<p>Alright, so I'm currently a sophomore at Vanderbilt. I'm Pre-Med, and I've already taken a year of Gen Chem...but I didn't do so hot, so now I'm retaking it and I'm taking Gen Bio. However, hear me out: I've done decently well in all my other classes. My overall GPA right now is a 3.25, which is around the average here, but I'm wondering if it might go against me if I want to transfer to Harvard? I have very strong EC: I'm a lab research assistant in surgery at the medical center, where I'm currently conducting experiments that should be formulated into a paper this coming year (my first scientific published paper!); I'm a big sib to a couple of freshmen; I'm also doing a club where I visit and help out refugees from the Congo as they transfer into the American lifestyle; I'm in a few community service organizations that help the local Nashville area; I'm in a program that helps underfunded middle schools by letting college students from Vandy teach science; I'm in intramural tennis; I've competed in regional/state-wide piano competitions in high school (though I have taken a break during college); I'm a member of a medical club where we help underprivileged communities in various countries receive medical supplies and doctors; and I'm in three honor societies (NSCS, ALD, PES). </p>
<p>I know that high school details are less important than college GPA (College GPA > SAT/ACT > High School GPA) but here they are anyway since I do have to report them:</p>
<p>ACT w/ writing: 35
SAT II Scores: 740 and 780
High School GPA: 3.97 (unweighted) and 4.50 (weighted) </p>
<p>So, I guess what I'm trying to get at here is this:</p>
<p>My GPA isn't the best thing (I am intending to raise it (within reason) to 3.40-3.45). But I do have other strengths. Do I still have a good shot at getting into Harvard as a transfer?</p>
<p>I want to transfer to Harvard because of two main reasons: (1) I want to study marine biology and writing, both of which are departments lacking in valuable and extensive resources at Vanderbilt; and (2) the Southern vibe at Vanderbilt does not fit me.</p>
<p>@vandytoharvard - I’m sure Hanna (who posts frequently in the Harvard forum) can give a more definitive answer as she successfully transferred into Harvard, but given that Harvard only accepts around 2% of transfer applicants, it seems unlike that you would have a chance without stellar credentials, and a 3.25 GPA is unlikely to impress them enough for them to seriously consider your application.</p>
<p>I’ll add that you will need to provide some very convincing reasons why you should be at Harvard, and not Vanderbilt. Why do you want to transfer? What does Harvard offer that Vanderbilt (also an excellent university) does not?</p>
<p>I do figure that the 3.25 GPA does sound low, despite it being around the average here at Vanderbilt. But I am intending to raise it to a 3.40-3.45 before I apply in March. I am very dedicated to the medical field, as shown by my research and club activity. But Pre-med is not a major. I have always wanted to major in marine biology or writing, despite knowing I want to be a doctor and go to medical school. Harvard has a stellar program in the environmental sciences, and has far more resources in the marine science field. Also, physically, it is closer to the ocean. In addition, I hope to continue the intensity of medical research that I already endure here at Vanderbilt, and since Harvard has a phenomenal medical center and medical school, I believe it will benefit my endeavors in that area. Lastly, I am striving to study Cardiology - of which Harvard has one of the strongest departments in the nation, while Vanderbilt struggles in this field. </p>
<p>Looks like you have a lot of EC’s that are taking time you could devote to boosting your GPA, which you’ll need to do to be a viable med school candidate. Keep your lab research assistant spot, but consider dropping some of the other activities. </p>
<p>Hanna, does that mean I have no chance to get in? I’m just curious because I haven’t heard your story, only that you successfully transferred into Harvard, but how did you get in?</p>
<p>I don’t know how I could be clearer. As a pre-med, you took calculus, right? You know what it means to approach zero.</p>
<p>I got in the way all Harvard transfers got/get in: with a 3.9+ (in a demanding curriculum, with a compelling story and tremendous good luck). That was true even back in the 90s when the Harvard transfer admit rate was several times higher than it is now. I’m not quite prepared to say that it’s a waste of time to apply with a 3.8, depending on circumstances, but with a sub 3.5, waste of time.</p>
<p>Harvard typically accepts about 15 transfer students per year. What do you think gives you a shot at being one of those fifteen? Most had extraordinary accomplishments during their first two years at other elite colleges, and the remainder had unusual personal narratives (e.g. military service; huge disadvantages that they overcame; etc.) that stood out and compensated for a rocky academic background. If you are simply unhappy with Vanderbilt’s culture, then you should apply to more than one college for transfer. I went to Barnard, and was regularly shocked by how many students at Barnard and Columbia never quite got over their rejections from Harvard and Yale. Instead of trying to get the most they could from the rich educational opportunities available to them, they squandered most of their first two years trying to transfer into the colleges that turned them down the first time. If you’re unhappy, by all means transfer, but perhaps you should look into studying abroad next year instead. </p>
<p>v2h: you yourself say your GPA is average among the Vanderbilt students. Now how then, does that transfer into being one of the magical 15 that grabs the Harvard transfer admissions council by the neck and won’t let go? In your own estimation, fully half of the Vandy student body is more qualified than you.</p>