Transferring from a Top 50 South Regional School
Year: Sophomore
Race: White
Ethnicity:Hispanic
Type of student:International
Socioeconomic: Lower-Middle Class
Major in Business Administration, will be applying for Business in most of these schools
Will have 46 Credit Hours by the end of the Semester
College GPA: 4.0
High School GPA: 3.5(Not great, but came from a competitive school in my country)
NOTE: I don’t know how much colleges would take my high school record into account, since I would be applying to transfer in as a second semester Sophomore.
No APs(Not available in my country)
SAT:1280(probably the weakest point of my application)
Extracurriculars (College):
National Society of Leadership and Success
International Association
Two years of professional e-sports coaching while in college, coached players from Korea and Brasil, learning both of their languages
Extracurriculars (HS):
I will keep it short: Piano in Band, Choir, Volunteer in Business counseling, Volunteer in Religious Group, Internship in marketing
Letters of Recommendation:
One From a Yale and Harvard graduate, knows me pretty well
One From my academic adviser that knows all my struggles throughout my life
One From an important research professor in Brown
Prospective Schools:
1: Northeastern University
2: Brown University
3: University of Pennsylvania
4: Amherst College
5: Cornell University
6: Columbia University
7 NYU
Also will be applying to some safety schools, but i’m not too worried about it.
Lastly, i’m debating whether to apply for financial aid or not, since I’ve heard that applying to financial aid as an international student can hurt your chances of admission. What do you guys think?
“Letters of Recommendation:
One From a Yale and Harvard graduate, knows me pretty well
One From my academic adviser that knows all my struggles throughout my life. One From an important research professor in Brown”
Those are good sources for supplemental recommendations. Core recommendations should be from your professors.
Most schools still look at SAT for sophomore transfer applicants, so a 1280 will hurt - a lot - in transfer applications to highly selective schools.
Some of the schools on your list don’t have undergrad business majors. What are you planning to study there?
“Also will be applying to some safety schools, but i’m not too worried about it.”
Worry about it.
3 semesters of 4.0 grades don’t automatically turn highly selective schools with single digit (or close to it) first-year undergrad admissions rates into sure things for kids who would have had virtually no shot applying straight out of HS.
“Lastly, I’m debating whether to apply for financial aid or not, since I’ve heard that applying to financial aid as an international student can hurt your chances of admission. What do you guys think?”
These schools cost $75,000/year and up. The policies vary on whether they offer fin aid to transfers or international transfers, and whether they meet demonstrated need for US applicants, let alone international students and whether or not admissions are need aware. Details on each school is available on their websites.
Regardless of the school’s policies, how do you plan on paying? If you need aid, what is the point of not applying for it if you won’t be able to afford to attend if you are admitted?
Forgot to specify on my recommendation letters:
-The Harvard/Yale graduate taught a course for me in my college.
-My academic adviser also taught a course for me, so she qualifies as a professor.
“Most schools still look at SAT for sophomore transfer applicants, so a 1280 will hurt - a lot - in transfer applications to highly selective schools.”
I fully agree with you, I am looking into how I can retake my SAT in the US. My other option is to take the ACT.
“Some of the schools on your list don’t have undergrad business majors. What are you planning to study there?”
My main interest is Business, but I am also interested in doing CIS or a Science major/minor.
“Worry about it.”
My safety schools are not guaranteed, I know that. But some of my safety schools are 90% acceptance rate. I will put the same effort for every school I apply to.
Thank you for the detailed feedback, I appreciate the time you took to read my post!
Glad to hear that the recs are from professors who actually taught your college classes.
“I am looking into how I can retake my SAT in the US. My other option is to take the ACT.”
Can’t take or retake. The schools won’t be interested in results taken after you started college.
The SAT and ACT are tests designed for HS students and compare HS students to other HS students.
Taking those tests as a college student is like a HS student going back and retaking his middle school exams. What’s the point, and what would it prove?
Forgot to ask:
Why do you want to transfer? A four year degree with a 4.0GPA from a “Top 50 South Regional School” would set you up very well for a career and/or an MBA from one of the elite schools you’re thinking of transferring to now.
“You said you are lower-middle class. If you don’t apply for financial aid, how would you pay if accepted?”
By applying to private loans from my country, but this would put me in serious debt. I could probably apply to external private scholarships too, but the chances of getting one are extremely low.
You’re looking at 2.5 - 3 years - most likely 3 as not every class you took prior to transfer will be accepted for transfer credit - and many of the schools on your list only accept transfers as sophmores (3 years to go) or juniors (2 years to go) - @ $75,000+/year.
Easily over $200,000.
Who lends that kind of money to a “Lower-Middle Class” kid who is out of the country, and on what terms do they lend it?
Hey I am looking to transfer next January.
I was looking for some feedback relating to my application
also, I am applying to super reach schools so let me know if I even stand a chance
My app
Major – econ
High school GPA - 3.1 (moved from India junior year into american high school) - my biggest fear***
I have a 4.0 community college Gpa
ACT - 33
Ec
Owner and founder of medical revenue cycle management company outsourcing to India providing jobs in state with a high poverty rate
Trust funds manager to allocate scholarships to students without resources to pursue education
Help people in Nigeria, Ethiopia and India spread financial literacy to students. (about 300 confirmed students educated) (probably going to start an NGO to get funding to further the operation)
conducted clinical trials (not statistically significant though) in indian slum to find economic reform/incentives needed to prevent prenatal deaths in India.
Internship in Zamir Equities (private equity firm) - 4 WEEKS
Created Company Evaluation Algorithm
placed 12 in regional stock market competition (SIFMA)/ placed 41 out of 68,000 people in wall street survivor league
Founded stock market club in college
President of club spreading awareness about student debt (Up To Us) and received 1000 dollars in funding
student representative of financial literacy center
Sponsored trip to california to Financial Literacy leaders educational seminar
Presented to college about student debt with Assemblymen johnson
Wrote research paper with professor
Played soccer for school at national competition and placed 2nd as captain/ played international in Ibir competition in Spain for club / Varsity soccer team
Started and president of stock market club in high school
general proficiency for all years in Indian high school in Value Education(moralities assessment )
I WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE HONORS COURSES FOR THE FIRST 20 CREDITS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS FATHER HAD HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS. - I ENDED UP TAKING NIGHT CLASSES AND BECAME A REAL ESTATE AGENT AND WORKED AT AMAZON AS A WAREHOUSE WORKER AT 430 AM IN THE DAY TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY.