Hi,
I am a freshman in undergrad and have already transferred once mid-year due to financials. I transferred from a fancy and pricey institution in NYC to a public state university. I do not plan on graduating from the state uni, so I need to transfer by the end of my soph year. My stats: High school GPA: 3.77 and my two freshman GPAs are 3.5 (first semester) and 4.0 (second semester). My standardized test score was (VERY LOW) a 20 on the ACT. I had the option of turning my low grade in philosophy to a Satisfactory (how would I recover that grade if needed?) So colleges look into Satisfactory grades, it is not included in the second semester GPA. The schools on my list for transfer are :
Brown U- Northwestern University Cornell University- Barnard College- Hamilton College - Boston University - Wesleyan University
What are my chances?
Do colleges look into Satisfactory grades, it is not included in the second semester GPA?
Hi–Good for you for being ambitious and looking into transfer. I’m wondering though if you’ve considered the FA portion of your list of choices. One school that caught my eye was Barnard. My understanding is that while Barnard’s FA is excellent for freshmen and is need based, it’s iffy for transfer students. If I’m remembering correctly their website says something like FA is not guaranteed for transfer students. They COULD provide the FA but they aren’t committed to it for transfers as they do for freshmen. That being said, I’m wondering if you want to round out your list a little with some safeties. Your list for a 3.75 (maybe lower if that other grade is unveiled) seems on the reachy side to me. If you like Barnard, perhaps look at Mt. Holyoke and Smith. Wesleyan and Bryn Mawr are also good but they take very few students as transfers.
To find out the number of transfer students each year, google and then look at part “D. Transfer”.
If you like Hamilton, maybe look at Connecticut College, St. Lawrence U, Wheaton College in Mass, Skidmore; Hobart and William Smith.
Also check out Lehigh and Lafayette as I understand that they give FA to transfers. Other schools off the top of my head that also give FA to transfers include: St. Olaf, Southwestern U outside of Austin (beautiful campus), Reed (pretty sure) and several others.
What does your title about being nontraditional have to do with being a freshman transfer? That’s pretty typical.
Transfer students don’t generally get much aid, and a 20 ACT won’t garnet much merit. What’s your budget?
Since you already transferred for financials, I think that should be the main focus of your search.
Yes so, I am putting Fordham and Smith on my list. My budget is around under 10K a year.
What colleges out of Fordham and Smith Brown U- Northwestern University Cornell University- Barnard College- Hamilton College - Boston University - Wesleyan University would I have a good chance at? Including FA and which schools al don’t really look at scores? Any general advice? How do I tell the admissions committee that I transferred the first time for financials? Thank you
I am not counting on my scores that is why I choose some score optional schools
If you had a change in financial circumstances (parent job loss, for instance) you can say that. If you just chose an unaffordable school that’s more difficult. They might wonder why you’d even start at a school your family couldn’t afford.
Are you a NYS resident? Does your $10k/year budget include the ~$5500/year federal student loan? You need to find a financial safety first, and with a $10k budget and 20 ACT your state university may be it. What are you looking for that the state school doesn’t have (other than prestige)?
A good international relations program. I started at a school I could not afford because at the time that was the only one I was accepted to. How do I communicate this in my application?
Hi–so … FA seems crucial here for you.
You can find out how much ON AVERAGE a school will be for you by going to the COLLEGE NAVIGATOR website. On that site, locate schools by name. Then click on the NET PRICE tab. That tab breaks down how much the school will cost BY INCOME BRACKET.
That site says that Fordham will cost for the lowest income bracket $25K per year. It’s out of your range.
Bear in mind that these estimates are for freshmen admits, not transfers. YOu will still need to go to the individual school’s websites and see if they give FA to transfer students.
For your GPA and price range look at St. Olaf; Smith; Mt. Holyoke; Agnes Scott;
You might consider the CUNY’s as they are in NYC and are affordable for you. I’d look at Brooklyn College, CCNY, Lehman, Hunter, and Baruch is a Business school but has some liberal arts. CUNY system has some dorms.
Smith, Hamilton, NW, Cornell are very much within my budget. Any other advice?
Check each college’s Common Data Set to see how much emphasis they place on scores. There’s no good way to tell a prospective college that your initial list was all reaches and one unaffordable match. You’re better off looking for strengths in their program that your current school doesn’t have. Make sure this list has an academic and financial safety.