<p>Look at these stats. Obviously stats are not everything, but they do show the general picture. Yale is an amazingly difficult transfer admit. Princeton doesnt even accept transfers. Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn are about all on par with their freshmen classes. Brown a little easier. Cornell is decidedly easier.</p>
<p>Amherst: 182/16/10
Berkeley (Out of State): 359/53/34
Brown: 796/193/116
Columbia (CC): 1037/88/61
Cornell: 2257/758/490
Yale: 767/30/23</p>
<p>Whoops, Dartmouth is statistically harder than freshmen transferring, but I personally know alot of people who got waitlisted or didnt get in the first time. I think these people show that they DID have something special and proved it through raising SATs, great college GPAs, good ECs in college, etc. Transferring is about showing determination. </p>
<p>UNC on the other hand is decidedly an easier admit and therfore a perfect safety. They dont have an out of state quota for transfers, making it MUCH easier. Transferring is about knowing which schools have which type of policy and taking advantage of it. Usually the more people stay (top LACs, Top Ivies) the harder it is to transfer. On the other hand for big schools (like UNC/ Cornell) it is often easier. Also, this depends on the yield. My year I believe 18% of Dartmouth transfers were accepted. Because so many freshman chose to attend the next year, it dropped to 10% the next year.</p>
<p>Dartmouth: 314/36/22
UNC-Chapel Hill: 2518/1212/829</p>
<p>I have a compelling story:-). It really just depends on how I employ it in the required documents. Of course, getting admitted into Yale is going to be difficult because of the sheer amount of applicants, however, that is not a school I am really focusing on. I am also applying for transfer to lower ranked schools, but at the same time, I do not see a harm in applying. My doubt is in whether I should blow 75$ on an application when there might be less than 0% chance of my getting accepted. Provided that I have at least 1% of a chance of getting in, I think 75$ is more than worth it. Hence, the question arises, what chances (at the very least) would I have of getting in, provided that I have a compelling story and a decent record?</p>
<p>It depends how compelling :)</p>
<p>Also, if you have standout college grades, that goes a long way to counterbalancing SAT scores for transfers. I guess my point is that Yale is a great place, but a lot of people make the HYP and then my state school mistake, ie there are a ton of amazing schools not HYP that are statistically easier admits for transfers.</p>
<p>Also, funny when i applied Brown was harder than Dartmouth and Columbia, and Harvard let in around 15% of transfers. Harvard scaled back so now its the hardest, followed by Dartmouth and Columbia tied, and Brown the easiest of the group.</p>
<p>slipper1234,</p>
<p>Might I contact you by some other means so I can discuss my reason with you? I do not prefer having this discussion in public.</p>
<p>sure. <a href="mailto:slipslide@alum.dartmouth.org">slipslide@alum.dartmouth.org</a></p>
<p>i'm going to apologize in advance for asking another question..i really hate to get up40love's panties in a bind again...</p>
<p>but how compelling of a story are we talking here? does anyone know any real examples? do i need to have survived a terrible tragedy against all odds or is it enough just to be in different circumstances than the average applicant?</p>
<p>If you feel that people who aren't involved in admissions are credible sources, by all means go ahead and make decisions based on what they say. Experiences may lay a rough foundation, but even those stories are anecdotal, and you're calling me an @$$hole for injecting some reality onto this board? </p>
<p>My post sought to address how ridiculous people take other people's opinions and accept them as fact when, in reality, this is nothing more than a forum for people to exchange ideas and information. </p>
<p>And really, how lazy can you be that you can't look something up?</p>
<p>I have an online acquaintance, Danielle, who transferred to Yale from Hunter College in New York with a 3.5. Obviously, she didn't fulfill your expectations of having a 4.0/1600/800/800/800 and having great ECs. What got her in? The essay.</p>
<p>Compelling is too subjective to define; Yale's essay seeks to determine why you need Yale, specifically, and how Yale can benefit from you. At minimum, you should address those issues. </p>
<p>I don't think you need to overcome some terrible tragedy, but you've got to someone demonstrate why they should take you over someone equally or more qualified.</p>
<p>40love - you were a jerk. so was I, but you were completely unjustified. perhaps you should spend more time giving useful advice like the bit you just said about Yale looking for the people who fit best instead of whining unreasonably - it's unbecoming.</p>
<p>like10,</p>
<p>In order for your statement to be "right," whatever that means, you have to conclude that providing advice is not only obligatory, but should by demanded by those too lazy to do their own research.</p>
<p>For you to say up40love was "whining unreasonably," whatever that means, would also suggest he was unjustly complaining about some duty that you, or anyone else, has imposed upon him. I mean, what constitutes reason/unreason anyway? What reason necessitates any effort on his part?</p>
<p>While I disagree with him on the point that seeking advice on chances for admission from non-official sources is precarious, I think there was nothing wrong with how he responded to efs's question. </p>
<p>To put it all in a nutshell, if someone bakes you a cake -- don't get angry beacause he didn't bother to put any icing on it for you. No one owes anyone anything here. I'm not obligated to give anyone advice, but it's my choice to. That's my two yen.</p>
<p>up40love's behavior was not objectionable. Though it was not cordial, I do not see why one should have an obligation to be nice to others.</p>
<p>Want compelling?</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing that. Anyone that wants to read a great example shouldn't pass this up.</p>
<p>So if I am a perpetual drug abuser and alcoholic-turned academic, I would have a compelling reason? The article itself is great because it demonstrates a massive hurdle that one had to to overcome, however, the article only discusses her background and "stats" (ie. SAT anc GPA), not why she wanted to go! Would a "compelling reason" not be one that explicates why someone would want to go to Yale?</p>
<p>Moreover, it states that she had applied to several schools besides Yale and thus does not specify her particular reason for picking Yale!</p>
<p>You're operating under the assumption that this article was about admission to Yale. Pay attention. It's about a Yale student and her story. Not: A Yale student and how she got in.</p>
<p>Neither did up40love say it was an article about admission, but only said it was compelling. It isn't directly about admission, but that doesn't mean you can't learn a lot from it.</p>
<p>It concerns me that you weren't able to piece that together yourself. From your own admission, you took away, "If I'm a drug addict, I can go to Yale." </p>
<p>I suggest that you do not apply to Yale. You would be wasting your time and money.</p>
<p>Considering the context in which the link was presented, I do not see that assumption as unwarranted.</p>
<p>Edit: Once again, I have a high degree of respect for her plight; please do not misunderstand me on that matter.</p>
<p>"Compelling" and "desire for Yale" are two distinct subjects. Up40love made that distinction in his previous post. If you had put that in context, you would have realized it is possible for him to address one issue and not the other.</p>