What are my chances as a transfer?

<p>I'm transferring from a community college for Spring 2011. I may or may not have an Associate's degree by then (short by one class, if not). </p>

<p>I'll have about a 3.7...that is straight A's, one D in a dual enrollment class back in high school that killed me, and one B in a Computer Applications class this summer. I had a 2.3 in high school. 1940 SAT's. I went to school in Chicago for a year and got about a 1.5. I dropped out after less than a year...but of course I <em>have</em> to include those embarrassing grades in my application.</p>

<p>I'll be applying for financial aid; I'm a "first generation college student", live in a single parent house, and my mom's income is about $25,000 (I don't know; some colleges like this).</p>

<p>My extracurriculars are volunteering at a theatre for a month, working at a science museum and a clothes store, volunteering at a recording studio, helping with a friend's record label, a philosophy blog (which used to get a lot of traffic...two blogs have mentioned my writing), a religion blog, I won a poetry contest and I had a song in my high school's arts magazine. Nothing spectacular. </p>

<p>I think I have pretty good essays and I can probably get a good recommendation.</p>

<p>I'll be applying as a Philosophy major, and either a Jewish Studies major or minor depending on the school, at Brandeis University, Connecticut College, and University of Virginia.</p>

<p>If you have any advice on what might help me, I'd like to hear it! I'll be applying in about a month for the spring!</p>

<p>So of you’re getting n AA, can we assume 1 year of CC at 3.7 and 1 year at the 1.5? What type of college was the first? What state are you in?</p>

<p>Well, I’ve been here for a year and a summer…it will be four semesters this fall, if you include summer as a semester (I do). (I’d have a 3.9 if it wasn’t for that dual-enrollment class.) The place where I had a 1.5 lasted a few months short of a school year. I tried to explain it on my application. It was an art school.
I’m in Virginia.</p>

<p>Now I’m worried that a school will see my lack of science courses as a problem. It’s getting really hard to re-sign up for classes now that I’ve been dropped and I’m trying to figure out which classes to keep in my schedule and which to switch.</p>

<p>I’ve just found out, though, that I definitely <em>don’t</em> have enough money to pre-pay. So it’s just a matter of deciding whether to:</p>

<p>1.) Wait until the very end to get that last science class I need for W&M,
2.) Keep all my classes if I can just to look good, including the math and geology I don’t need right now
3.) Change everything, take Russian History, and wait for my plane to crash.</p>

<p>I think you’re aiming awfully high considering the first school. No harm in trying, but you need some safety and match schools in addition to these reaches.</p>

<p>While there are a few top colleges that are actively seeking the low income, this does not include lower endowment schools like Conn College and Brandeis-especially for transfers. Neeing basicallly a full ride will make things tough without a spotless record, and even then it would be unlikely.</p>

<p>I think you may need to dig deeper into the state possibilities. I don’t know Virginia, but do they have some less competitivee schools or an agreement with another state?</p>

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<p>Yeah well, I can’t just lay down and die because I was a stupid seventeen-year-old. I’m working hard on my essays, because—like always—that’s the best I have.</p>

<p>I’m crossing Connecticut College, sadly, of my list, because I’d still owe $30,000 after their projected grants. I fear that you’re right about low-endowment schools.</p>

<p>No need to lay dow and die, there are 4000 plus colleges in the US. Make sure to have a safety or 2 on your list. Both academic and financial.</p>

<p>Bump.
OK, so now I know I have to contend with the financial aid aspect, too.
I still want to know just for fun, though.</p>