What are my chances as a transfer student?

I am currently a sophomore mathematics major on a pre-medical track who is applying to transfer for the Fall 2016 semester. Right now I am exploring lots of different options. My “dream” school to transfer into is Penn, bur I know it’s quite a stretch. If anyone has any recommendations for good schools based on my stats, they would be appreciated. Two things that may or may not be relevant in considering my chances:

  • If I am accepted, this will be my second time transferring schools as I also transferred between my freshman and sophomore years. My reason for transferring was that the school I attended as a freshman did not offer a mathematics major. The school I am currently in was one of the few schools that was still accepting transfer applicants at the time that I decided to switch majors. I am now looking to transfer to a better school because my current school is not very competitive. I know being a second-time transfer applicant doesn't work many favors, but I feel my reasons are sound and I've read about plenty of people who have successfully transferred colleges twice.
  • I am currently seventeen years old. I graduated high school two years early, so I'm younger than most of my classmates.

Anyways, here are my stats:

High School

High School GPA: 3.73 (unweighted, my high school does not weight GPA)

SAT: 2140 (590 CR, 770 M, 780 W)

SAT Superscore (best of two sittings): 2240 (690 CR, 770 M, 780 W)

SAT II: 740 Chemistry, 800 Math II

ACT: 33 (33 English, 35 Math, 29 Reading, 33 Science, 5 Essay)

First College

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (dual-acceptance program with the Commonwealth Medical College)

Cumulative GPA (two semesters): 3.57

Member of Honors College

Second College

Duquesne University

Cumulative GPA (one semester and one summer session): 3.88

Member of Honors College

Courses Taken

Calculus I

Calculus II

Calculus III

Introduction to Higher Mathematics (proof-based mathematics class)

Biology I w/Lab

Biology II w/Lab

Chemistry I w/Lab

Chemistry II w/Lab

Organic Chemistry I w/Lab

Physics I w/Lab

Theology

Introduction to Psychology

Writing & Rhetoric I

Writing & Rhetoric II

Courses Enrolled In
Linear Algebra

Introduction to C++

Organic Chemistry II w/Lab

Physics II w/Lab

Creative Writing

Extracurriculars

Member of Pre-Medical Student Organization

Research in a bioinformatics pharmacy lab

Three publications in topics of cancer-related biostatistics

If there is anything else that would be useful in weighing my chances, let me know. Thank you!

Like you mentioned, its going to be hard transferrig to penn seeing that you already transferred once.

Also, your college freshman gpa of 3.57 is rather low for penn although you have managed a 3.88 Im guessing those 3 semesters will end your overall college gpa around a high 3.6 which is on the lower side.

Overall your lower gpa + transferring twice will hurt your application but nail those essays and you might have a chance.

Thanks for the help! Do you feel my stats would at least warrant Penn looking at my application? I feel like my essay should be a strong point, and I feel I could get strong letters of recommendation as well. Also, are there any more realistic schools that have strong undergraduate math programs that you could recommend?

I feel that with a 3.88 on your sophomore year Penn will give a look and it won’t go to the “automatic reject” (if they even have that).

As for strong undergraduate math programs (although I’m not the most expert in this field) aside from the top 20 universities I know that CMU, UCLA, U Mich, UT Austin are some examples of strong undergraduate math programs.