Transferring to UPenn

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am currently a sophomore at Northwestern interested in pursuing medicine, dentistry or a PhD/MD. </p>

<p>Academics: (Please note that NU is on the quarter system not the semester system)</p>

<p>I currently have a 4.0 cGPA, including the grades from fall quarter of my sophomore year. In my Freshman year I completed the following courses:</p>

<p>Gen. Chemistry sequence (3 quarters with lab), College Physics (3 quarters with lab), Calc I & 2, two Freshman Writing Seminars & a biology course (concepts of biology).</p>

<p>My final essays for both seminars were nominated for awards. Didn't win on both occasions. </p>

<p>In the fall quarter of Sophomore year I completed the following courses:</p>

<p>Organic Chemistry with lab, Genetics and Evolutionary Biology (1st of a three course sequence), Persian and an environmental science course (energy & the environment)</p>

<p>I plan on completing both Orgo and Bio sequences in the winter and spring quarters. Additionally I will take two Stats course, Calc III and a course called Introduction to Energy Systems in the 21st Century. </p>

<p>I am on a full ride (need based). In my Freshman year $35,000 of this aid was replaced with a merit based scholarship (by some benefactor) due to my grades.</p>

<p>I went to high school in Pakistan (I'm a US permanent resident), and the British System is used there. We didn't have a GPA only letter grades (no + or -). If I remember correctly I had around 62 As and 8 Bs on my HS transcript. We were tested twice a year and kept the same subjects year long. 10 subjects for the first two years and 5 for the last two.</p>

<p>SAT I - 2170 (M: 740 W: 720 R: 710)
SAt II - 2300 ( Bio M: 760 Chem: 770 Math II: 770)</p>

<p>Activities: </p>

<p>-Freshman Year:</p>

<p>Work Study Job with the YMCA Project Soar. Mentored a 10 year old boy from an underprivileged family. Met him once a week for six hours.
Worked with my Physics Professor as his assistant. He is the head on undergrad physics labs at NU. I helped him design and test experiments to be part of the curriculum in the future. </p>

<p>-Sophomore Year:</p>

<p>Year long post as a paid research assistant in a Chemistry Research Lab at NU. Research focuses on alternative energy applications and other environmental issues.
Year long post as a Gen Chem facilitator with and organization known as Gateway Science Workshops. This is an initiative that provides undergrads taking science courses with the chance to have a group learning session led by undergrads who have previously performed well in those courses.
Still help out with Project Soar as a volunteer.
Did 35 hours of dental shadowing - (15 in Michigan, 20 in Pakistan)</p>

<p>High School:</p>

<p>School swimming and Basketball team (starting five), Chess Society president for 3 years, 1st or 2nd in numerous internal and external chess competitions, Editor for 2 years for school publications, VP of Quiz Society. bunch of volunteer/social work (Flood relief, tree plantation, shelter & orphanage) </p>

<p>Reasons for transferring:</p>

<p>Always planned on either doing a year study abroad or transferring after my second year. Can't do the former due to premed/major/distribution requirements. I'm pretty restless and need new challenges. Academically not challenged at NU. Quarter system isn't good for science courses. 10 weeks for a course that covers both genetics and evolution for instance. Professors often skip chapters they are supposed to cover or just skim over them. Semester system and adapting to it will pose new challenges and offer more comprehensive science courses (which I'm passionate about). It'll be interesting adapting to a new environment, and meeting new people. That's just the type of person I am. I enjoy change. One of four Pakistani FOBs in the entire university. Most other universities offer a stronger Pakistani community which is always nice to have. </p>

<p>Specific reasons:</p>

<p>UPenn: Two of my good friends go there. I visit them each break (can only fly back to Pakistan once a year due to cost). Love the campus. My gf goes to Bryn Mawr which is right next to Penn. Penn Med School favors Penn Undergrads and is on top of my list along with Harvard Med</p>

<p>Are my reasons good enough? I apologize if they seem obnoxious or stupid. However, those are the reasons I will put down since I don't believe in lying to improve my chances. Based on your advice I might omit some of the stupider ones. Of course, I will do some research into Chem/Bio/Premed at Penn.</p>

<p>Thank you for taking out your time to read this. I look forward to hearing your advice/feedback/criticism.</p>

2

<p>4.0 at Northwestern is pretty impressive.</p>

<p>The main key to transfers is having the GPA, having involvement, and test scores. Once you pass those prerequisites, like many other aspiring transfers will do, they care a lot about WHY are you transferring.</p>

<p>They don’t have many spots for transfers and they want to offer spots to those who will make a significant change and those who aren’t just reapplying to all of the ivies because they got denied from all of them when applying to colleges (sometimes NWstern is known at the ivy league reject school.)</p>

<p>Best of luck. Honestly that is the best you are going to get here. You have everything, now write a good essay “Why” and that’s all you can do. It will be competitive.</p>

3

<p>Just to add something… this sounds bad but I believe what works best is for you to demonstrate why Northwestern cannot supply the resources or whatever for you to reach your true potential. This is what your essay should be about in my opinion. You have a 4.0, you want to be challenged at Penn, and you want research opportunities at the Penn med school that Northwestern just does not do because of their med school being so far away from the undergraduate campus (I think?)</p>

<p>You need to show why you have “out grown” your old school without sounding arrogant and then why Penn will be a good fit.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for your responses. </p>

<p>I guess I’m trying to gauge if my reasons are good enough. I don’t have that one solid reason most succesful applicants have. Penn isn’t nor has ever been my ‘dream school’. I didn’t apply there as a HS senior. I don’t dislike the social scene at NU. I’m not chasing after the Ivy brand. The only reason I’m going to end up applying primarily to Ivy/Ivy equivalent universities is because my ultimate goal is to get into a good Med School and/or PHD-MD program and I want to graduate from a university with good placement rates. There’s no specific program or Major that I’m interested in which is offered at other Universities but not at NU. </p>

<p>Sure I want a school where I can be challenged academically on a similar or preferably higher level than Northwestern. But primarily I just want change, and a new challenge. I guess my ‘Why?’ essay should cover what I want that new challenge to be (medicinal research, instead of environmental?’) and the change the University offers (semester system, new city). Most people I’ve talked to have told me that this reason alone isn’t good enough which is why I’m a bit worried about my chances.</p>

<p>Another thing I’m concerned about is the lack of ‘involvement’ I’ve had on campus. My idea of contributing, is not joining undergrad societies formed and run by people, most of whom are just looking to bulk up their C.Vs. In High School I used to be much more involved, but that hunger has died out in college to a good degree. I’m not a part of even a single club on campus. So on paper I come across as a complete bookworm which really isn’t the case. I actually have more free time than I did in high school which I spend having a good time/contributing to the community in my own way. For instance I help my friends who’re really involved with putting up flyers for their events, etc. I know that a lot of perfect stat people are rejected from top colleges because they are looking for individuals that have more to them than grades. As an incoming freshman you have your common app essay to do that. I believe your common app essay as a transfer simply asks you to state your reasons for transferring. Of the top of my head I can’t think of a way to use that essay to show the admissions people that I actually don’t study/do research 24/7.</p>

5

<p>It looks like your main reason is you think it’ll help with med school admissions. I assure you it won’t. Northwestern has an amazing reputation and Penn Med school is not going to give preference to Penn undergrads over NU undergrads- despite what some people here hope. Almost all Penn pre-meds apply to Penn Med- they have plenty, plenty, plenty of Penn applicants. They are not going to give someone a +1 for that. </p>

<p>Second, if you are doing so amazing- why risk it? Risk something going wrong in your new academic environment, risk credits not transferring fully (especially from quarter system -> semester system) requiring more $ and time, and who knows what else.</p>

<p>If you really have extra time and aren’t being challenged- then I would stop this transferring idea with all its extra work/potential problems- and spend the extra time studying for the MCAT. Or join a frat to have fun and become more personable/well-rounded for med school interviews. or about a 100 other things that are more productive.</p>

6

<p>@ foxdie - I think you misunderstood me. Even before I got my college decisions I knew I wouldn’t want to spend four complete years at the same institution irrespective of it being top ranked or lowly ranked school. Why? I want to have as many different experiences as I can. I planned on either transferring after two years or doing a year abroad either in England or some other European country (Euro Trip and all). So the decision isn’t influenced by med schools, etc. NU has an 80-90% placement rate for students who successfully complete their pre-med course work which is up there with the Ivys. The only thing med schools are influencing are the schools I’m looking to potentially transfer to i.e, schools with equal or greater repute as NU in the eyes of med schools. And there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll be able to adapt to a new academic environment. That’s exactly what I’m looking for, a new challenge. Once I decide on the two or three universities I’m going to be applying to I will get in touch with them to make sure that the credits I need to transfer over do so. Nearly all the courses I’ve taken are all premed prereqs and year long sequences. So transferring them over (quarter to semester) should not be an issue. Please correct me if I’m wrong though. But I really do appreciate your advice. Not transferring is probably a better option speaking solely from the perspective of getting into Med School. But I really want a new environment to absorb (East Coast culture vs. Midwest, City X vs. Chicago).</p>

7

<p>Re: Course transferring: Penn is anal about transfer credits though and has a online system (XCAT) where a professor can take 2 weeks before deciding whether of not your uploaded syllabus is equivalent to some Penn course. And since you login to XCAT with your Penn ID- I think they only evaluate after you agree to enroll. But if they are standardized pre-med year-long courses- then this may not be an issue.</p>

<p>“And there’s absolutely no guarantee that I’ll be able to adapt to a new academic environment. That’s exactly what I’m looking for, a new challenge.”</p>

<p>ok. vehemently disagree. but ok.</p>

8

<p>That’s really interesting. I’ll get in touch with them to see if there’s anyway around that and if I can get them approved after the decision but before enrolling or something. Thanks for the information.</p>

<p>Also, do you think my SAT scores are significant. My SAT I is quite blow their average score. And are my ECs good enough? And will writing something like my gf goes to Bryn Mawr in my ‘Why?’ essay be frowned upon.</p>

9

<p>I doubt it- and that’s typical of what I mean- needless chores and work to assimilate into a new college. For no reward- but rather a risk to your 4.0 at NU. </p>

<p>But no, I don’t think your SATs will be a problem at this point given your NU record. </p>

<p>My opinion on ECs and Essay: Nerdy science ppl with time inside chem labs and physics labs and dental shadowing would do well to highlight social ECs (team sports, leadership, etc). Re Essay: you’ll have to think of a better reason than a challenge for a challenge’s sake. Re: GF- you can mention it, but it’s not good enough to be the central reason.</p>

10

<p>Why not do a junior year as an exchange guest student in this country or abroad? That wouldn’t subject you to financial aid and course transfer hassles. Then you could just put up with your last year at Northwestern and look forward to grad school somewhere else.</p>

<p>Although, if you really want med school, you’ll need to study for and take MCAT during your junior year, unless you plan a gap year. That would be an extra challenge if you also were getting used to and enjoying a new school.</p>

<p>Sounds like your long-term and short-term plans don’t mesh well. You may need to reevaluate.</p>

11

<p>@ Wordworker - I’m considering doing a year as a visiting student. Need to see which universities offer those. I know Columbia does, not sure about Penn. Study Abroad isn’t an option since I have to do some more premed prereqs preferably before I apply, and my understanding is that Med Schools want the prereqs done at US Colleges.</p>

<p>I’ll be taking the MCAT at the end of this summer. Fingers crossed I wont need to take it again. Thanks for your advice and Happy New Year!</p>