disdain for Temple, going there is the best thing that can happen. Consider my fire fueled! </p>

<p>Albeit, I was always a dreamer shooting for schools above TU's caliber. I applied to schools like Northwestern, USC, and UCLA and poured my heart out in each essay even with that little voice in my head telling me "it ain't gonna happen". But again, I have no regrets about that.</p>

<p>What I do regret was my lack of knowing how to achieve my dreams. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but I didn't have the resolve or the wherewithal to pull it off. I was all bark and no bite.</p>

<p>It took Temple, a midsized state school an hour and a half away, to realize that I want more from me. But, NOTHING, and I repeat NOTHING is wrong with TU nor do I think I'm “above” it(look at my scores :D) I just don't want to continue my education there...I feel like the schools I'm chasing are all places where I would be happier.</p>

<p>I stripped myself down: physically, mentally, and emotionally and built myself back up again. From "decision day" on I have made everyday a learning experience. I am now comfortable with myself and my abilities to become a great student. And with that, I know exactly what I want.</p>

<p>I made myself a promise that the schools that once seemed so unreachable will see me again. Here's my plan:</p>

<p>I'm a political science major at Temple:
Taking 17 credits 1st sem(max for frosh)
Journalism and Society(3)
GenED Math(4)
Art History(4)
Sociology: Race & Immigration(3)
Political Science: The American Political System(3)</p>

<p>ECs
-Looking to become ACTIVE in the TU news paper. As a frosh I can only freelance....so I want to push out stories left and right wherever I can find them .
-Joining a political alliance at Temple as well</p>

<p>Here's my wishlist:
Pitzer
CMC
Northwestern (Medill) MAYBE
Occidental
USC
LMU: Loyola Marymount</p>

<p>If I ace out this semester and the second and put the rest of my energy in my two ECs, how far can I get with these schools? </p>

<p>The main goal is to go to the Medill school of journalism for grad school. But, I was thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try it again....any thoughts?</p>

<p>As for the Cali schools....If it wasn’t NU, I was always dreaming about studying in Cali. The relaxed vibe of the Clarmont schools is so enticing to me. I feel like I can really benefit from schools like CMC and Pitzer because of the political science department at Clarmont. And...ummm... OXY is amazing!! all that needs to be said..</p>

<p>As for USC....it's an all-around solid option for me--love their Journalism program there at Annenberg.. and LMU has always been a favorite of mine as well.</p>

<p>These are all top flight schools. But, it's not the rankings or reputation that lure me in. It's the competitive nature of the students that attend these schools that make it worth while to me. I now know that I have that same passion and drive for learning. I wish the light bulb came on sooner but I'm glad it did. Sometimes you just know what you want. It'll be hard work and I'll have to give everything I have.....but it's worth it!</p>

<p>I would love to hear any advice from people that have pulled this off before or are going through the same thing. Thanks guys.</p>

<p><em>sorry in advance for poor writing, I typed this on my trusty Iphone</em></p>

2

<p>Im no expert, but Im pretty sure you have a better chance if your from a nearby CCC to the schools.</p>

<p>Sent from my SGH-T959V using CC</p>

3

<p>Temple has gotten much better in recent years. A friend’s daughter recently graduated with a very high average in the honors program. And Temple has a fantastic alumni network for journalism jobs. So don’t assume you’ll be out of place there. You might even find the work challenging.</p>

4

<p>Wordworker, you are absolutely right. And I hope I do find the work challenging. </p>

<p>There’s no doubt in my mind that Temple is highly respected. The catch is…I have other places where I want to study. No matter how amazing Temple is, my eyes are still going to be on the cali schools.</p>

<p>@cokelly As much as I’ve seen that as a common trend in transfer admissions, I will never be able to understand how someone that gets a 4.0 at a CC has the edge over someone with a 4.0 at a respected state school. In my opinion, it should all be looked at equally. But who am I to judge the “system”, right? </p>

<p>In sum, the purpose of my original post was not to throw dirt at Temple or to be some pompous prick that’s only in the admissions game for prestige sake, it was to show people that I’ve grown from my HS mistakes and am now prepared to take my academics to the next level. There’s no changing my mind…it’s cali or bust…I just need someone to tell me if this is a pursuable goal an what are the steps I need to take to assure success at one of these schools.</p>

5

<p>I just graduated high school a month ago today, so yeah, I’m not an expert, but I’ve looked into many schools while I applied as well as the transfer process. </p>

<p>I feel like some people try to act like every college in the country is the same when it comes to academics in order console those who feel like their dreams are dashed because they’re going to a safety (or a match that they pretended was a safety in many cases). Well, going to your safety isn’t always bad (after all, that’s the school that you needed seemed to be the best fit for), it’s really not true colleges are all the same. Some seem to vary dramatically in what courses they take credit for, for what AP classes they take what score (fee like that’s a reflection of how certain departments deviate from what’s standardized by college board), there are often huge differences in culture among schools, and at least from what I can see by taking a look at academic requirements for certain classes among schools and a few opencourseware lectures here and there, there appear to be differences in academic rigor. Certain programs in certain schools are stronger than in others, and even the Ivy Leagues seem to have certain programs that aren’t up to par to what some state schools offer. So, I can definitely see reasons to transfer to schools that may be considered more prestigious without needing to make prestige the motivation. More selective schools also tend to have generally more motivated student bodies that many students feel more at home with. Although, college is definitely a step above high school in this regard, some colleges seem to lack the intellectual community many might be looking for. </p>

<p>I understand that you’re not necessarily throwing dirt at Temple, but now you really need to prove that you can now achieve and stand out for your academic qualities. More selective colleges will look back at your high school career when you transfer and you will have to also have time to participate in meaningful extracurricular activities. </p>

<p>The reason community college students sometimes have an edge in transferring is because they only have their 2 years to earn an associates degree and much worse academic opportunities than 4 year kids. If you’ll be going to a well respected state school, you’re already in a better position, so adcoms see that there is no need for you to transfer, so they may not have a favorable view of your application, as a result. Of course, there are private schools that prefer transfers from 4-year colleges. I’ve heard Yale transfer admissions, as gloomy as it is for 4 year transfers, is downright near hopeless for community college transfers.</p>

6

<p>Couldn’t agree more. I’m looking forward to working hard this year. </p>

<p>Anyone have an idea on what exactly LACs look for in transfer applicants?</p>

7

<p>^ Colleges generally take into consideration your high school GPA, rigor of high school classes, ACT/SAT scores, essays, and extracurricular activities. Since you will be a sophomore transfer, high school record does matter. I would imagine liberal arts colleges place a larger emphasis on essays and extracurricular activities. You should really retake your ACTs. Get them to at least a 28.</p>