I’m going into sophomore year at University of Iowa and am a double major in history and criminal justice. I have a 4.0 and participate in 5 clubs and volunteer almost every weekend. My GPA in high school was horrible due to issues relating to mental illness so as a result I had a 2.7 (but from a very competitive school with rigorous). If I maintain a 4.0 sophomore year is it possible that I will get in as a transfer? I am a legacy and my grandfather founded one of the math departments (if that changes anything).
@BAT1234, I think you will have to have a compelling explanation of why you can’t meet your academic needs at your current school.
Yale used to have this phrase on their transfer website, but must have taken it down.
IMHO, that phrase speaks very clearly to any student seeking to transfer to Yale. What does Yale offer you that you CANNOT get at your current university or any other college? If you can answer THAT question with insight and clarity then you’re halfway there. (Keep in mind that Yale does not offer an undergraduate degree or a major in criminal justice or any law related field, so you could not continue with your double major.)
Your high school GPA is another matter. Most successful transfer applicants have a 3.8+ GPA in college, and the same in HS. So I would imagine you would have to have a psychiatrist document your mental health issue, and your prescribed treatment. Secondly, I would think you would need to address the issue yourself, what you’ve learned from it, and assure the administration that it won’t be an issue in the future should you be allowed to transfer. Again, all of that is going to be a tall order.
Bottom line: Even if you maintain a 4.0 sophomore year, I honestly don’t see it happening for you even with your legacy status (sorry).
in reference to mental illness i have been on medication since i was a child but have learned to overcome obstacles better this past year ( with all the documentation needed) and got a 3.7 last semester. I want to go to yale because it provides a better general political science program iowas sucks and i want to switch criminology for Political science)
That’s not enough! Many other colleges (Harvard, Stanford, Williams, Georgetown, GW, Dartmouth, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, Columbia, Pomona etc) might have a better general political science program than the University of Iowa, so why not transfer to one of them instead of Yale? Keep in mind the quote from post #2
So, what does Yale offer you that those other schools do not? That’s the key you need to find.
that’s true. do you think i have a shot at a school like brown or Harvard or Georgetown?
^^ Harvard only admits about 12 transfer students per year from about 1500 transfer application – an acceptance rate of LESS than 1%. In truth, Yale is not much higher. I would think it might be slightly better at Brown or Georgetown, but definitely better at GW, which has a noted poli-sci program: https://politicalscience.columbian.gwu.edu/undergraduate-program
I wouldn’t be as discouraging as others have been. You should know it’s a very long shot, but there’s no reason not to try. However, I suspect–SUSPECT, I don’t know, but suspect–that Yale wouldn’t give you credit for some of those CJ courses, so it might take you extra time to graduate.