USC -> Ivy League (Junior Transfer)

Transfer Students
1

<p>First and foremost, I would like to note that the following stats are HYPOTHETICAL as I'm still a college freshman, but I have approximated them to what my actual college transcipt will be like at the time of my transfer application process.</p>

<p>As of now, I am not quite content with were I am (USC), and I feel like I can be more intellectually stimulated. I feel like my schoolmates do not have the same feeling as I do in regards to academics, and I am most definitely not enjoying this feeling of intellectual frustration. I am also thinking about majoring in Biology (Pre-Med), and I feel like I can get a better foundation and resource for my studies by attending institutions whose Medical Schools are among the best in the nation. I am aiming specifically at HYS, UCLA, and Cal, and I am now wondering what my chances will be transferring as a JUNIOR into these schools.</p>

<p>Here are my quick stats:</p>

<p>College G.P.A.: >3.8
College Rank: Top %7
HS G.P.A.: not that spectacular
HS Profile: Private, prestigous prep-school in NE</p>

<p>SAT I: 690 W, 710 M, 690 R
SAT II: 710 Bio, 710 Math IIC, 760 Japanese w/ Listening
AP: 4 Japanese</p>

<p>E.C.: Tutoring, community/social service, club sport</p>

<p>Misc: Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) - Level 1 (most difficult)</p>

<p>[F.Y.I. I'm NOT Japanese, nor do I have any family members who are Japanese.]</p>

<p>I understand that Harvard will not be accepting transfer applications until 2010, and so I decided to defer my transfer process until then as I also heard that SAT and HS G.P.A. are not really taken into consideration for junior transfers.</p>

<p>I am also curious as to whether my choice of major would have any impact on my chance of transfer success.</p>

<p>I will be looking forward to some responses! Thanks!!</p>

2

<p>Oh, I forgot to add that I'm planning to do some research internship at some lab... If that helps at all.</p>

3

<p>USC has a very rigorous science program, so hard that many med school dreams has been crushed there. The only reason you would leave would be that you cannot handle being a pre-med at USC. This is from a former 'SC pre med student. Trust me, I know how hard it is, been there. If you don't have what it takes to be a pre med at USC, they'll weed out your butt so fast. Pre med students at USC, along with engineering are the smartest students on campus; you can't be more intellectually stimulated than that. The problem is that you can't handle it.</p>

4

<p>Oh wow, I'm thinking of leaving USC for the same reason, lol. But I'm a business student.</p>

5

<p>First, we can't really give you much advice/chances with your hypothetical. There is a HUGE difference between expecting a >3.8 and actually getting one. </p>

<p>Assuming you do actually score that GPA, I don't think your chances are that great. Your SAT are so-so, and you don't really have any impressive ECs. </p>

<p>Granted, you're just a frosh, you have time to fix that.</p>

6

<p>For someone who feels SC is below them...why not predict a 4.0? Also...your SAT scores are nothing special...not that these factor in, but I think you should stay at SC and then consider trying for an ivy after you graduate.</p>

7

<p>Can you retake the SATs as a college student to transfer to another college?</p>

8

<p>Coming from a private school already in California, the odds of you being accepted to the UC system, be it LA or Cal, are almost non-existent. Community College students are given first priority at transfer (Making up 85%~90% of admits), then UC-UC transfers (for LA, don't know if Cal even has this tier of priority), THEN private schools, putting you on the bottom of the totem pole. </p>

<p>Stanford takes around 1% of applicants, so I would be hesitant to even bother with it unless you have an amazing experience or can bring something almost totally unique to the table (Special Forces training, de-worming orphans in Somalia etc...) </p>

<p>Assuming that you have good grades at the end of freshman year, I'd recommend trying for University of Chicago, Columbia, Brown, Cornell and NYU. Going for Harvard and Yale will be incredibly difficult but they have better acceptance rates than Stanford, so it could be worth a shot.</p>

9

<p>OP, your college stats are looking good. However, here's the thing: they don't exist. You've spent, what, 5 weeks in college? You might not even have taken your first midterm yet, let alone final. Haven't even gotten through half a semester. Haven't seen a single final grade for a class. Yet you've already predicted stats for the next 2 years. Your HS gpa is "not spectacular" and your SAT is below avg for the Ivy leagues. Your EC's are not impressive. </p>

<p>I'm sure you have a good idea of your own intelligence, and you sound smart. But your HS stats are way too low for the schools you want, and your college stats don't exist. Harvard and Yale sometimes take no transfers - 0% of applicants. ZERO. NADA. ZIP. Stanford's acceptance rate is under 1%. If you can work your tush off for the next 2 years, get the college gpa you've predicted (try for >3.90), have amazing reccs, amazing EC's, super leadership skills, etc, then you'll have a chance.</p>

<p>But you coming here and posting stats for the next 2 years based on a month of college would be like a HS freshman who's spent a month in HS coming on the HYS board and being like "well, it's been a couple weeks, I predict I'll have a 4.0, so...chance me!"</p>

<p>To give you some perspective, my stats are higher than yours, and I wouldn't dream of those schools. I'm considering Cornell as a huge reach, their acceptance rate is 10% and I'm worried.</p>

10

<p>I don't know if this makes any difference at all, but I had some personal (psychological) issues while at HS (afterall, surviving a Top %5 prep school is NOT THAT EASY despite whatever stereotypes there are hovering over these types of schools) and this had fairly affected my HS G.P.A. Is this something that I should highlight in my application?</p>

<p>I would also like to point out that, although I know it sounds stupid and pretentious of me (and forgive me if I did) to post such hypothetical and nonexistant stats, I want to use these thoughtful "evaluations" as a guide that I can work with for the next few years to achieve my goals. I can also get a clear sense now of how much I need to work "my butt off" and get my priorities straight so I don't have to waste precious time on pondering about my transfer process.</p>

<p>Given so, in what aspect will I have to boost my E.C. to achieve a satisfactory "basis" for a successful transfer to an Ivy? Despite Canescans' general examples of what kinds of activities I should participate in, I would like to know some more specific and practical "super leadership skills" E.C.s that I might be able to actually do and suceed whlie at school.</p>

<p>But whatever the case, I'm still grateful for the individuals who have left me with some valuable piece of insights that I'm sure would help boost my inspiriation and the motiviation to achieve my goals.</p>

<p>Thank you!!</p>

11

<p>And regarding SP123, although I still maintain all As in my classes right now, I would like to give a slight margin of error so I can make my stats as practical as possible. (Who knows, perhaps I'll end up getting a 4.0 G.P.A. by the end of my sophomore year and even earning a place in the top %3 of my class!! ;] <- I know, I sound so hopeful.)</p>

12

<p>Personal issues do make a difference and can explain your HS stats, but if you're applying as a junior transfer, they won't care about your HS stats that much, your college stats will matter a lot more.
I don't think you're being stupid or pretentious, you're just a hopeful freshman (like me) who is dreaming of transferring. Find some EC's at USC related to your major/interests (I don't go to USC so I can't give you specific clubs, but I'm sure you can find out). Pick 3 or 4 EC's and dedicate yourself to them. Lab research is a great plus for a pre-med majors. But I'm not saying make all of your EC's about your major - Med schools (and ivies) love well-rounded students, with interests other than Biology. If you dedicate yourself to EC's, you might be able to gain leadership positions - like President of the Biology Club or something, I don't know...find something! EC's not related to your major are great too if you dedicate yourself to them (put in time/effort) and show interest. Quality over quantity, always. 4 EC's are more than enough. You have 2 years ahead of you so good luck.</p>

13

<p>This guy needs a reality check.
"I'm thinking about majoring in Biology (pre med)."
I wonder how you'll be able to achieve a >3.8 gpa as a bio major when the average grade in chem classes is a C, and a C+/B- in bio classes. Pre med students will eat you alive. Do yourself a favor, and major in sociology or something.</p>

14

<p>Wait for your freshman GPA to see what you get before you can decide where to transfer. Your high school stats do not match up to your "intellectual frustration".
I agree with superdrive that bio major is hard. My daughter is in a study group with one bio and one engineering major and they all stay up very late to study. My daughter is in TO and sometimes I noticed she stayed till 5:00 A.M to do homework.
She did say one of her friends major in business, did not have any homework until the second week in class,got to go to party a lot.</p>

15

<p>Although my high school stats may not correlate to my level of "intellectual frustration," I would like to point out that before attending the prep school following my high school freshman year, I used to have perfect 4.0 G.P.A. And after graduating from high school my psychological issues seemed to resolve and now I maintain a 4.0 G.P.A. at college.</p>

<p>In addition, I would deeply appreciate it if people could leave my future alone and not decide it his or herself--I believe that my business is something that I myself should take care of and there is no need to be critical at someone for trying to reach his or her goal. On the other hand, I do grately appreciate those who are helping my in the process of achieving my dreams.</p>

<p>Once again, thank you.</p>

16

<p>I think all people are trying to say is that you should wait a little while and then decide. You haven't "maintained a 4.0" because you're a month and a half into the school yr, and have no gpa. No one's telling you that you can't achieve your dreams, they're just being honest. What exactly was your HS gpa anyway? It can't be that low since your SAT was above avg.</p>

17

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/465387-success-stories-bad-hs-record-w-great-college-record.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/465387-success-stories-bad-hs-record-w-great-college-record.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>