<p>Note: My apologies about the title. I meant "Thinking about applying to transfer to Harvard." In no way did I mean for others to interpret that I have put myself on so high a pedestal that I believe I'd be accepted into Harvard in a heartbeat. </p>
<p>I'm thinking about applying to transfer to Harvard for the Fall 2012 semester. At the moment I'm a Junior, and by that time, will be a Senior at the university I attend, though this is because I had so many credits transfer from the local university. No, they won't transfer to Harvard and this is my first year attending this university. </p>
<p>I'll just get straight down to the point. For a first-year college student, how does this resume look and do you think it hold or manage itself against the other transfer applicants?</p>
<p>I'm currently an English and Mathematics double degree.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.8+
Founded a company/website in September. Have formed a team and have been working 4 hours a day with them on average with the logistics of the company/website. It is set to launch in 2012 and currently has over $150,000 invested in it through 3rd-party investors, not by parent cash.
Have been accepted into the University Honors Research Scholars and Fellows program and have been conducting liberal arts research that involves studying different literature while relating and critiquing my own.
Through this research, I plan to have my novel, which I've been working on since June of 2011 published by the end of summer 2012. My Faculty-mentor will be one of my letter's of recommendation.
Have been chosen as one of six speakers to talk at a Scholars Annual Conference about my unique first year of college, the starting of my website/company, etc.
Currently I'm ranked 1st in a University-wide Mathematics contest that ends during April. The winner represents the University nationally in a Mathematics event. Definitely not as big a deal as the Putnam, but still holds some weight.
I've been tutoring groups of students taking lower-level Math classes every Sunday from 1 PM to 6 PM and am blessed to know my tutoring has helped the students maintain or achieve their A or B that they have wanted in the course.
I've been volunteering at an animal shelter for 6~8 hours every Saturday helping animals find homes.</p>
<p>My L.O.R's have already been decided. Two are professors and one is a Harvard Fellow (I think that's the proper term). </p>
<p>I don't know if I would have to state anything about my high school experiences, but my ACT composite is a 32. Not too high, but within range to compete I believe. (I've always been adamantly against standardized tests). </p>
<p>I don't think I missed anything. This is one of the Top 20 Public Universities in the nation.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you are not eligible to transfer to Harvard if you have enough college credits that you are currently a junior. You cannot relinquish credit in order to qualify.</p>
<p>Hanna, though I’m listed as a Junior, these credits simply won’t transfer. They’re from a local university at which I took courses while I was at high school. As long as my number of Current University hours don’t exceed the set amount, I’m fine.</p>
<p>If this was dual enrollment and you were not matriculated as a degree candidate at the university, that may be true. But have you spoken to Harvard about the fact that your current university has accepted those credits?</p>
<p>@Hanna. That actually sounds like it might be ok. I’m sure there are a number of similar cases with AP credits and such, and those credits do not transfer either. </p>
<p>@david. With that said, do check with the admissions office. It looks like you have a pretty solid resume. You should obviously focus on what Harvard can offer that your current (as you mentioned, a top-20 public uni) institution cannot offer. In any case, good luck with the process. The rate is so low these days that it’s a bit of a shot in the dark in any case. I’m not sure what the rate was when Hanna applied, but my year was around 8%(?)…considerably better than the absurdly low 2% last year.</p>
<p>Thanks, WindCloudUltra. Hopefully they’re accepting more this year. If I’m not mistaken, these past two years they accepted 12 out of 600 and 12 out of 1,500… which is 2% and .8%. It’s definitely a shot in the dark for anyone.</p>
<p>Also, is it possible to apply as a transfer student, but in hopes to also be considered for oe of their athletic teams? Such as in my case and Track & Field. Would I be able to apply with hopes of running for them? I’ve always been a runner, and circumstances didn’t allow me to run due to injury from my senior year, but I’ve been training adamantly ever since my recovery and through research I’m definitely competitive against Harvard students and the other Ivy teams (their competition).</p>
<p>LastCall, I plan on applying to Brown (which has always been a dream school of mine because of their open-curriculum system) and Stanford. I’m considering Yale, but Harvard, Brown and Stanford are my main ones. I still need to research Yale.</p>
<p>Yes, I was a transfer and worked with the transfer program four the next five years.</p>
<p>Transfer can be recruited like any other athlete. If your times are competitive with current varsity athletes, contact the coach at each school you’re applying to, just as you would as a freshman applicant.</p>
<p>@Hanna: 5%! I must now admit that I fortuitously applied in a very generous year. I’m not sure I’d even get close to being admitted these days. 15 out of 1586 this past year! 1%. Phew. </p>
<p>@david: you should realize that the Stanford and Yale transfer rates (not sure about Brown, but I’m not too sanguine about that either) have been historically rather flat–i.e. also around 1-2% a year. Harvard’s–until it eliminated the process for a few years–was a bit more generous, if also very temperamental, ranging from 0 to 10-12%. Though these days, I can’t imagine it going back up to the high end. It’s all very very much a lottery ticket. (Though at one percent, still infinitely better than a lottery ticket) Even the most, most, most qualified and exceptional candidate will have to contend with even more exceptional candidates. </p>
<p>I don’t think you actually mentioned your motivation for wanting to transfer; I can probably name the more obvious reasons, but would you be content at your current uni if you don’t get in anywhere? If not, you should also consider some schools with better transfer rates. (Again, this is not to discourage you from applying; as I’ve stated, I think you’re a competitive candidate.) </p>
<p>Nevertheless, those rates actually might be even worse than it seems on paper. While there is no official policy on part of Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Brown in this respect, some of those transfer spots are basically ‘unofficially’ held for applicants from places like Deep Springs. Those candidates btw, are almost, at least from experience, really exceptional (i.e. DSC transfers have a great record at Harvard; they regularly make PBK and graduate with SCL/MCL honors)</p>
<p>Yeah, I haven’t stated my motivations simply because when I wrote this I didn’t have much time and I’m still researching the University’s to make sure they’re the ones I want to apply to, have exactly what I’m looking for, etc. </p>
<p>As for my current Uni, I’d be able to truck through the following years, but every day that I’m here I like it less and less, and at this point I don’t really like it much. I have a multitude of reasons for that.</p>