Transfer chances at Harvard, Yale, MIT, Williams, Middlebury

Transfer Students
1

<p>I chose the above schools because they offer need-blind admissions to international students. My reason for transfer is that I am currently under a government scholarship, which imposes very rigid rules on my education. I hope for a much more liberal education. For example, I am forced to major in something I'm not even sure I'll enjoy, I am not allowed to go on study-abroad programs, I cannot graduate with a second major, I cannot intern overseas, etc. In my "Why transfer" essay, I do not want to sound like I want the school's money... but rather I'll write about how I like the school's philosophy in admitting students based entirely on their merit, and not on their financial status (which is sadly what my current school factors into admissions).</p>

<p>My stats:</p>

<p>Current college: Dartmouth College
Class: 2011
GPA: N/A, but predicted to be 3.8-4.0
Compulsory major: Economics, hope to major (or double major) in Comparative Literature
High school GPA: I went through two high school systems, the first one I graduated valedictorian with straight-As in my O-level exam. I was also the 3rd best student in my state. My second one was a one-year preparatory program for US-bound students. I got 3.75/4.00 (I slacked off cause I knew my GPA in this school didn't factor into my freshman admissions; sadly, it does count toward my transfer admissions). 3.75 puts me in the top 10%... maybe even 5% of a very competitive group of students.
SAT: 2350/2400
Languages: English, Malay, Chinese and basic Italian</p>

<p>Faculty recommendations: No idea... but let's suppose they're good
Dean recommendation: Don't know her... guess she'll just say I'm in good standing, never committed anything bad, etc.</p>

<p>Essay: Haven't written, but I've got some pretty good ideas in mind</p>

<p>College ECs:
Model UN (will be competing at Harvard next term)
Chess (club member, hope to compete at other colleges next term)
Research assistant at Tuck School of Business
On the prose review board of an arts journal</p>

<p>High School ECs:
Theater & Literature (Vice President of an arts club), spent my holidays spearheading a really huge and successful one-week long national-level event which brought students from all over the country to celebrate the arts and to bring recognition to my school which has almost zero reputation (biggest EC achievement), directed, written and acted in several plays
Chess (president, on school team)
Science Research (president, won national-level prize)</p>

<p>Hobbies:
Literature (my goal in life is to finish a personal list of a thousand great novels)
Swimming</p>

<p>How many years of high school grades and ECs should I include? Should I talk about my hobbies? They matter a lot to me, but they're not some club or organization.</p>

1 Like
2

<p>Scratch Williams. Just realize they don't accept non-US citizen transfers.</p>

3

<p>Seriously, wow. I really feel that by reading your personal info combined with your stats you could really get into any school you wanted. While Harvard and Yale are incredibly hard to transfer into; if you get a solid GPA this quarter I think you might even have a really good shot (in comparison to the other students applying) at both of those schools. </p>

<p>Can you send me your list of the 1,000 great works you would like to read? I have a similar list myself but I only have like 200 of them done.</p>

4

<p>Dude that reason sucks. I don't know what you are saying about Dartmouth admissting students based on financial status? Dartmouth is need blind. In fact Harvard and Yale admit more on financial status. They have all those kids who got in because they have parents who donated. You'll get you ass laughed at if this is your reason.</p>

<p>Come up with better reasons.</p>

<p>You could say Dartmouth due to its small size doesnt have the breadth and number of courses in your field of intresst that Harvard and Yale do. You can also say D's location prohbits you from getting serious internships. Those are valid reasons.</p>

5

<p>Dartmouth is not need-blind to internationals. Only HYPM Williams and Middlebury are.</p>

<p>But of course, I will also provide other reasons for transferring.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Still thats not a good reason. Whether or not it is need blind is not a good reason for HYMM to accept you. Unless you are racking some serious debt being need blind won't change the education there.</p>

<p>Remember the essay needs to be about WHY YOU NEED HARVARD not why you like harvard and how you like their admissions practice.</p>

<p>Princeton doesn't offer transfer admission btw.</p>

7

<p>I think Gil has a fine reason to transfer. Currently his entire future is in the hands of his government. By transfering to a school which is need-blind for internationals, he can break free from the bounds of his country and pursure his true passions and determine his own fate. His transfer is not only for financial freedom, but educational freedom. All top LACs and Universities are known for their beliefs in educational freedom.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Its too bad that you can't take advantage of Dartmouth's incredible educational opportunities because of your government's restrictions. If you don't get into your transfer schools I would consider staying at Dartmouth and "working the system." One way to get around the "no second major" by the way is to take lots of classes in comparative lit but not file for the major. File for the major (after you've taken all the classes) a week before graduation. Your govt will never know.</p>

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<p>Hi, I am also planning on transferring to Harvard and yale . My school is mostly research based university. So I am hoping to say that I would like to get a more liberal arts based education, rather than only focus on science and technology. ALso my school give more leeway and opportunities for medical students, it feels like everyone here is forced to select the pre med route. Also I am hoping to major in math & philosophy, and Yale has a combined major. which means I can also minor in english, Yale has one of the best english programs in the country. But in my current school. I will have to take seperate classes for math & philosophy. This means I have to give up on English, besides the english program is very weak because its a science/tech school.
any advice would be helpful.
Thanks</p>

10

<p>Have you thought about talking with the financial aid office at Dartmouth? Perhaps if you explained the confines of your government sponsored scholarship, Dartmouth would be willing to work out a financial aid package for you so that you could drop the government scholarship, stay at Dartmouth, and study what you want. Of course, this is an option that is viable if you want to stay at Dartmouth. I'm sure they want to keep you there because top schools like to show a 99% freshman return rate. If you actually want to go to a different school for reasons beyond what you have discussed above, then never-mind, and best of luck to you!</p>

11

<p>I agree, I would talk to Dartmouth's admission and financial aid office about this In my experience Dartmouth is very receptive to student's individual concerns, much more so than most other schools.</p>

12

<p>Heyy, that sounds great. I've discussed this with a few other students before and they told me Dartmouth would never even consider giving me aid (because financial aid is a really serious matter). I think now I'll just give it a shot.</p>

<p>And yes, if I receive financial aid from Dartmouth, I'd never transfer out even if the other schools accept me. I absolutely love this place. But if Dartmouth doesn't meet my needs, as much as I love this place, I do not wish to see all the opportunities offered to me slip away just like that.</p>

13

<p>I've spoken to them, and they would not offer me any aid.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Wow I'm sorry.</p>

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<p>Hey Gil, I have a quick question ... when you ask for your dean recommendation, are you just going to ask your first year/cluster dean? Which cluster do you live in? </p>

<p>Also, which profs are you asking for recommendations from? I feel like all the profs are like, sooo aloof, I don't know about you, lol. omg, this is so weird, finding another dartmouth student looking to transfer :)</p>

1 Like
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<p>I'm thinking of Gail Zimmerman, my cluster dean (The River). Apparently you don't have to know the dean well. All she has to do is say you're not failing classes.</p>

<p>I might want to ask my winter term professors for recommendations instead because I didn't really make an effort to connect with my fall professors (although I think a few of them do like me... but maybe they just like everyone). I'll see how things will turn out with my winter profs, and then decide which profs to ask.</p>

<p>Why do you want to transfer btw? It's so nice here, and if it wasn't for my dilemma, I'd definitely stay here.</p>

17

<p>summerluvin, me personal experience has been that Dartmouth comes increasingly alive over the course of your time there. I too wasn't completely happy when I first got to campus, but by the end I was completely enamored. I have seen this happen to more than a few people. After study abroad, sophomore summer, the great academics as you get higher in your major, and after meeting more and more people it becomes your home to a level you never might have expected.</p>

18

<p>So anywayyy, going back to chances... should I give it a shot?</p>