transferring out of NYU..chances at LACs?

<p>Heyy I honestly never thought I would do one of these haha but I'm getting really nervous and its just too tempting! soo here it goes.</p>

<p>I'm applying to: My two absolute dream schools are Bowdoin and Amherst. I'm also applying Brown (super reach, i know), Middlebury and Kenyon </p>

<p>Hispanic Female
Current University: NYU
College GPA: 3.8 (3 As, 1 B+)
History major, Spanish minor with Pre-law concentration
Rock Solid recommendations from profs, VERY well connected with administration, know my dean on a personal level</p>

<p>High School Stats:
HS GPA: 4.23 weighted
-6 APs, got mosty 4 & 5s on the tests
SATs blow: 1860 (690 W, 650 W, 500 M)
SAT IIs: 780 US Hist, 600 Lit</p>

<p>ECs:
College
-Intern Greenwich Village Historical Society
-Junior Editor for NYU's Undergraduate Historical Journal
-Active Member in NYU Minority Pre-Law Association
-College Democrats & Informed Democracy
-Earth Matters (environmental club)
High School (the important ones):
-President of the Political Awareness Club
-Volunteer for NJ Historical Society
-Co President of Club Council
-Active Member in Environmental Club
-Varsity Lacrosse Player/Captain
-Head Coach for 5/6 Grade Lacrosse</p>

<p>I also currently work 12 hrs/week as an administrative assistant for a prominent publishing company and held 2 jobs in high school (not simultaneously though)</p>

<p>sooo yeah, chances at any of the schools I listed? esp amherst & bowdoin?</p>

<p>id say you have good shot at all schools except for brown ...although brown isnt not out of the question, as a sophmore applicant your sat's will have some weight in your application and will hurt your chances there...but you should be pretty competitive for amherst and bowdoin</p>

<p>Duffle I must disagree with your post. For transfers, those LACs are just as difficult to get into as Brown.</p>

<p>Just so you understand the competitiveness of those particular LACs.</p>

<p>Bowdoin:
"Due to our high retention rate, Bowdoin is only able to admit a small percentage of those students seeking to transfer. We generally receive between 150-200 transfer applications and admit between 5-20 candidates. We offer a fall transfer program only, no mid-year admission."
FAQ</a> Transfer Students (Bowdoin Admissions)</p>

<p>Amherst:
Transfer Applications Received: Fall 2007 [276] Male [140] Female [136]
Transfer Applications Accepted: Fall 2007 [18] Male [11] Female [7]
Percentage Accepted: Fall 2007 [6.52%] Male [7.85%] Female [5.14%]
Transfer</a> Profile</p>

<p>Middlebury:
"Middlebury College enrolls up to 25 transfer students in September"
<a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/NR/rdonlyres/7390463D-216C-4CA6-9573-7F87CFAB1820/0/Transfer_Application.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.middlebury.edu/NR/rdonlyres/7390463D-216C-4CA6-9573-7F87CFAB1820/0/Transfer_Application.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The acceptance rate for transfer at those particular LACs are daunting. Brown on the other hand, had the following transfer profile for 2007.</p>

<p>Brown:
Transfer Applications Received: Fall 2007 [1,004] Male [425] Female [579]
Transfer Applications Accepted: Fall 2007 [90] Male [46] Female [44]
Percentage Accepted: Fall 2007 [8.96%] Male [10.82%] Female [7.59%]
Transfer</a> Profile</p>

<p>As you can see the LACs are VERY competitive for transfer. With around 20 spots, and 6-8% acceptance rate, schools like Amherst may be harder to transfer into than Brown.</p>

<p>I personally think your chances are equal everywhere. Brown is not a "super reach" in comparison to those other schools. Honestly, it's just as difficult (if not harder) to get into those LACs, for transfer, as it is to get into Brown.</p>

<p>Good Luck.</p>

<p>You'll get into Kenyon. Your numbers are good enough to make it worth applying to the others, but the acceptance rates are simply so low that no one can predict how you will do. Realize also that financial aid at Brown is supposedly very poor for transfers, whereas at the LACs it should be pretty good. </p>

<p>If you're set on leaving NYU, you should add a school or two besides Kenyon because transferring to Kenyon is, in my opinion, a step down. The others would be a significant step up, but there are slightly less competitive LACs/small colleges where you would have a better shot.</p>

<p>Kenyon has a gorgeous campus, but it is small and isolated in Ohio farming country which might be too much of a culture shock for one transferring from NYU. Bowdoin, Amherst & Middlebury also would be a substantial change from NYC but not culture shock. When assessing transfer chances, it is important to consider both your reasons for leaving one school & your reasons for wanting to attend another. Whether or not you are seeking financial aid may be a more significant factor for transfers than for freshman admits. Are you willing to share why you want to leave NYU & why these schools are your preferred choices? Where did you apply last year? Were you admitted to any of these schools as a freshman? What was your SAT I CR score? (690 or 650?) You might have a better chance at schools outside of the Northeastern US.</p>

<p>Yes, please tell us about your reasons for transferring.</p>

<p>Your SATs will definitely hurt.</p>

<p>looks like i stand corrected...perhaps put in another year so as to minimize the importance of your sat's</p>

<p>sure..well i'm transferring out because it is WAY too big for me. I've come to realize that I am simply not a city person whatsoever. I went to NYU because I got a full ride and had good connections there, but I was never really too excited about the city. I live in NJ really close to nyc and it was just never that appealing to me. However, I decided to give it a chance because well, it was free and the best school I got into. </p>

<p>When I got there I realized that the school is huge, the administration doesn't care about students, my classes are not stimulating in any way (the academics in my opinion are beyond overrated), it is very impersonal and emotionally isolating. I'm very sociable but it's sooo hard to make friends here. Plus, I just feel like I want to be part of a cohesive, unified community. I adore the tight knit atmosphere at LACs, and actually really like rural locations and don't think I'll be too culture shocked by it.</p>

<p>I know that some of the schools are considered a "step down" but I'm never going to base my decision reputation and "brand name" ever again. I chose those schools because they seem like places where I would really fit in, and they are also intellectually stimulating and I like their academic curriculum. I don't think they are a downgrade in any way shape or form.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, I know my SATs suck so I'm trying to chose schools that don't place emphasis on scores (Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Amherst don't require SATs for transfers) and that desperately need minorities haha. I don't need financial aid either, which I hope will help. </p>

<p>Maybe I should throw in some more urban schools but I can't think of any LACs or mid-sized schools in small cities (besides Brown) Suggestions?</p>

<p>Depends upon your intended major course of study, which appear to be a pre-law track with a major in history & a Spanish minor (which is perfect for writing intensive LACs). Dartmouth College, but it is a significant reach for any transfer applicant. None of the schools which you listed are a step down unless you are in the Tisch School or Stern at NYU. My perception is that Amherst & Bowdoin are as elite as the Ivies, and that Middlebury College offers an exceptional community and tremendous prestige.</p>

<p>do you have any suggestions? I'm having a hard time making up my list :/</p>

<p>What about Tufts, Skidmore, Williams, Brandeis, and Swarthmore? Those are all great schools that you could look into. I think you have a great shot, but obviously it is impossible to tell since lac's admit so little transfers. Do you think at NYU there are any schools that actually have a small community? (Such as Tisch or Gallatin?) Also, how hard would you say it is to get into classes that are already filled? Sorry NYU didn't work out for you- I wish you the best with your transfer process!</p>

<p>Totally feel you on NYU. I think its a terrible college experience, I have met more unhappy NYU students than any place else. </p>

<p>The reality is that transferring into a top LAC or Ivy is very difficult. You should apply but it will be tough. I recommend adding some smaller non-Ivy universities - Rice, WashU, Northwestern, Emory, and Vanderbilt. All of these are much more transfer friendly. You might apply to UNC-CH as a backup. They don;t have stringent out of state quotas on transfers and its a great college experience. I think you'll get in.</p>

<p>And my apologies for the shameless plugging of my school, but if you are looking for "NYUish" students in an LAC setting, Wesleyan fits the bill pretty well. The acceptance here is usually around 20% for transfers and I feel like you'd have a pretty good shot.</p>

<p>hey guys, thank you sooo much for all of your help! After reading your posts, I decided to look outside of my comfort zone (the northeast), so I'm applying to good schools out west that are equally as good but easier to get into.</p>

<p>right now my list is: Claremont McKenna, Pamona, Macalester, Colorado College, Amherst. </p>

<p>After a lot, a lot of research I LOVE these schools so thank you guys so so much for your help and suggestions. I think I have a decent chance at these ones!</p>

<p>Post #13 is an accurate & insightful post which prompted the thought that Vassar College might also be an interesting choice for the OP to consider.</p>

<p>As for the shameless plugging of my (old) school, Oberlin would fit that criterion as well...</p>

<p>will everyone chance me for my new list of schools?</p>

<p>-Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Scripps, Colorado College, Brown, Amherst. </p>

<p>(I nixed Bowdoin after I realized that they pay little attention to transfers and don't even provide them with housing the rest of the 3 years..the application wasn't even worth my time after I heard that). </p>

<p>Thanks so much!!!</p>

<p>ah yeah I can't believe Bowdoin doesn't guarantee housing for the ~10-12 transfers that actually matriculate each year. </p>

<p>My estimation of your chances hasn't changed for CMC, Pomona, Brown, or Amherst. They will extremely difficult for anyone, but you've got a good GPA at NYU (a good school) so it's worth the app. I think you should get into Scripps and Colorado College.</p>

<p>You said you want out of the city... an acquaintance of mine speaks highly of Univ of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Absolutely gorgeous setting near Seattle. He says everyone's friendly, lots of opportunities to get out into the surrounding mountains, kayaking in the bay, and river canoeing trips are big. He also says the faculty and admin bend over backwards to help the students. The acceptance rate into med and law schools is very good, well over 50%.</p>

<p>Are finances a concern? Is your full-ride need-based or merit based?</p>