[Transfer] Should I take my SAT I again for IVY?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello everyone!
I am a physics major student, hoping to transfer to ivy.</p>

<p>I was planning to apply to ivy leagues, and found out that I had to take SAT exams for some of the universities that I planned to apply even as a transfer.</p>

<p>Because, I started studying at the last minute, I didn't find much time to study (in the midst of semester too), I did not do as well as I wanted to on my SAT I.</p>

<p>For SAT II (Taken in Nov,2011)
I fortunately received 800 on both Math IIC and Physics exam.</p>

<p>As for SAT I (Taken in Dec, 2011), I received 610/750/700 (Reading/Math/Writing).</p>

<p>I have one more opportunity to take the exam on Jan 28th, and I am not sure if I should.</p>

<p>Although I lived in the State for about 10 years now, I am also an international student.
I have 3.98 (out of 4.0) at my current community college and had 3.89 (out of 4.0) in my high school year.</p>

<p>I know that I have really good recommendation, for my physics instructors are quite fond of me.</p>

<p>As for extracurricular activities, I am an amateur astronomer and I do independent researches and publish papers as well. I am also a physics club president and will also be starting research at UCI starting Jan.</p>

<p>I've been studying lot harder at my community college than I have in high school, but I think I was still a decent student at high school too. I have taken 6 AP exams.
AP Calculus BC - 4, AP Calculus AB - 5, AP Comp. Sci AB - 4, AP Comp. Sci A - 4,
AP Physics B - 3 (I wasn't thinking about Physics major back then.haha),
AP World History - 3</p>

<p>I think I have a pretty good chance if I bump up my SAT I score, but I think people in this forum will be more knowledgeable than I am, so I politely ask for your advice.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for taking your interest and time to read my post.</p>

<p>Oh.. and I am planning to apply to 9 private universities. (some are not private)</p>

<p>USC
Pomona College
Cornell University
UPenn
Harvard
Yale
MIT
Stanford
Amherst University</p>

<p>Please be frank and harsh, for it would be more helpful to hear candid opinion than deluding appeals.</p>

2

<p>Did you mean Amherst College? There is no Amherst University, and it’s a small liberal arts school. </p>

<p>How many credits do you currently have? If you are applying as a Junior transfer, the SATs and your high school GPA won’t hold as much weight, as the SATs were a predictor of how you would do in college, and your current GPA nullifies that. If you are applying as a sophomore, I’d recommend you re-taking them. </p>

<p>USC- Match
Pomona College- Match
Cornell University- Reach
UPenn - Crapshoot
Harvard - Doesn’t accept transfers?
Yale - Crapshoot
MIT - Crapshoot
Stanford - Crapshoot
Amherst College? - Crapshoot</p>

<p>I think your essays and ECs will make more of a difference than your SAT scores.</p>

3

<p>Retaking the SAT will be more important if you are applying to transfer as a soph than if you are a jr transfer. However, for the caliber of most of the schools you’re applying to (particularly PC, Penn, H, Y, MIT, S & A), everything counts because they have extremely low transfer rates.</p>

<p>x-posted w/Chad. H started accepting transfers again last year.</p>

4

<p>First of all, thank you so much for giving me a helpful advice.</p>

<p>I am applying as a Junior for those universities. I need lot of time to work on all the apps for those univ. that I was not sure if I want to invest so much time in studying SAT I during the break.</p>

<p>One more thing, the reason why I am applying to these competitive private univ. is because I need a financial aid, and as an international student, I am not able to receive any support from gov’t. (Of course, another strong reason is because I want to learn at competitive univ, for I wish to go all the way with phys toward research doctorate.) </p>

<p>And all the priv univs that give financial aid to International Students tend to be only these very difficult ones…</p>

<p>Do you guys know any other easier priv univs that is known for good private financial aid that I can apply for as sort of an “insurance”…?</p>

<p>Thank you again for your kindness and taking your time to help me out. :slight_smile: You guys are awesome!</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>This is generally true because the colleges that can afford to be so generous are those with very large endowments, and these are also the most difficult to get into.</p>

6

<p>Yes, absolutely retake the SATs for this list.</p>

<p>And I think you absolutely need some less selective schools on your list. There are absolutely NO safety/insurance schools for an international needing a lot of aid. An international transfer makes it MUCH harder, most colleges reserve their aid for internationals for those they accept as freshmen.</p>

<p>Where you come from will matter a great deal. If you’re from a country that is well represented at these schools it will be VERY tough. A CC transfer with good grades won’t be enough. They are looking for top students from each country with national level accomplishments.</p>

<p>If you can find schools with zero representation from your country, you will have a much better shot. If you can pay a significant portion of COA your chances shoot way up.</p>

<p>So…where are you from and how much can you pay?</p>

7

<p>Unfortunately, I came from South Korea (East Asia), which I think is quite well represented in most univ…</p>

<p>I probably cannot pay much COA, since my parents are even having trouble financing CC.
One thought though… I am first generation college student in my whole family / relatives… my dad dropped out of jr.high and my mom is high school grad.(they were forced to because of the adversities they faced). I have experienced many hardships, but stayed committed despite all. Do you think the fact that I am first gen coll student can have much impact in my admission?</p>

<p>Also, I recently applied to $30,000 scholarship, and if I do manage to receive it, my contribution to COA will be more significant.</p>

<p>And do you know of any less selective schools with good financial aid offer?</p>

<p>Just more facts about myself (not trying to boast, but just want better representation of myself.)
-I have 3300 hr voluntary service since sophomore year of high school.
-received 3 scholarships at my college last year.
-ranked #1 in all three series of my calculus based physics courses. (and these physics professors are who will be writing me recommendation).</p>

<p>Thank you so much…</p>

8

<p>“And all the priv univs that give financial aid to International Students tend to be only these very difficult ones…”</p>

<p>USC does NOT give FA to international students. </p>

<p>[USC</a> Financial Aid - Applying & Receiving Financial Aid - International Students](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/international/]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/international/)</p>

<p>They do give some 1/4 tuition merit scholarships to select transfer students, but there is no saying if you would be eligible.
I take it you dont have a green card[ permanent residency?]</p>

9

<p>I am aware that USC does not have FA for Internationals.
but the college representative that visited my CC said the merit scholarship can cover the whole tuition, thus I decided to apply.</p>

<p>and yes I do not have green card… :(</p>

<p>the company that my dad was first hired, which was sponsoring for our visas, went out of business after like 6 years of his work…</p>

10

<p>“but the college representative that visited my CC said the merit scholarship can cover the whole tuition”:</p>

<p>THATS ONLY FOR FRESHMAN International applicants- see link at bottom of page</p>

<p>[USC</a> Scholarships - USC Undergraduate Admission](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/scholarship.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/scholarship.html)</p>

11

<p>?? I couldn’t find anything that suggests it is only for freshman applicants?
plus the representative was at CC for transfer students. there were no high schoolers to began with, why would he give me a misleading information that pertains to high school students at CC?? Anyways, either ways, I think I will still apply for I have a chance that other private scholarships will cover the tuition.</p>

<p>But do you know of any other less selective private univs. that are known FA for international transfer?</p>

12

<p>Kylelee, you need a dramatic overhaul of your list. Getting into these schools as a Korean will be incredibly hard, and your SAT scores are not competitive.</p>

<p>These schools have very little money for transfer internationals and they won’t give it to someone from a well represented country who doesn’t bring them something they desperately want. Think Harvard stealing an off the charts math genius from Princeton.</p>

<p>And it’s especially hard from s. Korea because there’s are so many full pay, high stats candidates.</p>

<p>First gen is not a consideration for internationals, it’s mostly for American URMs.</p>

<p>Bottom line, coming from an Arizona CC with a 1950 you need a list of MUCH less selective schools for much of a chance. Even at less competitive schools, you can’t count on getting aid as a transfer. Your safeties need to be in Korea or schools here your family can afford.</p>

13

<p>Then I guess I will try my best to get 2200+ on my next SAT…</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

14

<p>“I couldn’t find anything that suggests it is only for freshman applicants?”
open up the link, go to the bottom of the page, click on the “download here” link and scroll down to read the following:</p>

<p>International Freshman Academic
Competitive candidates will be at the top of our applicant pool with respect to SAT scores, will typically be in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, and will have extensive experience living and studying outside the United States.
Submit a completed 2012 Common Application and USC Supplement by Dec. 1. Submit all supporting documents, including proof of financial support, by Jan. 10. No additional application is required.
By April 1, 2012
• Half tuition
(approx. $21,000)
• Number of awards varies
Freshmen</p>

<p>"why would he give me a misleading information that pertains to high school students at CC?? "</p>

<p>I think you misheard. USC does offer some part tuition merit transfer scholarships, as I mentioned above. But none that are full tuition.</p>

<p>and you would be wise to accept Waverly’s advise and look for other far less selective colleges to transfer into. As a non green card holding International student needing FA, you simply wont be considered at the U’s you have listed. There are far too many wealthy top scoring international applicants , not to mention hundreds of top US applicants, for the few transfer openings that those colleges may have. USC is the only U on your list that accepts lots of transfer students, but FA wont be offered to you.</p>

15

<p>It’s honestly not a matter of a 2200, you need a more realistic list.</p>

16

<p>Well Waverly…
It sounds like you are saying that even if I get into other less selective univ, they are not going to have FA for me.</p>

<p>Going back to Korea is not an option for me. and there is no univ that is affordable when even CC is not affordable for my family.</p>

<p>I have no other choice but to try, so in your term, there is nothing “realistic” for me here. but that does not mean I can’t try.</p>

17

<p>By all means try. But given your situation, you need to carefully craft your list. Do your parents live in AZ? Can you commute to one of the AZ state schools? If yes that may become your lowest cost school. I know AZ is not the most friendly to non citizens,but will you qualify for in state tuition?</p>

<p>Next you need to add schools where your stats aRe very high in their pool that are known to give internationals aid. For this, the higher you can get your scores the better. This list might include Grinnell, Kalamazoo, Colgate, St. Olaf, Bates, Whitman, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Bryn Mawr.</p>

<p>By all means throw in an application at your reaches, but you need to be much more strategic than just applying to the colleges every Asian international applies to. Because these schools are routinely turning down 2400, top students in their countries.</p>

<p>Why is Korea not an option? May I ask why you chose an AZ CC? You have boxed yourself into a corner if you’re relying on aid in the US and have no options at home. Most just can’t get the aid they need here, as a transfer it’s near impossible.</p>

18

<p>I live in CA by the way… not AZ.
I do not qualify for in state tuition, therefore, state univ will probably not be affordable.</p>

<p>If I do go back to Korea, I either have to serve in the mandatory Army or go to jail for refusing to serve in the Army. I have received most of my education in the state, and I do want to stay here by all means… I even heard that Korean univ. do not accept students from US CC as a transfer. and when I think of all the sacrifices that my parents put up to stay here, I cannot let them down.
and foremost reason is that I want to learn Physics at the best university I can possibly attend.</p>

<p>Is demographics that important?</p>

<p>Don’t they look at each apps as an unique individuals? This is so disappointing to me…</p>

19

<p>Sorry, I was confusing threads. So you are at a CA CC?</p>

<p>If so, you’ll have a fairly low priced option in the CSUs. At about $20K, they are a relative bargain in colleges. Cal Poly SLO is ranked with mid tier UCs. Something like this may have to be a consideration, even if you need to start part time.</p>

<p>Colleges meet their own needs. If you offer something they want you may find one to give you the aid you need, but you (and every intnl) can’t count on it. You need a plan that allows for something you can afford. For many, Americans and internationals, that will mean going to school part time and working your way through. you will not be letting
your parents down if this is the way you need to get through school. You’ve been in the US long enough to see that in most cases one needs to be able to pay for college or have very high stats to have college paid for. Ninety percent of people don’t fit into either of those categories and have to borrow, go to in state schools and work, or come up with a plan that their family can handle.</p>

<p>You are n the two toughest categories for getting money: transfers and internationals. I know it must be disappointing, but where have you been? None of this is new.</p>

20

<p>I understand. thank you. we pay about 10k for CC, but my parents were having hard time. so I am not sure how 20k will be affordable… but I did actually apply to Cal Poly Pomona, and UCs… </p>

<p>Do you think SAT I is the only thing I lack though?</p>

<p>I do have near perfect GPA and perfect SAT II, publication, research experience, a lot of voluntary service… so what else could they be looking for?</p>