Transfer List - too many? reasonable?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Due to finances, I can't attend the dream school that I got into - Berkeley. I want to transfer out of my state flagship a.s.a.p because I don't want to be home for college. I've also always wanted to go far away from home (NY). I'll be starting at SUNY Stony Brook in the fall.
Here is my (tentative) transfer list:
Reach: U. Chicago, Middlebury (since they rarely accept transfers), U. Penn, Cornell, Swarthmore
Target: Reed, McGill, USC, UVA
Safety: Stony Brook Honors College (if worse comes to worse. not in the honors program now because I applied in April upon becoming cognizant of the financial situation)
(Someone also recommended St. Andrew's in Scotland to me, but I'm not sure where this fits in). </p>

<p>Major: Linguistics (probably double-majoring with philosophy)
SAT: 2170 (790 W, 720 R, 660 M) - I'm re-taking it though in October to improve the math part
HS: 94-95 unweighted GPA, ranked 10th in class out of 265, was in 4 honor societies (French, Spanish, German, National), took 10 AP classes, was actively involved in clubs such as president of French Club</p>

<p>I don't have a GPA to go by for SB but I doubt that I'll get below a 3.0. I took 5 AP's senior year and had over a 95 average every quarter, and senior year has given me even more credits that SB will allow me to take first semester (20 credits from senior year, allowed to take 15). So I think I'll do fairly well and am aiming for a 4.0 </p>

<p>Hook: recovered from a long battle with anorexia during high school, was hospitalized for 2 months but still managed to keep up my school work </p>

<p>EC's planned for this year: Oxfam meetings every other week along with various Oxfam-related events, Eating Disorder Awareness walks, starting a Food Not Bombs at the Stony Brook campus, interning at my county's Democratic Committee, joining the Linguistics Clubs...looking to get very involved. Also, I have a job working at a Trader Joe's. </p>

<p>So what do you think of this list? Are at least some of the schools do-able? Should I narrow the list down a bit? Any advice for these specific schools/what to base my essays on? Any advice/commentary is appreciated.</p>

2

<p>I can’t really help you much, but I just find it strange it strange that we have a lot of similarities. I also want to transfer to many of the same schools after my freshman year and have a very large list too. I have a similar high school record. I scored virtually the same as you on the SAT (although a little lower–780W 700 CR 640M) and am retaking in October to improve my math. Also, I too missed the honors program in the current school I plan to enroll in because I didn’t apply early enoug. However, I talked to the director and should get a spot for second semester. So if transferring didn’t work, I would stay at my current school in the honors program. </p>

<p>Best of luck! For what it’s worth, you seem very competitive to me if you are able to keep a high GPA in college, get involved, and write strong essays.</p>

3

<p>What’s your plan to finance the school you transfer to? Less aid is generally available to transfers than to incoming freshmen.
All things considered, you may very well be best off at Stony Brook-Honors.</p>

4

<p>Thanks Amory, it’s always comforting to hear that I’m not the only one in this situation. </p>

<p>Greennblue, many of the schools on the list cover 100% of financial need although some are need-sensitive for transfers (like Reed and Middlebury). I’ve e-mailed a few of the colleges on the list so far and U. Chicago and Cornell have assured me that they are need-blind for transfers and cover 100% financial need. I believe it’s the same with U. Penn, although I will verify. Another person on college confidential just transferred to UVA and said she had a similar EFC and got a great financial aid package. Then places like McGill (which my parents unfortunately discouraged me from applying from as undergrad) and St. Andrew’s cost less than America universities already - around $25,000 - 30,000 if I’m not mistaken. I also plan on applying to scholarships year round, and I know it’s not much but I do have a $1,000 scholarship that’s renewable for all 4 years. I’m really saving a ton of money by not dorming too, so SB only costs $7,000…even less because of about $2,000 in scholarships I’ve gotten. My parents are also more supportive of me going away and we expect the financial situation to improve…it was just a mess of occurrences the past year or two. Of course, it is possible that I will have to stay at SB in the Honors Program, but I really hope to avoid that. If so though, I have that as a back-up plan and will try to graduate in 3 years if that’s the case so I can go right on to grad school in Berkeley.</p>

5

<p>Bumping - does anyone have any advice/commentary for the lists I’ve made? Too many reaches? Too many schools in general?</p>

6

<p>McGill is a safety. My friend transferred with a 3.3 with 0 ECs. Canadian Schools aren’t very selective.</p>

<p>It’s 17,000 this year for a Bachelor’s of Arts program.</p>

<p>Queen’s (a lot of financial support) and UofT are also really good schools for humanities. UofT is better than McGill/University of Chicago by far for your majors of choice. If you do well (Dean’s List), UofT also waives off GRE examinations for graduate studies.</p>

<p>If you have any questions feel free to message me, I’m quite knowledgable about Canadian admissions.</p>

7

<p>Do you HAVE to start college this fall? If you take a gap year you will be applying as a freshman which will give you much better chances at good financial aid. There is a long thread on guaranteed merit-based aid in the Financial Aid Forum. Take a look at it. Something there might work for you.</p>

8

<p>Thank you, EcceHomo. McGill may end up being the best place for me, and I really should’ve applied as a freshman. One of the professors in the linguistics department went to McGill of undergrad, so maybe he can write my rec if I have him. What about UBC? Is that any good for my major? </p>

<p>I considered taking a gap year when I was going to UC Berkeley to spend the year figuring out how I was going to pay for it lol. But they never got back to me allowing me to take one or not. At this point, in early August, I think the best thing for me is to start college. Looking back, a gap year would’ve been better if I had planned something out, but I’m really anxious to start school. And I shall do that. Thanks.</p>

9

<p>I would rate it,
McGill>=UofT>Queen’s>=UBC</p>

<p>and I don’t think Berk allows deferrals.</p>

10

<p>How are you going to pay for Berkeley? In your original post, you indicated that you can’t afford it.</p>

<p>If you haven’t heard yet from Berkeley about deferring enrollment for the fall, pick up the phone and call them. If they can’t commit to holding a space for you for a year (some institutions won’t), then just tell them you aren’t coming. You don’t need “permission” from them to do that. At worst, they will keep any deposits you may have paid, but that is a small expense compared to the total cost of a year. You do not want to go out on a limb financially just for one year. You want to be able to afford all four years of college.</p>

11

<p>^She says she’s going to SUNY Stony Brook, not Berkeley.</p>

12

<p>CaliforniaDancer is right. I’m not going to Berkeley (not this year at least…most likely for grad school…I hope). I’m starting at Stony Brook. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any comments on the list?</p>

13

<p>Very similar situation here…I went through a hard time in my senior year since I relied too much on a rec letter of a Yale alumni that supposed to be quite strong and ECs…didn’t really pay too much attention to SAT (CR 700, Math 760, W 630)…I applied for FA and it’s just a huge disaster and i ended up at a state school…</p>

<p>I am not challenged at all here…and the huge class size just drives me nuts. I am applying for some top LACs…will take it again in October. I am heading into school research now but am still not sure if the transfer policy (number of students, focus)LACs will differ from big Us like cornell…Any thought on this?</p>