Transferring - what are my odds and what should I do?

Transfer Students
1

<p>I'm currently a freshman at the University of Texas Austin.</p>

<p>Non-essential background: This was really my safety school. Even though both of my parents went to college, they both went to small, non-competitive schools. My high school itself wasn't really focused on college admissions, either, so all of those factors combined meant I never really had any idea how big of a deal admissions were, so I didn't work hard enough on the essays, didn't study enough for the SATs, etc, and got rejected or waitlisted then rejected from everywhere else I applied. I know I can do better, though, and I want to move up.</p>

<p>I don't know how much info is relevant but looking at the other posts here I think I have an idea.
- My Majors: Government/Political Science Honors and Aerospace Engineering Honors
- GPA: 3.69 (Yeah, yeah, I know. I made the mistake of taking a ridiculously hard honors Vector Calc class for Engineering that I didn't really need to take and got my first ever B on it. A's in my 3 other classes which were all honors)
- Extra Cirriculars: Liberal Arts Honors Council, Engineering Honors Council, and this semester I'm starting an internship at a US Representative's office.
- ACT: 34
- SAT: I took it twice:
First time I got a 750 Reading, 690 Math, 700 Writing.
Second time a 710 Reading, 710 Math, 760 Writing.
- SAT IIs (They only look at your highest on each right?): Math 2: 740, Physics: 730, US History: 740
- AP Tests: Macroeconomics(4), English Lit(4), English Lang(4), US Govt(4), Comp Govt(5), Calc BC(5), Calc AB(4 the first time, 5 BC subgrade), Physics C Mech(4), US History(5)
- Awards: National AP Scholar, National Merit Commended Scholar, a token scholarship from the University, a nice merit-based scholarship through the engineering college and a scholarship from the company my dad works for
- High School GPA: 4.0
- Rank: 1 out of 471 (My school stopped counting GPA at 4.0, and everyone with a 4.0+ tied for 1st)
- High School Extracirriculars: Model UN (Three officer positions and a few conference awards), National Honors Society, Internship at Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, some other minor stuff</p>

<p>I could probably vastly improve the test scores if I took them again.
If I end up staying here my plan is to take some summer courses and graduate in 4 or maybe 5 years with degrees in both my majors. I'd really like to transfer to a great school and just study political science or economics, though. I'd love to go to Rice, UChicago, Northwestern or (hope against hope) one of the Ivies but I don't know if I'm aiming too high, or whether I should wait and try next year.
What should my next move be?</p>

2

<p>Your stats are excellent all around, including the college GPA. I will be ever so happy when folks here on cc stop apologizing for stellar GPAs, like a 3.69.</p>

<p>You may be correct that your first go-round admission results were disappointing because you didn't know to work hard on the essays. I very much doubt that it is due to your SATs.</p>

<p>Are you applying to a different set of schools this time than you did for freshman admissions? </p>

<p>This time you need to:
1. Choose your school list wisely and be sure and include match/safe schools on it - not just reaches. Unless you would be content to stay at UT-A .... a great school.
2. Tailor those essays. Know the schools well - their programs in your fields, the reasons the school fits you, what you will bring to the school.
3. You need strong college recommendations.
4. IMHO, you need to come across as having a real reason for transfer. If it seems like you just want to "move up", a pure prestige play, I don't think that will work well.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>