Transfering

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello, I'm a Sophomore Physics major looking to transfer to someplace better than where I am now (Roberts Wesleyan College, a liberal arts college in Rochester, NY, with about 1500) for the Spring or Fall 07 semesters.</p>

<p>I'm wanting to transfer because I want to pursue a PhD after I'm done and I'm worred that going to a small college will hurt my resume; the fact that the class selection hear is very lacking also adds in to this.</p>

<p>In any case, I slacked off majorly in HighSchool, accumlating a 2.low GPA. My SATs were 1220, but this was a year+ after my sat preparation course and I didn't study a lick for it.</p>

<p>I'm serious about my academics now, and I haven't gotten lower than a B+ in any of my math-science courses, but my cumulative GPA is 3.33 due to a couple low grades in my Gen Eds. </p>

<p>I have the potential to make my GPA much better this semester, because I have 18 credits of math and science, and I am very serious about doing well this semester. I'm hoping to get at 3.8-3.9 GPA this semester and push my cumulative up to the 3.5 to 3.6 range. I also was planning on doing some community service to get rid of my chapels if that helps my application at all.</p>

<p>Some places I've been looking at (some of these aren't realistic, I know):</p>

<p>Penn-State
University of Rochester (if I have a monster semester)
University of Chicago (not at all realistic, I know)</p>

<p>I was also going to look into places that would accept a 3.5-3.6 GPA with my credentials with a good reputation in physics and mathematics.</p>

<p>In anycase, I had the following questions</p>

<p>a) What are my chances at the aforementioned universities?
b) What are some other places I should consider applying?
c) When should I start working on applying to these locations and is there any way I might be able to get there in Spring of 07 instead of the beginning of my junior year?</p>

<p>Thanks for your time,</p>

<p>Ben</p>

2

<p>a) </p>

<p>PSU.....Match
URochester.....Reach
UChicago.....Reach</p>

<p>b)</p>

<p>You might want to look at UTexas-Austin, UMaryland-College Park, UDenver, Syracuse, Ohio State, IU-Bloomington, Virginia Tech, UOregon, UKansas. They do not look at HS grades if you have already earned 24-30 semester credits.</p>

<p>c) Right now. The application deadlines are in October and November for the Spring 2007 semester, if they take spring transfers.</p>

<p>Good Luck.</p>

3

<p>Alright thanks, by the way, if I apply for a spring semester and am told I'd have to do a branch campus for spring (Penn-State doesn't accept transfers to University Park untill junior year I heard), and then apply again for Fall 07, does that hurt or help me in any way?</p>

4

<p>I would suggest stay put and concentrate on classes, since attending a branch campus would still involve meeting new people and making new connections. You'll do that again if you go to PSU later...just seems like it would be harder to build up ECs and grades by moving.</p>

<p>Just a thought. IMHO, I wouldn't do it because it (moving to a branch campus) does not necessarily make you a stronger candidate (unless you are miserable at your current school), as you'll have to apply to be a junior at PSU anyway.</p>

<p>Hang in there.</p>

5

<p>I wasn't implying that I would go to a branch campus. I meant if I apply for UPark and get turned down because of the rule, and then turn down the branch campus, and then apply again for Fall 07, does that hurt me?</p>

6

<p>No, it does not hurt you to turn down an offer of admissions.</p>