I am a current sophomore at UC Berkeley, where I am majoring in Chemical Biology (College of Chemistry) and minoring in Bioengineering. This may, however, change soon, as I intend to transfer to Columbia University next year. I began prepping for the application this August; I toured the school a second time, have begun talking to professors who, I believe, will provide awesome letters of recommendation, and developed a complete argument as to why I would want to go to Columbia more than anybody else. My fatal flaw, I should note, is my GPA. Not including this fall semester, I have a 3.0…Columbia has reiterated multiple times that “Potential transfers are expected to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall.” I guess what I am asking is: How low of a GPA would Columbia be willing to consider? While I feel that my resume includes rigorous courses at a well respected university, work experience, commitment to my extracurricular activities, and a strong community involvement, how far will that take me when I’m rocking a B average? I almost forgot to mention, my mom is an alumna (I naively decided not to apply early decision which, I am told coupled with legacy, would have helped my freshman admission chances immensely). Would this benefit fit me in any way the second time around?
“Potential transfers are expected to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall.” You answered your own question.
Just wanted to add, you might want to carefully examine why, exactly, you have a flat B average, and what you would or would not be able to do differently at another difficult school. You seem very blasé about it…
But can an expectation be interpreted as a minimum GPA requirement? If I don’t meet their expectations that would obviously be a detriment to my application, but would it outright exclude me from consideration? I’m obviously biased, but I feel a lower GPA with more rigorous classes makes me more qualified than a student who took less challenging coursework. Would Columbia even consider this distinction in their decision though?
Good point on what I would do differently in regard to my grades bodangles. This is one of the things I plan on discussing in my application. I can understand how I come across as blasé, as many have become indifferent with the curve in many classes at Berkeley. Based on my research, the average science major in Columbia College gets around a 3.0 as well (can anyone confirm or deny this?). This leads me to believe that Columbia and Berkeley curve science courses similarly. The caveat for me wanting to Columbia however, is the contact with faculty, as I feel this will make a difference in my ability to prepare and apply my knowledge. It is not uncommon for office hours at Berkeley to have 20-30 kids, so speaking to professors has become quite the luxury. At Columbia the faculty student ratio in the physical sciences is 3:1. I feel that would give me an advantage in that I could directly work with faculty in both academics and research (the next biggest reason I am trying to transfer) and tailor my education more to my needs rather than solely keeping up with the class and speaking with grad students. In addition, I work two jobs to help pay for the added cost of UC Berkeley. Since Columbia provides financial aid for transfers I believe this will put less pressure on me to work and allow me to focus more time on academics as well. Does this seem reasonable or am I grasping at straws on this one?
I don’t think there is a minimum GPA that they ask in order to “consider” your application, but it is true that they state several times on the admissions website that you should have a 3.5 in order to be a ‘competitive applicant’. I personally do not think they will automatically discard you based on your ‘low’ GPA, but they will obviously take that into consideration when evaluating your application.
You should probably try to do really really good this fall in order to increase your GPA to at least 3.3 or so. I don’t know how much the rigor of your classes makes that a possible achievement, but you should try if you really want to get in. If you can’t manage to increase your GPA at all, you should use one of the Columbia writing questions on the common app (I would go with 'what experiences attract you to the field of study…) to explain and justify such a GPA.
Anyways, I believe that what Columbia claims to be a HOLISTIC admission process really is one, and they do consider the applicant as a whole when making a decision. For example, I know people that got in with an SAT of 1880. So you shouldn’t worry about making a statistically perfect application. They really consider what impact you can make on campus and if you’re a good fit for Columbia I’m sure they’ll admit you.
Lastly, at this point, I don’t think your legacy counts that much. They will surely be pleased that you, as the son of a Columbia alumna, are considering following her path, but I wouldn’t see that as such a crucial factor as you seem to consider it especially because, as a matter of fact, you’re now a UC Berkeley student.
P.S. I am applying as a junior transfer too and I really hope that we can talk in person on campus next year!