Transfering into the Elites from UVA

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm currently a freshman at UVA. While its certainly a decent school in its own right I'd like better/more prestigious. </p>

<p>School I'm considering:
Dartmouth
Penn (Wharton)
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
MIT
Columbia </p>

<p>HS Stats:
3.9UW GPA taking virtually the more difficult course load possible at a private competitive HS. </p>

<p>Tests
ACT: 33, SAT 2200(Math 770, CR 730, Writing 700)
SAT II's: Math (750), US History (770), Physics(800)
AP: US History (5), Calc BC (5), Micro Econ (5), Macro Econ (4), Physics C (4), ENGL lit (4), Chem. (3) </p>

<p>The 33 Act and 2200 SAT I got without any studying and with only taking each test once so when this time around when I actually do study and take the tests multiple times if necessary I think expecting a 2300-2350 SAT and 34-35 ACT is fairly reasonable. I could also prob raise the Math SAT II to an 800 if I retook it. </p>

<p>Current Classes:
STAT 212
ECON 202 (Macro)
300 level American Lit class
200 level writing class
Span 201 </p>

<p>Getting a 4.0 this semester should not be a problem. At worst I'd imagine 1-2 A-'s but I don't think that is going to happen. </p>

<p>College EC's:
-Wrote a business plan and helped secure donations for a health clinic in Africa
-Club Ski Racing
-Member of my school's invest club which has 500k AUM
-Will get involved in voltunteer work within the next couple of weeks
-Involved in some math/business based research project. I'm just waiting to hear what is avalible. Will be working very close with a professor, so I'll have at least 1 very solid letter of recomendation assuming everythign goes well.
-I started an currently manage an online retail operation </p>

<p>I realize that all the schools I listed above are extraordinarily difficult to transfer into. If, however, I pull off the 4.0 this semester, raise the test scores, follow through with the EC's, and write convincing application essays do I have a shot? I not what can I do between now and March to improve my chances?</p>

2

<p>You do have a shot. Not at Harvard though... they aren't taking any more transfer students (for some indefinite period of time). You SAT scores are probably fine, as is. I don't think you need to retake them unless you really feel like going through it again. </p>

<p>It's impossible to give you more specific chances other than, "you have a shot". Due to such a low acceptance rate, their admissions are pretty arbitrary with transfer students after a certain point. </p>

<p>My suggestion: make sure your application remains focused. Really sell them on one or two (or maybe three) things... don't accrue a laundry list of ECs that are meaningless. Also, get recs by people that truly know you, even if that means getting ones from non-professors. I got into Yale as a transfer student with -both- my recs coming from grad student TAs.</p>

3

<p>What were your other stats/ EC's like</p>