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Do you know about anyone who has started at a not that great school and then still earned a degree from a top school??
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<p>Yep, it's very possible. I know a kid here who transferred in as a junior from Clark University (a place that I'd never even heard of!) last fall with a 4.0, stellar recommendations, and pretty decent list of activities (nothing that was world-beater, but it showed dedication and commitment). Dartmouth took 20ish students - around the same number that Yale took - and he was one of the four juniors that came in. There were also kids from comparable institutions - Duke, Columbia, West Point, state flagships, etc. - but the point is that it is possible, and that it can be done.</p>
<p>Also, it should be noted that the guy's SAT's were quite mediocre (something in the 1800's), but by the time he applied to transfer for junior status, his scores were of minimal importance given the college success that he had demonstrated. Those are other factors you'll have to consider - your high school record will come into play more when applying for sophomore status. However, with the exception of schools like Yale, more people are generally taken for sophomore status at many of these schools. The upshot is that it's easier to accomplish more things when you have 3 times the number of semesters to do stuff. Really, many factors to consider.</p>
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but say if I get a 4.0, get some extracurriculars and killer references
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<p>If you get all of those things, then I'd say an acceptance is waiting for you. However, everyone assumes that they'll get a 4.0 GPA just like that. Coming from a school that's several standard deviations below the very top levels, you're probably going to need that 4.0. You must ask yourself if you are capable of this based on past performance, and assess accordingly.</p>
<p>Also - teacher recs. SO many people neglect this, but I cannot stress enough just how crucial these will be. I got into Dartmouth as a freshman with rather average recommendations, but you can't just rely solely on your accomplishments for transfer. Get to really know your professors - not just because you have a motive, but genuinely get to know them as people and because you're truly interested and curious like a good student would be anyways. I never really planned any of this out, to be honest. Heck, I never even considered transferring schools until around Christmas time. These should all be logical consequences of being a good student.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>