<p>My high school stats were pretty bad. 2.96 gpa and an 1880 SAT.
I currently attend Umass Boston, and I have only completed 15 credits, and I pulled off a 3.6 GPA.
Now I know transferring "up" as a sophomore transfer is normally viewed as impossible. but the schools I want to apply to weren't 100% out of reach when I applied in high school, so i was just wondering if it would still be nearly impossible? </p>
<p>You don't have to give me specific "Chances", but you could tell me if any of these schools aren't even worth trying. I'm just trying to get information on transferring up.</p>
<p>schools I'm applying to:
Clark University (Worcester, Ma)
Umass Amherst (Amherst, Ma)
Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY)</p>
<p>NOTE: I looked up Umass Amherst. They have an average freshman GPA of 3.61 (which is probably skewed by all of the in state students that apply there as a safety, which included half of my graduating class), but a transfer GPA of 3.25. I may not meet the high school average, but I’m well above the 3.25 college average.</p>
<p>Yes, if those schools were within range as a fr applicant they are reasonable possibilities for a soph transfer. The big difference between your schools and the ones that most people here ask about for transferring ‘up’ to are the transfer admissions rates.</p>
<p>If your HS gpa was showing an upward trend which was extended in college, that is helpful. Check out your SAT score to see where it falls in the ranges of these schools. You might also talk to a GC at your school as they should have a good idea of how you stack up for UM-A.</p>
<p>Much respect to you entomom. I’ve been a lurker on these forums since end of senior year (7ish months haha) and you give great advice.
I must ask, what do you mean by “a sane voice in the wilderness”? </p>
<p>Appreciate your response. my freshman gpa was a 2.6 and my senior gpa was a 3.6. so yeah there was a LOT of improvement over time. We all have to mature eventually right? I think I did.</p>
<p>What I meant is that you have reasonable expectations and are working steadily towards them.</p>
<p>Many, particularly here on the Transfer forum, have very lofty goals for the future which are not supported by what they have demonstrated to date. Often students think that once they complete 1 semester of college with a decent gpa, that 4 years of a lackluster HS record disappear and they expect to be accepted by a college with a less than 10% transfer rate.</p>
<p>Your goals are realistic, and truthfully, will take you to whatever you want to go as long as you keep applying yourself. About maturity, it took me 4 years of working and attending a CC to finally become a serious student and earn enough credits to transfer to a 4 year college. Once I did that, I graduated in 2 years, went on to earn a MS and PhD and did research for 25 years. </p>
<p>I’m glad you’re finding CC helpful, I did too when my oldest was in HS, so that’s why I’ve stayed on to hopefully pay if forward. I always appreciate a lurker, IMO CC can do more harm than good if you just come on and take the advice of anyone that replies. You really need to read the posts of members over time and evaluate which ones are good sources of information, experience and knowledge.</p>
<p>Again, keep up the good work, you seem to have to right attitude to take you wherever you’re headed.</p>
<p>Hey Entomom, you have any advice on financial aid for transfers? I’m also planning on applying to syracuse (That one seems a bit more of a stretch, but I’ve loved 'Cuse since I visited it in middle school lol) and Clark. Both schools are expensive, but seem to give a lot of financial aid to incoming freshmen. Can i expect something similar if I do get accepted as a transfer?</p>
<p>At least there are merit awards available. I would definitely call the person on this website to try to get some idea of the likelihood of merit and the availability of need based FA.</p>
<p>I feel like I am in the exact opposite situation as the OP, and I’m not sure whether to keep my hopes up or to just give in to reality. I’m a freshman right now like the OP, attending a fairly selective state school in California, but I still want to transfer. But the thing is that my high school record is much stronger than my first quarter at university would imply. My high school record has strong, varied ECs, 2070 SAT, and a 3.9 GPA, but my first quarter at university I’ve only managed to get a 3.4 GPA, mainly because I had trouble adjusting to the freedom of university and had terrible time management skills. Entomom, do you think that I should still shoot for universities that I would have been competitive for as a senior, or are my chances shot because of my first quarter GPA?</p>
<p>@entomom- I appreciate your response either way. I did read that yesterday. I mean, I’m already applying anyway so i might as well see what they offer me. @Matark- Hey man, I can’t tell you what to do, nor do I know much about transferring other than what I myself have gone through, but I don’t think you have much to lose by trying. and if you try and don’t get where you want, you could always try to get your grades up over the next few semesters.
May I ask why you want to transfer from your current school if you don’t mind? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want obviously, just curious.</p>
<p>@dontaskme I’m just really unsatisfied with how rigid the school forces my course load to be. I don’t really have the freedom to take classes purely out of intellectual curiosity because the university puts so much emphasis on graduating in four years (although their four year graduation rates are pretty high as a result). That, and because the university is known for its engineering and architecture programs, but I am interested in the liberal arts, so academically it’s also not a strong fit for me.</p>