Top tier LAC to another top tier LAC

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello all,
I was waitlisted (and then put on the extended summer waitlist) for my first choice, which was Bowdoin. I'm guessing at this point they are not going to let me in, since it is almost July... and I know that I want to transfer. I have my heart set on Bowdoin. I am currently set to attend Middlebury this fall... and have a few questions. Will the fact that I am trying to transfer from a LAC of the same standing as Bowdoin help me out? Will not asking for any FA help? Will the fact that I was waitlisted and basically in the group of most-liked-rejected-applicants-for-Bowdoin help? I am aware that in some years Bowdoin accepts mid-year transfers, but how will I know if this year is one of them? Because if it is I am certainly going to try...
Another thing is that at the very beginning of this year I was diagnosed with a disease that has really put a dampener on my happiness/ability to keep up with activities/ECs, and I am afraid that my lack of doing anything in this past half year will hurt my application. I was able to keep straight A's, but everything else in my life stopped because I was busy dealing with my health. Is there a way to let Bowdoin know this so they don't think I just quit volunteering, working, and keeping up with my activites because I was feeling lazy?</p>

<p>Any answers would help me greatly. Thanks so much.</p>

2

<p>I attempted to transfer from a top LAC to Bowdoin in this past application cycle and was rejected. The letter I got mentioned that they took some absurdly low number of transfer students (less than 10) out of 260 applicants. While my grades weren’t perfect, I still did fairly well at a competitive liberal arts college.</p>

<p>Transferring mid-year to Bowdoin would be very difficult, I would recommend doing it in the fall for the best shot.</p>

3

<p>Most top LACs like that, I believe, have very high retention rates and thus transfer admission is rather difficult. I remember I saw a statistic about Haverford when I was applying transfer, and they took like 3 out of 100, like jwy141 said. </p>

<p>I applied to four LACs transfer and got into two. If you don’t like Middlebury, I’d definitely apply to a couple other schools in addition to Bowdoin. I’m sure if you do a kickass job as a freshman, develop some good relationships with profs for recs, and write a great essay, you’ll have a great shot though. Just know transfer admission to top LACs is typically, as far as I can tell, more competitive than first year admission. However, you’ll have good college grades to show for yourself (hopefully), this time!</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>