Transfer Chances (Berkeley to Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Cornell)

Transfer Students
1

<p>I am a freshman at Berkeley (out of state) and for reasons I won't explicate here, I am seeking to transfer to a university in the North East. I applied for transfer to Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Cornell. I can't stop worrying about the admission decision, and wanted some opinions on my chances of admission. Especially since I see people post here about being contacted by Harvard about interviews while I wasn't. Some here write that possible admits are requested for an interview while sure admits aren't bothered. I think I'm a competitive applicant, so I hope Harvard simply didn't contact me for an interview because they need no affirmation about my application, but I don't know. I'm kind of worried. Well, my stats follow; please tell me what you think:</p>

<p>Freshman at UC Berkeley, majoring in Physics and Math. GPA: 4.0.</p>

<p>Fall courses and grades:
A in Physics Honors Mechanics and Waves (honors version of the first of three intro lower division courses in the physics major)
A+ in Multivariable Calculus
A in Linear Algebra and Differential Equations
A in Italian Cinema</p>

<p>Spring courses (no grades yet):
Physics Honors Thermodynamics and Electricity and Magnetism (honors version of the second)
Honors Abstract Algebra
Real Analysis
Modern Hebrew Literature</p>

<p>SAT I: 760 Math, 760 Verbal, 690 Writing.
SAT II: 800 Math Level 2, 740 Chemistry.
AP: 5 Calc BC, 5 Calc AB.
IB: 7 Math HL, 6 Chem HL, 6 Comp Sci HL, 5 English HL, 7 Hebrew SL, 6 Physics SL.</p>

<p>High School GPA: 3.8 UW. (I can't remember what my weighted was. I think it was something like 4.6, or something.)</p>

<p>I've been taking part in research with faculty here since September. My recommendation letters came from the faculty with whom I was working and from my physics graduate student instructor (GSI) from Fall (I would have asked my physics professor instead of the GSI, but I had a lot more interaction with the GSI and I believe he is much more familiar with my capabilities and whatever it is a recommender should know about an applicant).</p>

<p>I also informed the universities to which I am applying that I have accepted a summer position in Columbia University's REU program in Nevis Labs (REU is the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates, a selective program). And, I informed them of my honoring on the Dean's List for being in the top 4% of my class in the College of Letters and Science in Berkeley.</p>

<p>In my statements, I talked about growing up in the middle east, about coming to the US at age 14, about the importance of diversity (in several forms, and not simply visual diversity) in a university, and about the importance of the small-class environment in university courses (in several different statements and not all these topics in one, of course). I can't be very specific without having you read my statements, but let me just say that I thought the statements were rather good, poignant, and to the point.</p>

<p>So, yeah, that's all I can think of that is relevant to my admission decision. If there is anything that would help you evaluate my chances, simply ask. The universities to which I am applying are, again, Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Cornell. I am specifically worried about not having been contacted by Harvard for an interview. Do you think I was probably above the maybe-admit-should-be-interviewed-to-be-sure area in the applicant spectrum or below it, now that I know that I'm not in that area? I'm just so anxious. I really hope I make it.</p>

<p>Oh, also, beside chance evaluation, please feel free to share your transfer stories with these universities. Thank you!</p>

2

<p>I think u've got a great shot at Cornell and Columbia engineering, and this comes 1st hand from a current cornell eng. student (me). Havard and MIT are quite competitive so I can't say much about them.
Anyway, unless u've already applied to Columbia College or Cornell CAS (even for Cornell CAS you're pretty much a guaranteed in), I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be accepted.
By the way, I'm also looking to transfer into Columbia SEAS. And I believe you're a way better applicant than I am.</p>

3

<p>Those are some very impressive stats, I wouldn't be suprised if you got accepted to all of them. Looks like you got a great shot</p>

4

<p>h113 has like 27 people in the class..
h7b lecture has 40.... you won't get any smaller than that at MIT or harvard</p>

<p>and it would help a lot if you tell us why you want to transfer</p>

5

<p>Why would it help a lot, or at all?</p>

<p>I'd say you have a good chance at all schools.</p>

6

<p>Schools want to know why you are transferring. If it is a legit reason, they are more inclined to accept your request. After all, I am sure MIT and those places have enough great students to the point where they do not mind not getting their transfers. </p>

<p>Unlike the UC system, where transfers are an integral part of the school, this is not the same (with the exception of cornell sorta because of thier 600 incoming students).</p>

7

<p>When applications asked for a statement about what is lacking where I am and how the university to which I am applying can better suit me, I wrote mostly about the lack of true diversity in Berkeley and (less) on it's lack of community and community feeling due to how large it is. I know the universities where I applied are also big, but I am not looking for a small campus, I like large, but Berkeley is just huge, absolutely enormous.</p>

<p>Thank you for your comments. I am reassured by them. Do you have a guess about the Harvard thing? How does the quality of the should-be-interviewed part of applicant pool look? Is it clear where I am standing with respect to those who were asked to be interviewed? I am really anxious because I think I'm competent, but I don't think I'm on par stat-wise with all the super-human applicants that Harvard must be reviewing too. So, I'd expect maybe, maybe I would be borderline for admission, but having not received a request for an interview, I worry about which side of the court I'm on--sure reject or sure admit.</p>

8

<p>ill be fully honest with you: your chances at harvard and mit are slim, ok at best. Being a freshman doesnt help your chances as you only have 1 semester of grades. Berkeley produces higher 'quality' sophomore transfer applicants to these schools (i know 3 of them who are applying this year) who have the advantage of one additional year of college experience+grades. dont lose hope, u're clearly a superb student. But at the same time, dont expect to get in (especially considering harvard and mit will admit 4% or so this year)</p>

9

<p>oh and if uve applied to harvard in the past my understanding is that u dont get another interview. but if someone could confirm that that would be nice.</p>

10

<p>UTrojans: Thank you for your candidness. Could you describe specifically what it is I lack when compared to common successful freshman transfer admits? Are the reported transfer rates for freshmen and sophomores combined? Is it usually the case that incoming transfers consist mostly of sophomore transfers? Also, I did not apply to Harvard for freshman admission. So not being asked to be interviewed is not because I was already interviewed since I was not.</p>

11

<p>i think as far as freshman transfers go u are competitive, i mean ur stats are great. However, many of the freshman that are admitted to highly selective schools like mit, brown, harvard, yale, etc. were very close to getting in as seniors (i.e. in many cases they are waitlisted or even accepted but turned down the offer). Now, seeing as you havent applied before honestly me speculating on how they view ur app is essentially a guessing game. All I am trying to get across is that a sophomore, who has 3 semesters of grades instead of 1, more activities and more time to make connections with profs (for recs, etc.) will inherently have a stronger chance of being accepted. And tho it may not seem like it, you are essentially competing with everyone from ucb as well who is applying to these schools (including a few sophomores with 4.0s and great ECs). Thus, just being a freshman doesn't help you (tho it obviously isnt ur fault). I do want to stress however that freshman do get in so dont lose hope, i was just trying to be honest with you.
As to the interview, I've heard that getting one is generally a good sign but not getting one does not indicate u are already rejected by any measure. And the reported transfer rates are combined.</p>

12

<p>Why not just ask them about an interview? Maybe squeeze some info about how they're leaning towards your application too...</p>

13

<p>transferring to harvard is really really hard. honestly, it's almost just a crapshoot. the thing is, as impressive as your stats are, basically everyone who applied will have similar stats. i know quite a few people that have transferred to harvard and they generally seem to be exceptional in some way (e.g. writing a book, starting a business). Having those stats at Berkeley will help. I know a guy who transferred from a community college and a guy from N.C. State, so you already got a leg up on them. Good luck.</p>

14

<p>Hey, do you know William Hung?</p>

15

<p>not everyone who goes to berkeley knows william hung....</p>

<p>but my friend is on the cover of his cd...lol</p>

16

<p>Are you applying to Cornell and Columbia Engineering? I had the impression that you were applying to the college.</p>

<p>(Engineering admission would be far easier for you)</p>

17

<p>Correct; I am applying to the liberal art colleges of the universities to which I applied since my major is physics and math and not engineering.</p>

<p>And, I don't know William Hung.</p>

18

<p>"oh and if uve applied to harvard in the past my understanding is that u dont get another interview."</p>

<p>Actually, one kid that I know for a long time since high school, and is also attending my college, got an interview a few weeks ago for Harvard and he did apply to Harvard and did have two (yes, two!) interviews in his Senior year. This guy had 3 Harvard interviews...Life is not fair.</p>

19

<p>Well, I got my rejection letter from Cornell today. I really don't understand why they rejected me. This is so frustrating. I suppose like a chump I'll be waiting for the three other rejection letters on their way to my mailbox. When are those due to come anyway? Columbia is 5/10, people here say, and that Harvard is around 5/20. What about MIT?</p>

20

<p>Don't be so discouraged, GC -- at this level, schools sometimes look more for a particular "type" than the generic good grades, scores, ecs, etc. Perhaps you just don't fit the profile of the typical Cornellian, and yet Columbia/MIT/even Harvard may open their gates to you.</p>

<p>It's all such a crapshoot.</p>

<p>(I applied to Cornell too -- an English major, though. No decision yet.)</p>