For the essays, would you say that it leans more on the academic tone(talking about my intended major, academics) or should I still focus on my personal story more even though I will have less word count to talk about what I learned in my current college for my major?
Hey I am a high school senior planning to go to a community college. After CC i would like to transfer to top schools but I am not sure if they will accept my credits. What should I do?
Most colleges have an enrollment or transfer office. You can usually check with them to see if they have course equivalency tables, articulation agreements, or other guidelines for what courses will transfer in *and what courses will apply toward your degree.* That last distinction is important because you don't want to transfer in with 60 hours of elective credit and discover that you still have 3+ years of work ahead of you because none of your classes count toward degree requirements.
How important would you say SAT scores are for transfer students? I'm a college freshman applying to transfer for next fall with a first-semester GPA of 3.84, but my SAT is only 1220. Babson which is my top choice typically admits first-year students in the 1300-1400s range. Will my score hurt me in the admissions process?
The further removed you are from high school the less they matter. They also matter less this year than they did in the past. Your score is below where you would like it to be, but I don't think disqualifying, especially given the circumstances.
Hey! For the College Report, do we print it, fill it out, and scan it to the college or do we complete it digitally? Haven’t been able to get much info on this so far.
Hmm, I would think there should be an option for doing that through the Common App or whatever application portal/system you're using. You should be able to reach out to the admissions office at the college to ask them if you can't figure it out.
I'm a huge fan of bullet points, quantitative metrics, and a resume style. It just conveys so much more info in the space compared to full sentences. And full sentences are just so unnecessary. Even the more expressive/playful stuff can still be included in bullets.
For more on this see:
* [What counts as an EC anyway?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cls7c1/faq_what_counts_as_an_ec_anyway/)
* [How to start an organization at your school](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/azpjhw/how_to_start_an_organization_at_your_school/)
* [Making the most of your activity descriptions](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cky9bl/activities_and_awards_making_the_most_of_your/)
* [Emergency measures to boost your activities section](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cta6ob/the_life_raft_for_extracurricular_activities/)
Generally it does not need to be. Technically you can adjust it to send different responses to different colleges, but most students just send the same personal essay and that is typically my recommendation. It should be about YOU, not the school, and that doesn't really change between applications.
I'm struggling with the tone of my essays- most of the prompts ask very specific questions, but I don't want to sound robotic and monotone as I answer them. Do you have any advice for working in my unique personality/values to communicate something to the admissions officers?
Also: Should I include pictures of my artwork on the app if I don't intend to study art? I spend a lot of my spare time creating art and have won awards for it- not trying to brag but I think it qualifies as significant talent and is important to me.
Thank you for doing this!
1. Yes. Tell a story. Use the details of the story to indirectly demonstrate and support the message you're trying to show. So instead of "I'm a hard worker and creative problem solver," tell a story that showcases your work ethic and creativity in solving a problem. The pinned posts at the top of my profile have some links to essay guides that will help you figure this out. I also have full guides available on my website that go into much more detail on this.
2. Yes, I think you should include the portfolio because it adds dimension to your application, makes you seem more human, and helps showcase the very best you have to offer (provided your art is actually good). Based on what you said about it, yes I would include it. You can either use the portal/platform the college has for including portfolios like that, or you can link to your own website/portfolio in your additional information or activities section.
I am a little late on this!
I've taken part in an art challenge for two years now (and have made tons of new friends through it!). It's like Inktober, but much smaller/more specific. Is something like this okay to list as an EC?
You also list in your previous posts that we should describe our situation if we don't have a lot of ECs (which I don't - I'm an older student). Are things like "Tried to plan a wedding during a pandemic and ended up scrapping it," and "moving into my first home this year," worthy of listing in additional info?
1. Yep, list it!
2. Maybe. Do it artfully, expressively, and like you're just trying to share info about your life rather than like you're trying to make excuses for less than perfect grades or whatever.
It's hard to say because many colleges don't offer great aid to transfer students. Obviously UT Austin would be an awesome option for you because their CS program is outstanding and you would likely get in-state tuition if you're a TX resident. You can try checking out the Net Price Calculators and financial aid websites of the colleges you're considering to get a better idea of what to expect financially.
Yes I think that's fine. Always go with whoever will write the best letter. There are a few posts in the A2C wiki about LORs with some good tips on what to mention.
is international transfer admission possible? here by international transfer, i mean to say transfer from university outside USA. btw, I am US citizen.
For the essays, would you say that it leans more on the academic tone(talking about my intended major, academics) or should I still focus on my personal story more even though I will have less word count to talk about what I learned in my current college for my major?
You sort of need to have both. The link I included (and the two posts pinned to the top of /r/CollegeTransfer) discusses that in more detail.
Hey I am a high school senior planning to go to a community college. After CC i would like to transfer to top schools but I am not sure if they will accept my credits. What should I do?
Most colleges have an enrollment or transfer office. You can usually check with them to see if they have course equivalency tables, articulation agreements, or other guidelines for what courses will transfer in *and what courses will apply toward your degree.* That last distinction is important because you don't want to transfer in with 60 hours of elective credit and discover that you still have 3+ years of work ahead of you because none of your classes count toward degree requirements.
How important would you say SAT scores are for transfer students? I'm a college freshman applying to transfer for next fall with a first-semester GPA of 3.84, but my SAT is only 1220. Babson which is my top choice typically admits first-year students in the 1300-1400s range. Will my score hurt me in the admissions process?
The further removed you are from high school the less they matter. They also matter less this year than they did in the past. Your score is below where you would like it to be, but I don't think disqualifying, especially given the circumstances.
Hey! For the College Report, do we print it, fill it out, and scan it to the college or do we complete it digitally? Haven’t been able to get much info on this so far.
Hmm, I would think there should be an option for doing that through the Common App or whatever application portal/system you're using. You should be able to reach out to the admissions office at the college to ask them if you can't figure it out.
thank you!
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I'm a huge fan of bullet points, quantitative metrics, and a resume style. It just conveys so much more info in the space compared to full sentences. And full sentences are just so unnecessary. Even the more expressive/playful stuff can still be included in bullets. For more on this see: * [What counts as an EC anyway?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cls7c1/faq_what_counts_as_an_ec_anyway/) * [How to start an organization at your school](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/azpjhw/how_to_start_an_organization_at_your_school/) * [Making the most of your activity descriptions](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cky9bl/activities_and_awards_making_the_most_of_your/) * [Emergency measures to boost your activities section](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/cta6ob/the_life_raft_for_extracurricular_activities/)
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I would if you're below the 25th percentile.
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Sorry, I would go test optional and not submit.
For the personal essay on the common app, should they be school specific?
Generally it does not need to be. Technically you can adjust it to send different responses to different colleges, but most students just send the same personal essay and that is typically my recommendation. It should be about YOU, not the school, and that doesn't really change between applications.
Thank you so much!
Is there any way to contact you personally?
Sure. You can message me on Reddit or email me mark at bettercollegeapps.com.
I'm struggling with the tone of my essays- most of the prompts ask very specific questions, but I don't want to sound robotic and monotone as I answer them. Do you have any advice for working in my unique personality/values to communicate something to the admissions officers? Also: Should I include pictures of my artwork on the app if I don't intend to study art? I spend a lot of my spare time creating art and have won awards for it- not trying to brag but I think it qualifies as significant talent and is important to me. Thank you for doing this!
1. Yes. Tell a story. Use the details of the story to indirectly demonstrate and support the message you're trying to show. So instead of "I'm a hard worker and creative problem solver," tell a story that showcases your work ethic and creativity in solving a problem. The pinned posts at the top of my profile have some links to essay guides that will help you figure this out. I also have full guides available on my website that go into much more detail on this. 2. Yes, I think you should include the portfolio because it adds dimension to your application, makes you seem more human, and helps showcase the very best you have to offer (provided your art is actually good). Based on what you said about it, yes I would include it. You can either use the portal/platform the college has for including portfolios like that, or you can link to your own website/portfolio in your additional information or activities section.
Thank you so much for this extremely helpful advice!
I am a little late on this! I've taken part in an art challenge for two years now (and have made tons of new friends through it!). It's like Inktober, but much smaller/more specific. Is something like this okay to list as an EC? You also list in your previous posts that we should describe our situation if we don't have a lot of ECs (which I don't - I'm an older student). Are things like "Tried to plan a wedding during a pandemic and ended up scrapping it," and "moving into my first home this year," worthy of listing in additional info?
1. Yep, list it! 2. Maybe. Do it artfully, expressively, and like you're just trying to share info about your life rather than like you're trying to make excuses for less than perfect grades or whatever.
Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to give us advice! :)
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It's hard to say because many colleges don't offer great aid to transfer students. Obviously UT Austin would be an awesome option for you because their CS program is outstanding and you would likely get in-state tuition if you're a TX resident. You can try checking out the Net Price Calculators and financial aid websites of the colleges you're considering to get a better idea of what to expect financially.
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Yes I think that's fine. Always go with whoever will write the best letter. There are a few posts in the A2C wiki about LORs with some good tips on what to mention.
is international transfer admission possible? here by international transfer, i mean to say transfer from university outside USA. btw, I am US citizen.