Transfer chances

<p>I am a Caucasian male student at a community college with a total student population of somewhere around 5k. The truth is, I have decided to cast my lot in with the other junior transfers who apply to colleges that they couldn't have gotten an acceptance letter from as a freshman. I want to apply to transfer in fall of '11 to a world class school. For the sake of specificity I want to apply to: William and Mary, Yale, Duke, Harvard, Berkley, and Columbia. I realize that nothing about these schools is ever a sure bet and I just want to know if I stand a reasonable chance of being accepted into one of the above.</p>

<p>My High School record and standardized test scores were unimpressive when placed alongside the records of Ivy admits. </p>

<p>My GPA was 3.75 and I graduated top of my class of 2 - myself included (though because it was not home-school I am the only graduate of a one-room schoolhouse (total students: approx 20 in 6-12) that I know of save for the guy that graduated with me and those who graduated before us.) During High School I did get to travel abroad with a student ambassadors group, this experience profoundly altered my point of view. I also , for what it's worth, made Who's Who in High School. </p>

<p>My H.S. E.C.'s were sparse though enjoyable - I served on a yearbook committee and as school chaplain my sophomore year. Other than a few one-time, day-long volunteer projects at a nursing home, soup kitchen, and food bank I didn't really have any H.S. community service projects. </p>

<p>My test scores were less than stellar to say the least - I was a lazy student during those years and took the ACT the summer before my Sophomore year; I made a composite score of 25, with a reading score of 30, english score of 27, math score of 23, and science score of 19. Being the lazy student I was, I never bothered to retake the exam - though I could have done better had I applied any real effort. As of now, with two years of college under my belt, I wonder if retaking it at this point would do any good. </p>

<p>I started College at a small community college close to home and over the last two years I have kept up a 3.90 GPA and attained a place both amongst the Dean's list and within Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in each of my full time semesters. This spring I will graduate with two associates degrees (A.A.) Magna Cum Laude in History and in Geography. My course load has included 4 upper level history courses at the 3000 level.</p>

<p>Throughout these last two years I've kept up a more than fair level of Campus involvement. I have been a member of the College Academic Bowl since my first semester and the History and Geography Club since my second semester. I was a member of the Social work club, Students United for Peace and the Literary Reading Club for a full year and I have recently begun my second year as vice president of the Academic Bowl. I currently serve on the student council and on the college's literary committee. I have served in the past as a member of a departmental hiring committee which was a result of my year long on-campus job as a tutor and peer leader. </p>

<p>As a tutor I provided my peers with bi-weekly supplementary lessons in Speech, History, Geography, English, American Government, Political Science and Computer Literacy. Right now I volunteer roughly 8 to 10 hours a week in the form of an unofficial internship with a regional historical agency which is closely affiliated with my college. As a result of that I have been named a contributor in one of their minor projects which traces the history of my college. </p>

<p>Over the course of the last two years I have won the college's annual award in Speech (in my freshman year), and in Geography (in my Sophomore year). Finally I was selected as the 2009-2010 recipient of a merit and need based scholarship.</p>

<p>I have a good, strong rapport with my college's Vice President, My school's Dean, My Department's Chair, My Department's secretary, The professor who is over the regional historical agency that I volunteer/intern at, and several of the other professors and department heads at my college, each of these people would probably be willing to write a strong letter of recommendation for me.</p>

<p>Finally I am unique in the respect that Iam severely limited in visual acuity and have been for a number of years despite a corneal transplant which drastically improved from legally blind to within the legal range required in my state to drive.</p>

<p>So, in summation, given the above information can I reasonably expect to be a competitor at the schools above?</p>

<p>You look like you would certainly get into your state flagship, so hopefully you’re in VA or CA. Berkeley is tough from CCs outside of CA, and very expensive at $50k for OOS students with no aid offered except for the federal.</p>

<p>For the privates your score will be an issue. Will you retake? And while you’ve worked hard and certainly have a shot, you would probably be wise to add a few great but less selective colleges as the ones on your list accept very few transfers. Cornell takes more, USC, vanderbuilt, Emory, NYU, Tulane are a few thoughts.</p>

<p>Well, I was considering retaking, but would the fact that I waited so long into college work against me? </p>

<p>I would have to brush up on my Geometry & Trig - honestly math is the bane of my existence. </p>

<p>Cornell would be awesome, as would Vandy, Tulane, and Emory, honestly though, I’ve had my heart set on W&M and though I don’t go to a college in Va. I would qualify as I.S…</p>

<p>Well, I got in! I ended up only applying for W&M with the rationale that it was the place that I had my heart set on. I transferred in, with the fall '11 class and I have to say that it has been everything that I had hoped that it would be and so much more! Go Tribe!</p>