<p>First semester last year at Smith: 3.6. Second semester: 3.1 (I had mono), for a total of 3.35. I am going to UChicago right now but I dislike it so much I am thinking of taking the semester off and then going back to Smith in the spring. I'm not sure what would show on my transcript, maybe nothing... SAT: 1480 I'd be applying to Wesleyan in March, and I'm confident Wesleyan would be a great fit and I could emphasize that in my app. So what do you think? 3.35 at Smith for one year with heavy courseload and mono, then semester off. With great essays and recommendations, would I have a chance at transfer?</p>
<p>Two colleges already?</p>
<p>What's the story there?</p>
<p>I was looking for a coed environment, students who were more engaged in the classroom than they were at Smith, and more research opportunities. I made the horrible mistake of not visiting UChicago and sitting in on classes before I decided to go. What I didn't anticipate at UChicago was the cutthroat competitive attitude of some of the students. Also, I'm not from the city, and the constant noise is really distracting to me. Wesleyan would be a MUCH better fit for me culturally (artsy-hippiesh atmosphere). Please don't be judgmental... all I'm asking about is chances, because if I left UChicago I don't think Wesleyan would have anyway to know I was there at all. I could work an internship for the rest of this semester, and go back to Smith for spring semester.</p>
<p>I don't know what the standards are for transfers... Obviously you have the ability to do well at a challenging school. Good luck.</p>
<p>I think you have a pretty good shot. They take a relatively large group of transfers (60 came in the year my D transfered; I think about 100 were actually accepted.) Your sAT is great for them. I think the only thing you will have to explain is that second semester GPA, be sure to tell in some detail about the mono and its impact.</p>
<p>Also, be sure to explain why Wesleyan is a better fit, w/o downgrading Smith.</p>
<p>Thanks -then I just have a couple of questions for any students on this forum. Part of the reason I want to transfer is really concrete and easy to describe. Part of it I'm less sure of: part of my disappoinment with Smith is that I feel students tend not to do the reading or to be too engaged in class. For instance, when we read Plato, etc. for intro PoliSci, I was the only person in the class who could understand most of it on my own, so class time was taken up with clarifying what the books were saying, instead of debating the concepts. Could you say anything about Wesleyan with regards to this? Also, how much time do people tend to spend studying each week? Do you feel like you get a lot of feedback from professors on academic papers? Is there a way I could find out about Wesleyan grad school placement?</p>
<p>Thanks a ton;)</p>
<p>Could I get more opinions...?</p>
<p>As far as your post on clarifying the readings, I find that in my intro sociology class (we have been reading weber, durkheim, and marx) the teacher will do just that, but the class inevitably turns into debate. </p>
<p>I love my sociology class and my sociology teacher (awesome and very funny) -- actually I am supposed to be doing my midterm right now... As a frosh, I don't have that much experience with other reading/writing classes (science major here!).</p>
<p>really, what kind of science major are you? how are the science courses? also, any guesses on transfer chances? (I can write an awesome essay;))</p>
<p>Heh, the more I know about admissions, the less I understand it, so no comments there. As for science - I'm currently leaning towards molecular bio, but it could easily become chem, physics, math, or computer science. I'm not quite sure now. The intro courses are just intro courses... nothing special, but they are going to be exactly the same everywhere. Though a friend who goes to state school has a far easier intro class than me, surprise surprise.</p>
<p>Actually, intro courses are different depending on where you take them. Intro Bio at Swarthmore, for instance aims "to teach students how to think like biologists from different fields, but does not aim "to teach them the breadth of knowledge in biology." Intro Bio at UChicago is 1.5 years long and absolutely aims to teach students the breadth of knowledge in biology, but not how to design experiments like researchers.</p>