<p>i'm a HS senior and i was rejected from columbia, but i kind of want to apply as a transfer next spring because it has literally everything i could ever want. </p>
<p>by that time, i'll have 8 AP's and (hopefully, probably) all 4's and 5's (so nat'l AP scholar?). i'm a national merit scholar, 2330 SAT, and significant EC's are national art honor society and classical indian dance. 3.8 GPA unweighted. (i'm indian & female, from a public school in NY state)</p>
<p>i'm hoping to do a lot of independent studying this summer, does anyone know something more that I should do to make myself a more attractive applicant (other than get the highest grades possible in this coming year)?</p>
<p>on columbia's website, they said they admit about 100/1300 transfer applicants a year.
will i be disadvantaged significantly coming from a private college (are they looking more for students transferring from community colleges)?</p>
<p>I would recommend portraying a different person, and especially if you want to transfer next year, you need to explain how you’ve changed from the last time you applied to Columbia, and if possible show a fresh new look in terms of activities.</p>
<p>No. It’s rare to come to CC from a CC. I mean, it’s a huge jump to the elites. If anything, transferring from good schools is definitely easier (as long as you yourself have the credentials of course).</p>
<p>what if i show more growth in the activities? i don’t really want to -change- because those are the things i already know well, and i want to improve. </p>
<p>i think one of the things that hurt me was the fact that there were very few extracurricular opportunities in the areas of dance and education, two of my major interests, in the place that i live. </p>
<p>normally this would be okay since colleges will see ‘ok, this kid went to a rural school, what did they make of it?’ but i don’t participate in any sports, and one boy in my grade went ahead 3 years in math (and unfortunately, i like math and a guidance counselor told me that writing math major would help because i’m female…looking back on it, the fact that i’m asian basically cancels that out) and i’m pretty sure that he damaged everyone else’s chances. </p>
<p>and that’s a relief to hear the private college thing.</p>
<p>I don’t pretend to be an expert on transfer, but maybe it’s something like waitlist admissions? not sure. but anyway, you must be explicitly clear WHY Columbia is the greatest place on earth for you, compared to any other place, and what you hope to do with the vast resources there. If you can answer this question, and everything is in place, then that should give you good chances.</p>
<p>i want to be an education major, should i take education classes? it sounds like an obvious yes, but i don’t think the credit would transfer because edu classes can be very different, and they might not be challenging enough.
thoughts?</p>
<p>I am no expert, but this is what I would do were I you. Just assume you’re going to graduate from wherever you want to spend your freshman year. Work hard, make friends, join clubs etc. Then, apply as a transfer, and hopefully have some good grades.</p>
<p>DON’T act like a dick and be all, “Oh, screw this place, I’m leaving next year.” Because if you don’t get in as a transfer, you don’t want to find yourself alienated at your school.</p>
<p>okay thanks, also when i get recs from professors, and they know that i want to transfer, won’t that kind of ruin whatever good relationship i’ve worked to build up if they know i’m trying to leave? i KNOW i’ll love tufts, it’s more because i want an upgrade that i want to leave. i won’t tell any kids about it so i don’t get alienated, but they’ll kind of know when they write the recs haha.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>your professors will understand. definitely not a problem.</p></li>
<li><p>your friends will understand. you don’t have to keep your application a secret. silly as all getout.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I got in as a transfer for the fall 09 semester after being rejected as a high school senior. Here’s a message I just sent to someone who PMed me asking for advice. Hope it helps</p>
<p>Hey, I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I’m pretty similar in terms of the business, especially tech related things, I love the entrepreneur aspect and I think that’s prboably what contributed to getting me in. I talked a lot about my business ventures and things I’d done in that regard. </p>
<p>I can’t say that this helped, but what I also did was ask all of my professors, especially the ones that particularly liked me if they had any friends teaching at Columbia - many did. I asked those to see if they could either put me in contact with them or ask them to recommend me to the admissions board. I have no way to know if they did, but I feel like it cant’ hurt. I also wanted to, but never got the time to go visit those professors and talk to them on campus. If you could do that, or even just wander onto campus some day and walk into the comp sci department - find a professor that’s doing something your interested in, read his papers and so forth and hit them up during their office hours. Maybe precede with an email, but I think having faculty rooting for you at columbia can be a big help and make you less faceless.</p>
come on…</p>