I am an incoming freshman at a top 40 school. Its a school I really liked and I think I’ll enjoy my time there. The financial aid was great too, but I have really regretted not applying to some more selective schools for their aid. My parents made slightly more each year the last few years, so it will continue decreasing a bit each year. If I had applied to more generous meet need schools, I would likely get a full ride or pay only a few grand a year compared to $20k/year here. The cost here is doable, but even a few grand less would make a huge difference.
If I were to transfer, I’d want to do it after one year. However, there is only one semester of grades and ECs to go off of, so I’m confused as to how more selective schools differentiate applicants. Obviously GPA will matter a lot, and I’d probably have some basic clubs and a job for ECs by then, but its nothing “impressive.” If it matters, I had a really strong hs academic record and test scores. So my question is, how exactly are transfer applicants looked at with such little to go off of?