Transferring after Freshman year

<p>I just finished freshman year at GWU, and I’d really like to transfer to Brown; they just have more of what I want.
I read this on Brown’s website:</p>

<p>*Transfer students may enter Brown in either the first (September) or second (January) semester. Candidates for entry in either semester should submit their completed applications and the $70 application fee no later than March 1 . We also request that applicants not send their forms before January 15, due to the volume of mail received from first-year applicants. Although you may indicate on Form I of the application a preferred date of entry, it will not always be possible for the Board of Admission to grant admission for the semester you have designated.
The Board of Admission’s decision on your application will be sent in mid-May. *</p>

<p>If I can’t send my application before January, is my only option in transferring as a junior in the first or second semester? Could I apply this coming Fall for a transfer second semester of sophomore year?</p>

<p>I know this isn’t a helpful answer, but I was just wondering what about GWU has turned you off to it. I am considering both schools.</p>

<p>I like GWU a lot, it’s just that Brown has a lot more for my major…and my major isn’t really one of the “big” ones at GWU like IR or politics - being four blocks (Just four, count them!) from the White House has a lot to do with that. I’m not really turned off by GWU.</p>

<p>One thing though - everyone here sees GWU as a stepping stone for Law (which I’d like to do), or politics. They don’t really want to ‘go to college’, they want to ‘use college’, which just doesn’t seem like a healthy outlook for four years. This certainly doesn’t * actually * describe everyone here, but I feel like the percentage of students that want to live in the libraries and talk to professors only for recs later would be much, much smaller at Brown.</p>

<p>Brown just has more of what I want, and I’m realizing that in retrospect.</p>

<p>Ok. I see the loophole there. I think you should call them or email them and find out. That is weird. I would think you could apply as a second-semester sophomore.</p>

<p>Yeah, the first time I read it, I sort of sat up and rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t being silly or something. I’ll definitely call.</p>

<p>Could any current Brown students weigh in? Anyone else that has transferred?</p>

<p>I don’t think you can do it. I’m pretty sure to transfer as a second semester sophomore you’d have to be accepted in January of your freshman year for the second semester of sophomore year (as opposed to fall), and that we only do one round of transfer admissions each year (which occurs over that winter period) and we accept for first and second semester of the following year during that process.</p>

<p>That’s the way I read that.</p>

<p>Yeah I’m pretty sure we only have one cycle for transfer admissions in the Spring. Note, they said not to send it before January 15th, lest it get mixed in with the first-year admissions applications, not before. So you need to send in your application after Jan 15th 2010 and before March 1st 2010. </p>

<p>Note also:
“Because Brown requires degree candidates to complete a minimum of two years in residence and in full-time study, students with more than two years of college credit are discouraged from making transfer application.” </p>

<p>So they won’t accept you as second-semester Junior–only a first-semester Junior.</p>

<p>Thanks so much, melody and breathe!</p>

<p>I haven’t had an opportunity to call yet, but I suppose they’ll say just that. Definitely going to try.</p>

<p>does anyone know brown’s transfer acceptance rate?</p>

<p>That information can be found on the common data sets.</p>

<p>For schools that have capacity (like Brown), acceptance rates aren’t really something I think we need to worry about, because the decision won’t really depend on much but the strength of the candidate, (even though space available is different each year, and transfer admissions for Brown is need aware, as I have recently read).</p>

<p>For schools that have almost no capacity (like Stanford), acceptance rates only matter in that you know your admission will be unlikely if only because there’s almost no space, and so considerations could get arbitrary (to us) really fast.</p>

<p>I’m not as familiar with stuff that’s been written about transfer admissions as I should be, considering, but it seems to me that schools are either difficult for transfer based on candidate quality/institutional needs or ** SUPER ** difficult based on candidate quality/institutional needs and space.</p>

<p>I am a transfer to Brown, this is how it works: </p>

<p>You can apply at one given time: March 1st. You will be accepted for either Fall or Spring Admission (kind of like overflow). You do not indicate which you are applying for, although it is assumed that you woudl like Fall admision and they will ask you if you would accept Spring. The Fall class is larger than the Spring class. You will find out in May about rejection, Fall, or Spring. There is no Fall application for the spring. Right now your option is to apply Spring of your Sophomore year for Fall of your Junior year. </p>

<p>Things to know: </p>

<p>Brown’s acceptance rate fluctuates astromonically. In 2005-2006, 140 students matriculated. 2006-2007 it was around 20. 2007-2008 it went up to 90 again. </p>

<p>Brown is not need blind for transfers. If you have need, it is sgnificantly harder to get in. </p>

<p>Feel free to PM me</p>