<p>I am currently a junior in a new jersey public high school. I am a smart kid but my high school performance has been awful. my freshman and junior year, i received a 2.9 and 3.0 gpa. while this year, I have gotten d's and even f's in some classes. I will end up passing all my classes (i still am not sure about chemistry though). I am currently in 3 honors classes (history spanish and art history). i dont even know my gpa but i know it is ****. I am planning on attending a good county college for a semester or a year and then transferring into a proper middle of the road college. But i dont want to stay there. so i was wondering if it would be possible to enter community college for a semester or a year, then transfer to a school like rutgers, and then transfer to a school like vassar, wesleyan, or columbia. Now, i will maintain about a 4.0 gpa during my time at the first two colleges (and I also plan on getting a 4.0 gpa for my senior year in hs). I havent gotten my sat scores back yet but on practice tests i have scored in the 1900's (without studying). If I were to break 2000 on my sat's, receive straight a's in my senior year of hs, my first year/ semester in community college, and straight a's in a school like rutgers (which i am more than capable of doing), could I end up at one of these elite colleges. I come from a very competitive family (most got into vassar and columbia). I am a legacy at vassar so that could help my chances and my uncle knows people on the board of trustees for wesleyan. So do u think that i could do this? I know that it will be stressful but I just want to know if it is possible and if it would look good. I'd appreciate any help.</p>
<p>So how sure are you that you will get into Rutgers? I someone who was vice president of one of the most popular clubs, didnt fail any classes and he didnt get get into rutgers. And just because your uncle knows someone on board of trustees wont help at all.</p>
<p>actually, it may help. connections matter, if you use them well.</p>
<p>yes, connections do matter if they are part of your family. family connections help because if they went to that school, they will think that family members will do well also. Everyone can make friends but not everyone can become a family member with someone.</p>
<p>Your plan isn’t really a viable one at the moment because you can’t predict that you’re going to get 4.0’s. Why don’t you just go to a decent community college for 2 years? Work hard, earn a high gpa, get your associate’s degree and then try to transfer into a selective college like Vassar or Columbia. This idea makes a lot more sense.</p>
<p>Sometimes, elite colleges are not a good match. Although you feel the pressure to follow in the footsteps of others in your family, it might not be the right path for you. Try to make your own path. Take pride in your accomplishments and don’t spend your life comparing yourself to others in your family.</p>
<p>i understand that my plan sounds optimistic. but could u just answer based on the hypothetical circumstances i listed above. I have my reasons for doing so poor in high school. i got into drugs, saw a family member try to attempt suicide, watched my grandmother die from advanced alzheimers, all in the span of a few years. And ivy league is a fit for me. I fit into the category of the new england disgruntled punk intellectual that attends the colleges i dream of going to. I was enrolled in the talented and gifted program during my youth. i am an extremely talented visual artist and writer. Its just that i had a couple rough years. so I am more than capable of receiving good grades in the community college and then rutgers or whatever other school. And i know i could get into rutgers because the community college i am talking about has a program where you cans transfer as long as u maintain a 3.0 gpa in the community college. So thats no problem. So based on the hypothetical circumstances i listed above, could i be accepted into vassar or wesleyan? And i mention transferring to rutgers first because i dont know if classes in a community college would transfer into an ivy league school. Would they? Thanks for the help</p>
<p>I dont think anyone that went to Columbia had a gpa lower than 3.7</p>
<p>It is extremely difficult to gain acceptance to Vassar as a transfer. There are few available spots open for transfers. Here is some info from their website (cut and pasted):</p>
<p>Q: How competitive is the transfer application process?
A: Vassar does not have many spaces for transfer students, so competition is keen. It is generally more difficult to gain admission as a transfer than as a freshmen. Over the past two years, about 15-20% of the students seeking admission as transfers were successful.
Q: How much is my high school record weighted in the evaluation process?
A: Since the competition is highly competitive, an applicant’s entire academic history is considered in the admission process, and we require high school records with the application. It is difficult for students who have had an unsuccessful high school career to be competitive applicants. However, as the distance from an applicant’s high school years grows, the weight assigned to that performance is lessened.</p>
<p>You may get lucky and be one of the few that gain acceptance as a transfer, but it’s very important to have a more realistic backup plan in place so you will have other options available to you.</p>
<p>Here is the link: [Vassar</a> College || Transfer Students FAQ](<a href=“http://admissions.vassar.edu/applytransfer_faq.html]Vassar”>http://admissions.vassar.edu/applytransfer_faq.html)</p>
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<p>Sorry, I just don’t think it’s reasonable–or feasible–at all.</p>
<p>Since you have a very clear goal of where you want to transfer to, you should get in touch with the transfer admissions officers at each of your target colleges/universities. Tell them that they have the precise environment that you envision yourself performing well in, but that your HS transcript is not up to snuff. Discuss with them the specific courses you should be taking in the community college in order to best qualify yourself for a successful transfer. Find out what GPA would be expected of you. Find out if it would be possible to transfer in after only one year, or if they admit students at the semester.</p>
<p>Our local community college sends transfers to the kinds of colleges/universities you are describing every single year. If you plan your program well, there is no reason why you should have to go from your community college to your home-state U and then to your dream school. It makes much more sense for you to crank out those good grades at the community college for two years, and then move on. By then you may even have changed your list of dream schools.</p>
<p>Another option would be for you to find a nice lower-tier liberal arts college that will admit you based on your good qualities and your promise for the future. These places do exist. After a year or two shaping up your grades at not-so-famous-LAC, you could transfer to your dream school if you still want to.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>