Transfer to a top tier school... help?

<p>Hi,
I'm just looking for some advice as to what I should do about my plans and how to go about them. Currently, I am an entering sophomore at U. Rhode Island, and was wonder how my stats for college look, in order for to transfer. I hope to transfer to MIT, Brown, UMich, and Case Western for Applied Math/ Biology with pre- med.
I'm not trying to boast, I just need help with anything that I can improve other than my GPA.
In my first year I have a 3.61 GPA, however, my courses that I have taken are senior and junior level at URI. Although, at MIT and Brown these classes are like sophomore level. I have work diligently in all of my classes, and am just nervous I'm might not get in anywhere due to my GPA. Also, this semester coming up I am taking a Graduate course in Condensed Matter Physics. I'm also doing research in Biophysics, hope to be shadowing a surgeon by fall, and was the first freshman to be inducted to the University methematical society.
The problem is, High school was not for me. I was very immature and pulled my way through with a C average :/. My extracurriculars were amazing, though, because i did science competitions, and did very well in them. I don't know how schools such as MIT and Brown will view my application, providing I do well this semester. </p>

<p>I really believe I have taken advantage of everything my college has to offer, and a major part is due to the fact that I spend 4 hours of my day going to and from school.
Help?</p>

<p>No offense, but Brown and MIT are HUGE reaches. I think its highly unlikely that you’d be able to pull off either of those schools with a C average high school GPA and a 3.6 in college. While your GPA isn’t bad at all, Brown is extremely competitive (1200 transfer apps, 60 spaces…about an 8% acceptance rate) and they usually only look at people in the 3.7-4.0 range. While your extra curriculars are indeed impressive, admissions doesn’t place as much emphasis and weight on them in the transfer process. The most important aspects of transfer admissions are grades, reccomendations, and essays. </p>

<p>If you wrote KICK ASS essays and got the best reccomendations of your life you might have a chance. You never know right? I applied to Brown this year with a 3.89 from NYU, impeccable recs, and well thought out essays and got rejected. It is a ROUGH school to get into, but with a lot of effort and time you may be able to pull it off. </p>

<p>I would suggest trying for “second teir” ivys that are a little less selective but equally as prestigious. Vanderbilt, WashU, and UVA are all very transfer friendly schools. Small LACs would also be a good shot because they NEED science people like crazy since they’re mostly all liberal arts. Midd, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, etc…you would def have an excellent shot there and they are all GREAT, great, great schools. Look into it! You might be surprised.</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply dreamer, I definitely understand. I was an odd ball in high school. Oh and I lied I just looked at my unofficial transcripts my GPA was a 3.0 (82.25) prolly helps a little more heh… Anyway, I don’t really have many options my parents are also heavily involved so going to WashU or UVA are kind of impossible. I just need to figure out how to write a super essay -_-. And the extra currics. are those only in college, in high school, there was one thing I excelled at multiple times, SciOly (Woooo!) It doesn’t hurt to try, especially if its something youre working toward. Thanks dreamer!</p>

<p>I think you have a good shot at Case.</p>