<p>HS Stats: 3.4 GPA (weighted), 3.1 GPA (unweighted)
ACT: 28
HS Prestige: public, elite in my state
Extra-curriculars: Absolutely nothing in my school. I was an elite athlete.</p>
<p>After high school I took a gap year. I graduated HS in May '11.</p>
<p>College: Regional University, avg. ACT 25. I would describe my university as mediocre. It is included on Kiplinger's Best Values Unis.
College Class: I am going into the 2nd semester of my sophomore year
GPA: 4.0
Extra-curriculars: Vice President of Student Organization, President + Founder of another Student Organization, Reporter for my school newspaper, presented independent research at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research 2013, pending acceptance to NCUR 2014 for another research piece, research assistant to an Economics professor, 2 summers of a prominent business internship, Regional Manager of Presidential Primary campaign (during gap year)</p>
<p>I am thinking about applying to Ivy's and top LACs, but feel my HS stats and prestige of my college institution may doom me. </p>
<p>Any and all input would be appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>Darn. Thanks Gunnnn. Why are they reaches? I know chances are statistically slim for all of them, are they reaches for that reason? Or my HS record?</p>
<p>The crux of this thread is this, how much do my HS stats matter? I graduated HS in 2011, while my rising junior transfer peers graduated HS in 2012 (gap year)</p>
<p>If you have two full years of College credit, it is unlikely that your HS record has any relevance at al. The reason that the schools you cite, apart from Michigan, are reaches is that they typically have low admission rates for transfer students. The large public universities are more likely to take transfers.</p>
<p>You should apply to BIG schools because BIG schools have a lot of students dropping out and thus accept a lot of transfers. Off the top of my head I would say University of Michigan and USC would both accept you assuming you meet the pre-reqs. </p>
<p>if you want, you can also apply to a few reach ivy’s like Cornell but I wouldn’t get your hope up. </p>
<p>One last thing. Remember this. As a transfer student you are coming in with college credits. Different schools have different requirements for their majors - pre-reqs. Likewise they have different general education plans. It’s critical you take the right classes else even if you do get in, you might find yourself needing to take more classes than you’d like.</p>
<p>The reason those schools are reaches is because transfer admission (much like freshmen admission) is based on space. Small schools don’t have a lot of students so much less drop out and thus much less can transfer in. At the same time a lot of people that do transfer in are people that (for some reason) declined going in as freshman or were wait listed. As in that sense you can say that the HS grades and EC were important.</p>
<p>As schools like USC they won’t even care about ECs or anything like that for junior level transfer with a good GPA.</p>
<p>Bomerr, I was born and raised in Southern California as a huge USC Trojans fan, but moved away in my early adolescent years. I went to two football games this year (vs. Utah State, @Notre Dame). I’m not sure if USC is the right fit for me. It seems too fratty. Also, paying for USC might be tough. I’m not sure how generous they are with merit aid for transfers. Are you a student there?</p>
<p>If you are applying to OOS or privates then I don’t think USC will be much of a difference in cost. </p>
<p>I got some friends who goto USC and I am applying as a transfer this year. I really want to get into Berkeley but if not USC is where I’ll end up going.</p>
<p>Personally I really liked the feel. The people are really nice and friendly and have a lot more school spirit than other universities I’ve been too coughUCLAcough.</p>
<p>It depends on what you want to do. I’m a business major so their program is very appealing to me.</p>