Transferring with lots of AP’s

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey, guys. I’m starting at a tiny liberal arts school on the East Coast in a few weeks with a full scholarship. This school was by no means my first choice but my family’s financial instability forced me to accept free school. Hopefully, with the recession winding down, next year our financial situation will have stabilized and I’ll be able to transfer elsewhere. </p>

<p>There is a slight problem though: I have enough AP credits that I’ll be able to graduate in three years. From what I’ve heard waiting two years and transferring as a senior is not an option, but if I transfer after one year my high school record will be the determining factor in admissions. My HS record was not stellar: 3.3gpa 2150 SAT. That SAT score was with literally no studying so I’m thinking of retaking it in college. </p>

<p>My question is whether it makes sense to try my luck at transferring this year as a junior or try after two years and forfeit my AP credits to enter as a junior. </p>

<p>I’m planning on applying to Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins, and The University of Chicago with West Virginia University and Miami University as fallbacks and Yale as an uber-reach.</p>

2

<p>no thoughts?</p>

3

<p>Same boat as you, kiddo. Except instead of a ton of AP’s, I’ve got an Associates in the Arts and I’m entering as an Honor’s Freshmen at a tiny LAC, as well.</p>

<p>The general consensus of replies I’ve gotten have been to:</p>

<p>1.) Stay at your LAC and graduate from there.</p>

<p>2.) Rack up a ton of EC’s, leadership positions, letters of recommendation, and maintain a 4.0 with the hardest classes you can possibly take and hope for the best transferring after a year.</p>

<p>3.) If you do option two and it still doesn’t work, repeat it again the following year. Chances will generally increase by doing this.</p>

<p>Here are the answers to the questions I know you will already ask:</p>

<p>1.) Won’t everyone be ****ed off at me if I come back for another year? — Probably, it really depends. One of the tribulations of wanting to transfer. Since the school is relatively unknown, people may understand.</p>

<p>2.) Will my application still be looked at with so many credits if I re-apply my Sophomore year? — You’re going to have to call the school and find out.</p>

<p>3.) Why would I apply my Freshmen year if I know my high school GPA wasn’t all that great? — Gotta take risks sometimes, kid.</p>

<p>And:</p>

<p>"My question is whether it makes sense to try my luck at transferring this year as a junior or try after two years and forfeit my AP credits to enter as a junior. "</p>

<p>Does it make sense? Sure. Is it practical? Might not be, depends how hard you want to work. Also, I don’t think you’d have to forfeit ALL of those scores.</p>

4

<p>First of all, I’d recommend that you transfer after your sophomore year due to your high school record. Whether or not you can transfer for next fall will depend on the GPA you earn this year, and your letters and essays. If your college record far outshines your high school record, you may have a shot at some of those schools, like Vanderbilt etc.</p>

<p>I entered my freshman year of college with 42 credits, 36 of which were from AP classes. It had no bearing on my application because I was still technically a freshman. Entering my sophomore year, I will have 3 years remaining at my new school, regardless of AP credits. </p>

<p>If your concern is whether or not your AP credits will prevent you from applying to enter as a sophomore, they won’t. If you’re asking whether or not you should apply to enter as a sophomore, I would recommend that you wait and see how your first semester GPA looks, and if you can get good letters from your professors.</p>

5

<p>@nvilla,</p>

<p>Do you think it would still be a good idea for me to apply for schools this year? I’m just worried that basically no ones going to look at my app if I apply the year after, since by that time I’ll have more than 150 credits.</p>