<p>2350 SAT I, 12 essay (took it once)
780 Chem
800 M2C
(690 LitSatII... yea I know this sucked)
35 ACT
3.95 HS UW GPA (magnet)</p>
<p>First semester Columbia College GPA: 3.85-4.0</p>
<p>It's not that I don't like Columbia, I love it. But I always wanted to go to Yale and didn't get a chance to apply last year (applied Columbia ED). I know this is vague... but having spent months there for JSA summer program, it just "feels" like the place I want to be. Of course the admissions committee may be like "BS" and kill my app. </p>
<p>Anyway, based on my stats alone, can someone with xfer experience give me an objective chance for transfers into Yale, Harvard, and Wharton? I know Yale is infamous for it's low xfer rates... so I might do the other two as well. Thank you in advance!</p>
<p>**P.S, reason I applied to Columbia ED is free-tuition (parents employed by university). Is, "I was influenced by financial considerations in HS and made the mistake of not applying to yale, and although there is nothing wrong with my experience @ Columbia, I want to go to Yale" a legitimate reason? Thanks!</p>
<p>haha thanks... but I really don't think it's a shoot-in, or even close.
I have published research, Model UN awards from Princeton, harvard, yale, bostonU/mit conferences, and debate awards but frmo what I gathered so far, these don't really matter for transfers.</p>
<p>i would say that you're a shoo in, but you may want to work on the essay. you have to be a little more specific about why yale interests you. my sister goes there and loves it by the way. what are you interested in? maybe i can tell you a specific prograk to talk about if you guys are into similar things. i think you can say you were influenced by financial reasons out of high school, but then you need a better reason as to why yale is more right for you. you can just say, i have a feeling. thats too vauge. but you can think of something good to write about, you have a great shot.</p>
<p>ummm - take the free tuition. Duh. Yale isn't worth even $5,000 debt over Columbia, especially since you love columbia. </p>
<p>if cost isn't an issue, stay at columbia and take the $150,000 that would have been used for Yale and invest that money in bonds, stocks, savings, real estate. Even a Wharton grad would tell you that.</p>
<p>stay at Columbia! Gomestar is exactly right. Also according to The Princeton Review Columbia received a high admissions rating (99) than Yale (96). Same with the academic rating. For academics, Yale got 95 where as Columbia got a 96. Yale is a big name but it's not like Columbia isn't.</p>
<p>but just to clarify-- i don't want to transfer because I perceive Yale as more prestigious because it's not, at least to me. It's more of the suburban location, achitecture, and some other intangible factors that want to make me at least apply. I don't know. I came to the same conclusion last year gomestar, that I wouldn't even go if accepted given the $$ issue. But then again... part of me wonders...</p>
<p>take it from a kid who's about to graduate this December. I feel sooo utterly lucky to have $0 in loans, I'm wondering how some of my friends are going to make it starting off $80,000 in the hole. Think about it, I could put down nearly 20% on a $500,000 home before my friends can even start saving (obviously they'll do smaller loan payments over more years so they can start saving -- yet still they'll be out like $300,000 by the time interest takes over). </p>
<p>You, truazn, are one lucky SOB - there are thousands upon thousands of people who would do anything to have your spot at Columbia. You have a spot, and you don't have to pay a dime for it. </p>
<p>F' the suburban location (because Harvard and Wharton are suburban?), F' the "architecture" reason. If I were you, I would consider Yale ONLY if you received a full ride worth of aid. </p>
<p>I know you're "wondering" and everything (it's natural), but think with your head. Milk that free tuition for all that it's worth...</p>
<p>Sigh. From your many posts on the Columbia board, I'm afraid this was predictable. No college on your list actually is suburban, and Wharton is an entirely different animal (Are you absolutely sure you want finance? Even if you do, NYC offers many chances for internships during the school year, and Columbia certainly is connected on Wall Street.) Here is what I think is going on:</p>
<p>You don't feel as if the decision to go to Columbia really was yours. And, there is the smidgin of additional prestige in your mind associated with Harvard, Yale and Wharton.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, neither of those reasons will impress admissions looking at transfer apps. I'm not saying you shouldn't go for it. I think you will probably not be happy until you try your shot and see what other choices you have besides Columbia. But you do need to give them a reason that has to do with what their institutions offer you that Columbia does not. If you get in, you can look at the finances and have that discussion with your parents.</p>
<p>SAC--- Hm after what you wrote I've decided not to even bother with the Harvard and Wharton app transfer. I realize that if I did apply... I would be applying for the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>SAC you're also right in another regard, but I'll tell you the real reason why I feel like I need to apply to yale. I attended an extremely competitive, top-tier magnet HS (we had 13 Columbia and 10 Princeton acceptances). Though my stats are/were high, I was surrounded by USAMO'ers and a couple of IMO'ers and UScHO silver medalist and a lot of brilliant math team people. While I'm intelligent and technically at least in the top 10% of my magnet HS and had great standardized test scores, I wasnt a genius like those kids. So I kinda bought into the hype and took it for granted that every HYP applicant was going to be similar to those kids and that I had no shot. (this is where I regret going to a magnet HS and feelng inferior--- whereas my local HS friends were ballsy and applied to HYP and got in even though compared to the kids at my high school, it wudve seemed like they had no shot). And given last year that Columbia was actually HARDER to get in statistically than those other schools, I really wanted to hedge my bets and make sure I don't screw myself and not only not get into Yale, but also lose full tuition at Columbia. This is why I applied Columbia ED. I was fine with it- it was probably the "smart decision". Until, those kids at my high school, whom rightly or wrongly I initially regarded as "wow- i cant even believe he's applying to Yale when all those IMO'ers are applying" got their acceptances from Yale. I guess in the end, I regret limiting my choices and underestimating my chances @ HYP and Columbia RD. I hope I don't sound arrogant by saying this, by I was under the impression that my stats were regarded as "typical" for the average HYPC applicant. It wasn't until later, after acceptance threads started going, that I realized that my scores/GPA were in the top 25% of all of those schools and that I had a real shot at Yale (which I really do love btw). Anyway... I think I'll just apply to Yale to get some closure~ I'm actually looking forward to a rejection letter. </p>
<p>Besides, who needs Yale when I'm pulling a 4.0 @ Columbia? =P haha jkjK~</p>
<p>Look, I can only tell you that the farther away you get from high school, the less important it is who got into what college. What is important is how much you make of the opportunities at the college you are at. So, whatever you decide to do in terms of transfer applications, I'd only advise you not to do it at the expense of finding your niche at Columbia and taking advantage of everything it has to offer you. </p>
<p>There is some sense of embarrassment you seem to have to be at Columbia instead of HYP, a sense that you could have been a contender... to quote a movie that came out way before your time. Of course your stats gave you a shot at Yale and other colleges besides Columbia. I can only assure you from the advantage of age and distance that there are plenty of brilliant students at Columbia -- not only kids who could have gotten into the colleges you mention but kids who did get into some of them but chose Columbia instead. Away from the hothouse of competitive Northeast high schools, people really don't memorize the standings in USNWR. More importantly, Columbia will get you to any goal you have in mind if you continue to do well and, depending on what that goal is, seek out internships, relationships with professors, or research opportunities. Not to mention making friends and having some fun. </p>
<p>If you want to be at Yale instead, I suggest you come up with a reason to be at Yale that is much more specific than that you love it or that you feel you belong there because your stats are just as good as the stats of some of those students you know who got in. Of course they are, but stats just get you considered, not admitted. As you try to figure out why you would prefer to be at Yale versus being at Columbia, I suggest you remember that you are not competing with those IMO kids at your high school anymore. Yale is not the gold ring, versus Columbia being the silver or the brass. </p>
<p>Again, I'm not saying you shouldn't apply to Yale. But I do think you should figure out why you are applying in positive terms -- what only Yale has to offer you, what you have to offer Yale. I wish you good luck. In the meantime, I hope that you find ways to get involved at Columbia that make you happier to be there, either for the rest of the year or the rest of your undergrad career.</p>
<p>Listen to Gomestar. Frankly, your reasons for wanting to transfer are capricious and stupid. Do you understand how far ahead of the game you are? ZERO debt and a Columbia degree?</p>
<p>Gosh, you know Columbia is just such an inferior school to Yale, it's almost absurd how much of a difference there is between them...someone who gets a 3.9 at Columbia will get ABSOLUTELY NONE of the same opportunities than someone at Yale, simply because Yale is SUCH A BETTER SCHOOL than Columbia it's almost ridiculous, the debt will always be worth it because there are simply no better schools than harvard and yale, and who cares how the schools actually are because YOU WILL HAVE A DEGREE THAT SAYS YALE ON IT and everyone knows that everything in life will be perfect if you to go to the most prestigious school you can possibly get into, even if you hate it. There is nothing better than being able to tell people you go to Yale, period. Columbia doesn't even compare.</p>
<p>Stop attacking the kid people. Who cares if he/she wants to apply? what is the harm in that really?</p>
<p>Go for it and apply. You shouldnt ask yourself if you should apply, its too early to question anything. Once the decision comes in then you can wonder about what to do . Hell if you get rejected there is nothing to talk about, if you never apply you will always wonder if you would get in and if you get in then you will decide when all the cards are out on the table.</p>
<p>hey truazn...where did you go to high school? was it philips academy andover?? my brother is currently applying to a boarding school...seems like yours is great...whats it called?</p>
<p>this kid went to stuyvesant
truazn..with all your rants on the columbia threads just a few months ago, this was not expected
it seems like you're in this for the designer school
you want to be in a suburban environment? to be honest, no one goes to yale because they love the town of new haven. and anyone there will tell you that. its a piece of you know what.
and columbia, at least in my opinion, is definitely located in one of the more peaceful, quieter sides of nyc...the upper upper west side...there really isn't much
i think you need to go over your reasons for transferring very carefully, because no one is a shoo in at yale.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I don't even know where to start. First of all, as others have said, Haravrd doesn't take transfers.</p>
<p>Now, I understand if you feel like you belong at Yale, so you want to apply. But then, how does Wharton factor into this? Sounds like you're just trying to get out of Columbia, which you love and have free tuition to. I don't understand. Why the hell? You have such a great thing going for you, I don't think you're appreciating it enough.</p>
<p>That being said, probably a fair shot at Wharton, if you can demonstrate interest and experience in business.</p>