What Colleges should I Transfer to and What is the Minimum GPA I should have to Transfer?

Transfer Students
1

I am currently at UofM but I am in pursuit of a Business Degree (specifically in Finance). I want to transfer largely because I really do not like how large of a school, because I do not want to major in Economics, and because I just don’t feel like this is the right place for me. I was rejected from the Ross School of Business when I applied as a senior in high school, and though I have almost no chance in being admitted now, I still want to apply there since I still want to go there. I also want to transfer to Wharton, though I was rejected from there ED before as well. I was hoping I could get advice on other schools (smaller than UofM) that I could possibly try to transfer to and which are still strong targets for top Finance firms.

One of my biggest worries, asides from my extracurricular list, is my GPA. As my grades are coming in, my GPA is falling quicker and quicker. I took 4 classes this first semester at UofM, which was an Honors Calc 2 class, Stats, English, and a Psychology class. I got an A- in Calc, A in Psych, B in Stats (still very shocked from this), and do not know my English grade yet. Assuming it will be pretty bad, my GPA is looking at making its way down to a 3.4. Or it could be up to a 3.56. I was wondering if I could get some advice on whether I should even bother applying to the schools I mentioned as well as any other schools since my GPA is so damn low. I am assuming my chances are very low regardless but am I out of the running? If I can write some strong essays can I still have a chance? Also, just to let you all know, my next semester is looking a little better since I am not taking as many difficult courses next semester as I did this one.

2

It is highly unlikely that you would be accepted to any program that rejected you previously. I think that an Econ degree from Michigan trumps any business school that you are likely to get into. FYI, unless that stats class was Calc based, your semester wasn’t that difficult. Psych and and algebra based stats are some of the easier classes normally.

3

Wake Forest, William and Mary, and Richmond have excellent business schools. I’m not sure your odds of acceptance, but students at these business schools go on to top jobs in NYC and elsewhere. But they are smaller than Michigan and possibly a better fit. You could explore them. They probably would be expensive though, if that’s an issue. I know a current W&M transfer student who had a great experience.

The transition to college can be challenging, and students who continue to work hard often get it figured out and learn to learn in a new way. Resilience is really the key. Keep at it. For example, a good friend had about a 1.6 after freshman year., and was on academic probation They made a 4.0, or close to it, junior and senior year and went on to a great career in international public health. Good luck!

4

@Eeyore123 When I reapply to programs that rejected me previously, do they not begin a fresh review? You are implying they pull up my previous application but I do not know if that is true. You’re also being quite unclear as to what schools I am “likely to get into.” Since I am the one asking the question, I clearly don’t know where I stand a chance and where the cutoff is.
@TTG Thanks for the suggestions. I would also like to apply to some more prestigious programs. Do you have any suggestions? I understand places like HYSPM are not worth the effort since they have such low transfer acceptance rates so what is still possible?

5

You’re welcome. Transfer admissions can be harder to predict, and often transfer admission rates can fluctuate more than regular admissions rates. Generally, schools will place greater emphasis on the college record the longer a student is in college. After all, the high school record is evaluated in terms of what it predicts about success in college. A college transcript is an actual record of success in college. If a student applies to transfer in the fall of freshman year, college admissions will have to rely more on the high school record. If in the spring of sophomore year, there’s much more a college track record to go by, and the high school data is less relevant, although somewhat helpful.

It is difficult to give much helpful advice on where a transfer applicant might be accepted given that results can vary more year to year and the question is complicated because schools have such different policies regarding admission into business schools.

Keep working hard. Apply to schools that look good to you–which ones seem like the best fit, especially since you have experience at a place that does not feel like a good fit. Hope for the best.

Obviously you’d go to a Wharton or Harvard if you get in, and that’d be great. Only you can decide if you would prefer a W&M, Richmond, or WF business school to remaining at Michigan and studying economics (if Ross does not work out). All are smaller schools and, again, with terrific business programs, and many, many tip-top students with tip-top test scores and transcripts. I’m very familiar with one of them and know lots of students who went right from the b-school to Wall Street and others who’ve gone on to CEO and other prominent positions in tech, finance, etc. I know several who have made fortunes–by any standard–coming out of business schools not as highly ranked as these.

I know someone who had a startup and hired interns out of one of the very top business schools in the country. They found them lazy and entitled and extremely self-impressed. They instead started hiring from another excellent but certainly less highly ranked university in town. They found the excellent students at that school very hard working and ambitious and now only hires students from that business school.

There is a real cache to Wharton or Harvard, certainly, but really how you do in school, at work, and in life will be much more important. Work hard, have fun, treat everyone well, take advantage of opportunities, make opportunities, things usually work out.

Good luck and Happy New Years!

6

U of Miami, Minnesota, Montana??? If you are currently a freshman they will look at your high school stats GPA, ACT/SAT etc. They will also see that you applied there as a freshman. Being rejected ED from Wharton is pretty much an indicator that you are not wanted there. From what you posted you have not excelled at whatever U of M you currently attend. They are not likely going to take a chance on you. If you try and transfer to an Ivy they will look at your high school stats even if you are currently a sophomore.

7

@TTG Are you suggesting that I should try to transfer out after my sophomore year in college instead of after my freshman year?
@TomSrOfBoston Michigan. I’m a freshman currently. Are there any Ivies that I have a decent chance at? Are there any other programs (some prestigious and some no so much) that you think I can still have a reasonable shot and are strong targets for top Finance firms? Also, are you saying that a 3.5 GPA is bad enough to put me out of the running for several schools? Would doing better next semester help or would it be too late then?

8

Do you know that only 2 Ivy league schools have undergraduate business programs? Do you know the difference between a Econ and Finance degree?

9

A 3.4/3.5 college GPA will not likely get you into Wharton, Cornell or other topmost business schools. You would likely be admitted to Indiana University Kelley which is a top business school but lacking the elite pedigree.

10

You were not admitted to those campuses because they selected students who probably had exceptional resumes.

Based on one semester of work, nothing has changed other than your grades. You risk applying and being rejected again. They don’t begin fresh. They look at what you’ve accomplished and changed at your current campus.

UM is a great school and you seem to be throwing that away. You see be a prestige seeker.
If all you did this school year, was gripe about your bad luck, at not being where you didn’t get in, then those schools definitely will see that. Why would they consider someone who is having a tantrum?

11

@Eeyore123 Yes. And I must admit that I am not entirely clear on how different a Finance and an Economics degree are and why one would choose one over the other.
@TomSrOfBoston There seems to be a very big emphasis on GPA. I understand that it is not good at all, but I am not clear as to whether you are implying that nothing else in my application can make up for it.
@“aunt bea” I don’t really understand the issue with going to a very elite school. After all, that is what we all wish to do. And I think you are holding that against me because you do not believe that I do not like it here at UofM. Our standards can be different. By the way, I’m not having a tantrum. Don’t confuse my discontent with this. Can I get a source on schools not beginning a fresh review? I have heard some do.

12

Holistic admissions means they look at the whole application. Topmost schools do not let EC;s make up for lower GPA’s. A 3.5 GPA is very good but not for the elite schools, especially ones that denied you as a freshman.

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https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/2015/07/27/sidestep-5-common-errors-when-reapplying-to-college

14

Not suggesting you wait to transfer, just describing how admissions will look at your high school and college records, and will put more weight on the latter as it becomes more robust.

And I agree, your GPA IS very good. Freshman GPAs tend to be lower than final GPAs. College involves a very big transition–often living away from home for the first time, greater independence, a new culture of teaching and learning. A 3.5 or vicinity shows you’re successfully transitioning, which is great. Now does it get a student into an ultra-competitive, top, top-ranked business program, I don’t know, only the admission offices can tell you for sure. Certainly apply.

If you end up at Ross or Wharton, fantastic! Truly. I’d just like to emphasize that there are amazing people at lots of other schools too. The current student I know best at one of those three schools I mentioned had a 33 ACT and stellar transcript, varsity sports, real international experience, etc. Their best friend at the school was a National Merit Finalist and another a National Merit Semi-Finalist. They have lots of brilliant, funny people in the honors organization in which they are active. There are very comparable students at all three. I know a half dozen or so current Ivy League students. They are excellent students and people, but I don’t believe more so than students I know at our state flagship and lots of other schools. My bottom line: great people (students, faculty, and staff) at Ivies, etc. AND at many, many other schools.

Here an unsolicited tip: make sure that you stay absolutely positive in your applications. Proofread specifically for negative comments and connotations and turn them into positive ones. Being positive and forward-looking and showing personal growth and self-awareness can go a long, long way, especially in a transfer application.

Good luck!

15

This is the only publicly available information regarding transfer admit profiles of any Ivy League school to which I’m aware of: https://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply/transfer-applicants/admission-process

As you can see, the typical Brown transfer admit has an average GPA of 3.85~ along with high test scores. Penn and Cornell are peer schools and would have similar numbers especially for their business schools. I’d wager the same goes with Michigan’s Ross. While there is no minimum GPA for transfer, as you can see the bar IS set very high and your 3.5 GPA while good in the grand scheme of things will likely be a near deal-breaker.

If you want to transfer, you’d be best off trying to 4.0 the next couple of semesters and then apply as a junior transfer. The thing is, UMichigan is pretty cream of the crop as far as transfers go. Elite undergrad business schools like UC Berkeley’s Haas, Penn’s Wharton, Cornell’s Dyson are all sure to deny you on premises of below average grades and uber competitiveness – you’d need to be an in-state community college student to have any chance at Haas for example, and most successful transfers to Wharton/Dyson come from other Ivy League schools.

I’d say the best you can do right now is try shoring up your application for an intra-school transfer at UMichigan to Ross. Ross is easily a top 10 MBA school being highly targeted for top consulting firms. This means an elite alumni network that you can leverage to land yourself great internships and jobs. Like someone already said, an Economics non-business degree from UMichigan still trumps any business degree from a business school not mentioned above.