<p>because of my high school grades and sat's i havent applied to columbia since I knew I would get rejected.</p>
<p>however, i am thinking of applying next year as a transfer student. i will be an engineering student wherever i go. penn state is one of my top engineering choices with purdue. but i still want to know is there a "better school" for transferring to columbia. i mean do i have a higher chance of acceptance to columbia if i go to a specific school. </p>
<p>i dont think i was clear enough. i am trying to say will i have a better chance in a school where columbia has a relationship with and if there is which school do you think?</p>
<p>also, how should my gpa in my first year should be and what else do i need for a transfer?</p>
<p>If you come from another top school, your xfer chances might be slightly easier, but you need to do extremely well wherever you come from. Purdue and PSU aren't going to be seen differently, so go to whichever one you'd be happy at because you're very likely going to spend 4 years there. Aim for a 4.0.</p>
<p>Columbia2002 is right. There is slightly preferential treatment for transfers coming from columbia's peer institution and these schools typically are in the top 20. But to transfer into Columbia from ANYWHERE you do need an excellent GPA and make sure you build a relationship with one of your professors because recommendations are required. Just my 2cents.</p>
<p>"because of my high school grades and sat's i havent applied to columbia since I knew I would get rejected."
Columbia requires copies of HS transcript's & SAT scores when evaluating transfer applications.
For the most part at the Ivy's, transfer acceptance rates are lower than their acceptance rates for freshman. There is a lot more information available on the CC transfer forum.</p>
<p>As a transfer, your college grades and recommendations from faculty members count more than anything else. C2002 is right--you'll need a 4.0 or close to it. Also make sure that your recommender(s) know you well--I was very fortunate to have two awesome professors write mine. Your SATs and HS grades are nice to know, but count for very little at this point.</p>
<p>Oh, and don't forget about nailing the "Why Do You Want to Transfer to Columbia" essay. Hint: Think about the differences between going to a large state school (even the very good ones, and Purdue certainly is one of those, especially for engineering) and a small, private college like SEAS.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you in your college search!</p>