Transferring to Vassar or maybe other LACs

Transfer Students
1

<p>Alright, so I hate asking this, but what do you think of my chances transferring to Vassar? Or maybe another LAC? I'm attempting to transfer out of Brandeis University</p>

<p>First Semester (20 credits- average load is 16)
*Development of Play Art & Creativity (freshman seminar): B+
*Multivariable Calculus: B+ (Damn, I wish I hadn't failed that quiz!)
*Cognitive Neuroscience: A
*Introduction to Logic: A
*Intro to Linguistics: A+</p>

<p>Spring Semester(mostly upper-level/graduate classes):
<em>Jewish Conversion and Identity
Classical Political Thought
*Language Acquisition and Development
*Abnormal Psychology
*</em> Emergency Medical Technician Intensive Training Class (18 hours/week)</p>

<p>Clubs: Brandeis Democrats, varsity crew team (for a season), community service: volunteer tutoring for high school and college kids, STAND, will become a student certified EMT on ambulance at end of course</p>

<p>this summer: possibly but not definitely studying abroad in Berlin- taking 2 college courses (german language, german history)</p>

<p>Honors: Justice Brandeis scholarship (full tuition-four years), National AP scholar (highest level), National Merit Scholar, some language contests</p>

<p>Tests: 760 verbal, 750 math, 800 writing, 720 SATII Spanish, 780 SATII US History, 10 scores of 5 on advanced placement exams (and one 3)</p>

<p>High School: 97-98 average in mostly AP classes, toughest courseload, top 5% of school (I think), some extracurriculars like editor of literary magazine, lots of community service tutoring, Vice President of STAND, some summer stuff too, like research assistant and taking college immersion course in Italian</p>

<p>Don't really know what to do about professor recs or graded writing samples, as I haven't really been here long enough to have much to go on. If I used a recommendation or a writing sample from high school, they would be excellent, but colleges frown on that...</p>

<p>So what do you think? How much weight do colleges place on the different components of my application? How will I fare at Vassar? Also, will my chances be a lot better if I wait another year, assuming my grades will be good and I'll have more ECs and better recommendations and all that?</p>

2

<p>Should I bump?</p>

3

<p>are you a needy kid (income wise)? if so, competition is tough cuz they arent need blind.</p>

4

<p>My financial situation is such that I'm not gonna apply for aid if I think it'll hurt my chances of admission. I mean, I'd like some aid so that I won't have to take out any loans, but I guess most people have to take out loans to pay for college anyway, and I don't wanna riskj getting into Vassar. Besides, although my parents really don't have the money to pay for college (well, at least not fully) my father is a doctor and his income will seem so ridiculously huge that there seems to me pretty much no chance they'd give us any aid anyway. So if I didn't apply for aid, what would my chances look like?</p>

5

<p>I am like yourself in that respect eponymous. I guess we'll see how much not needing aid will help in decisions.</p>

6

<p>Thank you for your responses but I would really be interested to hear if anyone actually had an opinion as to my chances. I know none of you really have the expertise to make a qualified guess, but I don't care if you completely make it up off the top of your head. I am just interested and anxious to hear what people think.</p>

7

<p>I think that you have a good chance! (admissions shouldnt be competitive cuz the school doesnt need to offer you money) good luck!!</p>

8

<p>Well, what do you think of recommendation letters from high school teachers versus college professors?</p>

9

<p>Not a great idea. Most colleges really want recs from college professors to back up your involvement and academic performance in college, not high school.</p>

10

<p>I know they prefer a college rec, but given that you've only been in college for one semester, do they really expect your profs to know you? I mean, freshman intro classes are infamously large, and you haven't really had much of a chance to establish yourself yet. Are colleges understanding of this, or not at all?</p>

11

<p>Yes they are understanding. I know that at Chicago for sure, they understand the difficulty and like most schools will accept a rec from someone else (be it high school prof, boss, someone else reputable). Still, I would think you should at least send one college rec (however mediocre it may be) and then send another one from your high school prof. </p>

<p>A lot of the schools I've seen are willing to take one from someone else but really want recs from your college profs.</p>

12

<p>Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking that maybe sending an extra recommendation, from a high school teacher who knows me really well, would be the best thing to do. I figure they won't get too annoyed at having to read one extra rec letter, especially when my reasons for sending the additional one is clear. A weird quaestion but, having applied to the same school last year for freshman admit, how much of my app do you think they will remember? (I'd assume next to nothing, but you never know with some of these small schools...) Is it bad to reuse some of the material from the freshman application?</p>

13

<p>Also, what's really considered a "strong" GPA? I have no idea about any of this.</p>

14

<p>Oh, and I meant to ask, do many colleges reweight A+? You know, like, to be 4.33, because that's how some colleges count them? Cause that would bring my GPA up to a 3.8...</p>

15

<p>bumpety bump?</p>

16

<p>I don't think many colleges reweight GPA at all, though I'm not sure. More likely, they take your GPA for what it is and look at your courseload to get an idea of how you've done. They should see that you did very well in that class, but probably don't recalculate your GPA.</p>

17

<p>Thanks! Also, how much do you think they consider that you took five classes instead of the cull courseload of four? How much will that affect their decision?</p>

18

<p>Come on, am I a shoe-in, or a probable admit, or totally up in the air, or no chance at all? What do you guys think?</p>

19

<p>i honestly think you have an amazing chance at getting in.</p>

<p>noo, colleges do not recalculate GPAs for A+s! at least i can say that brandeis does not. but it will show up on your transcript as an A+.</p>

<p>also -- i think i told you this, but vassar keeps your app! i called last year when i was applying to transfer.</p>

20

<p>Thanks! I'm starting to feel pretty good about my chances now, but now I've progressed to freaking out about the essay.</p>