<p>Hi,</p>
<p>How much does the school from which you transfered matter?</p>
<p>I want to go to CMU College of Sciences, but my GPA is not good enough to get accepted ( a 2.8). However, everything else us up to par (2280, AIME qualfier, ARML team, lots of awards in mathematics, hundreds of hours in MS research, music etc.). What are my chances of transferring into CMU if I attend a relatively unknown unversity (Evergreen State College, or Community College, or like Simon Fraser etc), given that my progress after 1-2 years is perfect and I further pursue my interst in mathematics and science outside of the university through community service?</p>
<p>Thanks,
nonemus</p>
<p>If you attend college for two years and do really well (3.9 to 4.0), then you have a pretty good shot. It sounds like you have some unique ECs and it looks like you just need the GPA to back it up. Once you have attend college for 2 years your high school grades are not really that important. However CMU is really competitive (college board says 9% transfer in), so you are going to need to do all you can in those two years to improve your chances. Lucky for you you have two years to prepare! I would start by taking classes challenging classes and by being involved on your campus. Also start thinking about your essays because that is the one thing that will really make you stasnd out. Good luck!</p>