sucky grades at a top college Vs good grades at an "average" college

<p>Better off is right. But the fact remains...</p>

<p>What about a different situation...ie Honors Program at a top 100 like University of Delaware where I attend.</p>

<p>
[quote]
idt an ivy would accept from a cc unless the person had a perfect GPA and serious ec credentials.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Transfer to Cornell is very different from transfer to Harvard. The blanket term "Ivy" is misleading and not very useful in this situation.</p>

<p>what about mediocre SAT scores(mid 600s) and good HS+college GPAs? ........ does one cancel out the other ......or should the SAT be retaken?</p>

<p>
[quote]
Transfer to Cornell is very different from transfer to Harvard. The blanket term "Ivy" is misleading and not very useful in this situation.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Exactly. There are several students from my CC (all the way down here in Texas) that have transferred to Cornell; plenty of other students have transferred to top schools, at the rate of about one or two students per year. Not common for a CC student to go to a top private, but definitely possible.</p>

<p>The prof. that did one of my rec's mentioned that he had students in the past who transferred to Cornell, Brown , and UPenn. I live in the rural plains too.</p>

<p>One my friends transferred to Harvard last year from a CC near the campus, she moved from california to mass. just to enroll there. I was recently rejected from my top schools and will be attending a smaller LAC in hopes of eventually transferring to a school like Yale, Columbia, UCLA, Cornell, USC, or NYU. I have a mediocre hs gpa, but plan to do very well in college. When asking for her advice she said, "Go to a LAC, it's easier to transfer, also get good grades, thats the foundation, lastly, it's all about WHO you know, not WHAT you know... keep that in mind". </p>

<p>good luck!</p>

<p>Does that mean she knew someone in admissions at Harvard?</p>

<p>It's not about who you know outside of having a recommendation written, it's about working your ass off until you think you've worked as hard as you possibly can, then go even harder. The key to the process is research, proper planning/organization, and absolutely destroying every assignment that comes your way.</p>

<p>Very true.</p>

<p>yes, that is true, and standard to getting into an ivy. but it does set you apart from other applicants when you have recommendations written by people from the school, as well, when you have been in contact with the people evaluating your application, letting them know how interested you are in the school. right?</p>

<p>I honestly don't think who the recomendation is written by, as long as its a university professor makes a difference. I could have a recomendation written by god, and if it doesn't shed light on my specific tendencies as a student it wouldn't mean jack for my application. Contacting adcoms isn't "knowing people" it's showing general interest in the school like you said.</p>