Spring 2012 Transfer Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I’m going to be applying to transfer to W&M for spring 2012 and just wanted to know what everyone thinks of my chances.</p>

<p>-I applied to W&M Early Decision for Fall 2010 and was subsequently rejected, however I contacted transfer admissions and they are going to hold my materials so that I can use the re-open application.</p>

<p>-My HS GPA was not great… I was consistently in honors classes but was dealing with some things in my life which caused low grades in 2 classes, though I did well in the others and even took on an extremely crazy workload my senior year in order to make up for my mistakes. I also did a boatload of extracurriculars… Something like 19 clubs and activities and I was an officer in 13 of them. I won the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award for my local DAR chapter and am also an AP Scholar with Distinction.</p>

<p>-SAT I: 740 Critical Reading, 650 Mathematics, 620 Writing</p>

<p>-SAT II: 780 US History, 750 World History</p>

<p>-AP: 5 US History, 5 World History, 5 European History, 4 Psychology, 4 English Literature, 3 US Government</p>

<p>-Summer 2009 I also took a course at W&M, History 216: From the Founding of Jamestown to the American Revolution with Prof. Whittenburg. I received an A.</p>

<p>-Fall Semester 2010 I attended Fordham University for History and Irish Studies and was in the Manresa Scholars Program. I took Intro Philosophy, Latin I, English Composition II, Intro Cultural Anthropology and Finite Mathematics. I took part in the Social Action and Awareness Committee in my dorm and the Gaelic Society. My GPA was a 2.934 for that semester, largely due to my difficulties with Latin in which I got a C-. I hated NYC and Fordham and transferred.</p>

<p>-I will have been at UMass Lowell for Spring, Summer and Fall semesters (2011). Here I am just majoring in History as the University has little else that interests me, being primarily an engineering school; it’s one town over from where I live and is a cheap state school, so it’s a stopgap measure. Spring semester I took Forensic Geology (there wasn’t a separate lab, but there IS a lab integrated into the class), Music of Western Civilization, England Since 1660 and The Problems of Modern Ireland. My GPA for Spring was a 3.925. I am taking two summer courses and anticipate and A in both: Life Science (for UML I required to take one non-lab science, so this is just the lecture) and The Coming of the American Revolution. For the fall semester I am taking England in the Middle Ages, Intro to Historic Methods, Early US Political Culture, Childhood and Adolescent Psychology, General Geology and the General Geology Lab. I also anticipate As in all my fall classes as well. Fall 2011 I will also be inducted in Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society.</p>

<p>-At UML due to the amount of credits I was able to recieve from AP tests (27) and NIAHD (3) I am considered a junior, however I will be applying to W&M as a sophomore.</p>

<p>I just wanted to get an idea if I would be competitive/ if there is anything else I can do to increase my chances. Thanks ^_^</p>

2

<p>A couple of things we might recommend as you plan your summer and fall course work.</p>

<p>It appears the only math you’ve taken since high school is finite math which likely won’t transfer to W&M. We highly recommend a transferable math course (pre-calc, calc or statistics). Is Life Science a bio course? If so, great. If not, you may want to consider switching to a bio course as we’re not sure whether life science will transfer.</p>

<p>Another thing we’d highly recommend is that you explain thoroughly in your application why W&M will be your third college and why you would plan to stay at W&M. The Committee can be wary of admitting student with several colleges behind them so we like to know you’ve done your research and know that W&M is the right fit. It will also be good to explain your lower grades first semester at Fordham.</p>

<p>Sending your mid-semester grades for fall 2011 will be a must. Since your Fordham GPA we will have only one full-time semester of completed course work (and you’ll have had a history of lower GPAs from high school and your first semester of college) so seeing high grades for another full-time semester will help the Committee.</p>

<p>It is possible that the Committee will still be wary given your history of lower than generally competitive GPAs so Fall 2012 might be another option for you to explore because we’ll have more completed coursework (with hopefully better GPAs) to consider at that point. </p>

<p>For more on any applicant’s chances and our process, check out our Admit It! Blog ([W&M</a> Blogs Chance Me](<a href=“http://blogs.wm.edu/2010/12/14/chance-me/]W&M”>http://blogs.wm.edu/2010/12/14/chance-me/))</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the advice, WM Admission!</p>

<p>I was able to add a Statistics class to my Fall schedule without altering any of my other classes. Also to clarify, yes Life Science is essentially a basic molecular Biology course.</p>

<p>I have a few other questions, if you don’t mind.</p>

<p>1) I’m going to be using the re-open application, so does that mean that everything I sent in for freshman admission is still there (e.g. SATs, reccomendations, resume, transcripts), or is it only the common app I had filled out for that year?
2) If only the common app, should I resend SATs and my transcript from NIAHD?
3) Will sending in my AP scores help at all?
4) Would getting a recommendation from a professor from Fordham help? Or would that be overkill in addition to a rec. I’m likely going to ask a UML prof. for?</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

4

<p>If you use the re-open we will have everything you submitted for your freshman app so no need to re-send SATs. Because you applied for Fall 2010 which is now a year ago, contact Vanessa Pryor (<a href=“mailto:vdpryo@wm.edu”>vdpryo@wm.edu</a>) just to remind her that you and she had agreed to allow you to use the re-open even though you’ll be 18 months from your last application and not a year.</p>

<p>Sending your AP scores isn’t necessary until you enroll. If you want to make mention of them in the app, that’s fine.</p>

<p>A professor recommendation is a good idea. We’d recommend it be from your most recent institution and considering you only spent one semester at Fordham, sending one from your current school is probably easiest and best.</p>

5

<p>Hey all!</p>

<p>I just wanted to put it out there how stunned I am that W&M takes the time to come on the forum and answer the questions of potential transfer students. Bravo, W&M! I am truly impressed with the amount of personal care that W&M provides for interested future students–and here’s hoping that I’m one of them!</p>

<p>First some background: Like YoungHistorian (which is why this thread caught my eye); I am currently a freshman student at Fordham University, and also a Manresa Scholar pursuing Media and Communication studies. I know that it is a bit early to start discussing transfers, but even at this early stage I feel that I know enough to realize that Fordham is not the best environment for me. (I’m going with the maxim: “Sometimes, you just know.”) Besides, W&M is my dream school, and there’s another story for you!</p>

<p>I applied to W&M for Fall 2009 as my top choice. I did not get in, and I realized that I didn’t want to go to any of the other schools that I applied to, either. I made the decision to take a year off and do a whole line-up of adventurous and helpful things. I moved to Brooklyn for half a year to work with children in the project buildings on the Lower East Side. After that, I moved to Kansas City, Missouri to join the staff of a contemplative “house of prayer”. It was then that I applied to Fordham, got accepted, but then deferred because I felt that I wanted to pursue my spiritual education in a deeper and more prolonged way. After that, it was a few months in Europe with friends, then off to Taipei to learn Chinese! It’s been quite the ride, but I’m ready to buckle down and go to school. </p>

<p>My high school record isn’t the greatest. I did badly the first two years of HS and made it out with a 3.46 unweighted, 3.9 weighted GPA. Class rank was bad because school doesn’t weight GPA in rankings.
SAT, 2130. AP: 5s in AP Bio, Environmental Science, Literature and Psychology//AP Scholar w Distinction
ECs: Volunteered every summer abroad with underprivileged children, Officer in student gov’t, president of my choir, along with membership/small office in a host of other clubs; Sunday school teacher; Studio Art Portfolio</p>

<p>My main question lies with my schedule this year at Fordham. I am taking
Intro to Sociology
Philosophy of Human Nature
Faith and Critical Reasoning
English COMP II
Understanding Historical Change: Africa</p>

<p>I am more than aware that my courseload this semester is rather humanities-laden. Part of this is because Fordham has a very unique core curric requirement. The only “maths” that you are able to take are Finite Mathematics (which I read you don’t transfer); and Computer Science. I am going to try to convince the dean to let me take Calc or Stats next semester, but I don’t even know if it will be allowed or offered. Thus, this leads to a few questions. </p>

<p>Assuming I get stellar grades this semester (already workin’ at it!)…
1.What are my chances for getting into W&M as a sophmore transfer?
2. Will my chances be affected by my courseload the first semester? Next sem I anticipate taking: Advanced Mandarin Chinese//Literature and Context//Chemistry in the Environment//(Possibly a math class//(undecided)
3. Should I consider the option of taking a math class (and maybe even a science) at a local community college to improve my chances and also make for future easy transfer? I am more than willing to do this, as W&M is my DREAM SCHOOL. I would be thrilled to go there, and I know that I would flourish in the community.
4. Is there anything else I can do to improve my chances?</p>

<p>I would be delighted by any and all advice that can be dispensed. Thanks y’all!</p>

6

<p>Glad you remain interested in W&M.</p>

<p>Sounds like you have done your research and know what we’re looking for. When reviewing transfer applications are big focus is on course load/selection and GPA in addition to other factors like your essay, extracurricular activites, etc.</p>

<p>We would definitely recommend you balance your schedule next semester with a math and science course. If you cannot take calc or stats at Fordham and can concurrently enroll at a community college next semester to take the math class, that’s fine. We might recommend a more typical/introductory science courses such as Chem 101 or Bio 101 instead of Chemistry of the Environment. That might not transfer to W&M as fulfilling one of our General Education Requirements. Otherwise, your courses look solid. We generally like to see a 3.6 GPA or higher.</p>

<p>We would also recommend you be sure to take the time to explain the interruption in your education (something the Common App asks for) after high school. Additionally, be sure to submit your mid-semester grades. Note that it’s possible the committee might want to see additional academic work from you. While your high school record was okay, it wasn’t competitive for admission at the the time. If you apply for Fall 2012, we’ll have only one additional semester of complete course work to evaluate. If you’re not admitted, contact the transfer dean to discuss whether you can be competitive with another semester’s worth of course work and what that course work should be.</p>

<p>Then just be sure to highlight your other involvements and address why you wish to transfer to W&M.</p>

7

<p>Been posting on here for a while. Question about re-open application for Spring 2012. In the “What have you been doing so far?” section, I’m confused about what I put in there. I was waitlisted, and my grades Spring semester were good but not great, and I want to explain some circumstances I had in addition to my new activities, jobs etc. Should I write in there? Or attach a sheet of paper? Thanks for the help.</p>

8

<p>The response we want to the question is simply let us know how you’ve been spending your time since your last application. Have you continued to take classes? Been working? Do anything different? The response can be fairly brief.</p>

<p>You can use that question to explain any extenuating circumstances and attaching that explanation is fine.</p>

9

<p>I was also waitlisted for this fall. I was very excited to re- apply for the spring. I thought W&M was my dream school. I recently found out that someone I knew from my previous school was accepted for this fall. This is an asian girl, who I personally know (a friend lived across the hall from her), who speaks broken english, cannot write a complete, coherent English sentence and is extremely hard to communicate with. This is interesting to me because I recently visited campus and heard so much about how hard and intense the writing is; that students will be in shock. I’m wondering if they accept papers in Chinese???
Kim and the admissions people constantly talk about being involved in your school/community and recommend taking a wide variety of classes (history, social sciences, physical sciences, arts, etc.). This person did/ does none of this. This girl just took tons of business classes and math classes, just what she was good at. Absolutely no history classes and I quote “I don’t want to learn about america”. She did not participate in one club (possibly the international club). Of course she was on dean’s list both semesters though.
Long story short, knowing that W&M accepted this person while I was waitlisted assures me that the admissions process is nothing more than a race and numbers game. If you’re a white, middle-class girl with above-average but not perfect grades, your extenuating circumstances, essay, etc. will not get you in. sorry</p>

10

<p>calcitev, we understand your disappointment at not being admitted and understand your frustration also but we assure you that our process is in no way merely about numbers and race. We assure you that we would not admit a student who was not capable of being successful at W&M. We use a variety of measures including the essay and standardized testing to assess someone’s communication abilities and we would not admit a student who “can’t put together a complete sentence” (which the essay would demonstrate). Now we do consider context. So if a student is ESL we certainly measure their accomplishments in light of speaking English as a second language. But again, we would never admit a student who’s not capable of being successful at W&M.</p>

<p>Certainly diversity, talent and other intangible factors play a role in our process as we want to create a dynamic campus with all perspectives represented. Remember, our campus is about 26% students of color which is great but there are obviously plenty of Caucasian students also whose talents and personalities are represented.</p>

<p>We also wouldn’t admit someone who took only business and math classes (whether as a transfer or freshman). English and humanities courses along with the sciences would also be something we want to see. It is possible that you weren’t privy to all of this student’s qualifications.</p>