Transferring to an Ivy League College - Possible for me?

Question

I didn't do so well in HS, and my SAT score was 1800 out of 2400.

I attend San Francisco State University (this is my first semester), and I am getting all A's (on my tests and essays, which I'm pretty sure will mean a decent GPA) in classes such as Politics, Physics, Business Calculus, Speech, and Freshmen English.

For two years, I held a job at a hospital, and I am now beginning a new one on Wednesday.

My aspiration is to be a partner in a Certified Public Accounting firm - I only just turned 18, but I'm pretty sure of this.

I've had a satirical essay published in a literary newspaper. My writing skills are very strong (don't let this post reflect otherwise!), so I think I can handle the essay required for transferring.

If I maintain my grades, and retake the SAT, do I have even a remote chance of getting into an Ivy League or UC Berkeley?

I'm joining a Student's Accounting Association next semester, and I probably won't transfer until junior year.

I graduated a rather prestigious HS with a GPA of 3.60, but I only took one AP course (Biology). I hope my achievements in college will help override my shortcomings in HS.

Answer 1

If you are getting straight As, then Berkeley is a possibility for you -- since it seems like you are a California resident.

It is highly unlikely that you will be able to transfer into an Ivy League university for several reasons:

1. Your SAT score -- while good -- is about 300 points too low when you compare it to those accepted into Ivy League schools.

2. The Ivy League schools accept very few transfer students. Princeton does not accept any. Harvard and Yale accept about 25-35 transfer students per year out of more than a thousand applicants. Penn accepts 175 out of more than 1900.

3. You are majoring in accounting -- and only two of the eight Ivy League schools have undergraduate business programs. Cornell is one, and the other is the Wharton school at the University of Pennsylvania. While Penn accepts 175 transfer students -- Wharton only accepts a handful. Most of them are transfers from other colleges at Penn.

SFSU is not highly regarded -- so I applaud your effort to get into a better undergraduate program. I have already mentioned that Berkeley is a possibility for you. Other undergraduate programs that are real possibilities for you are UCLA, USC, Virginia, Michigan, Maryland and any other UC school that offers your major.

Answer 2

I would think that a lot would depend on whether your new test scores and your college GPA would make you comparable to the students they accepted.

Here's the scores for the Ivies' most recent freshman classes, the middle half rather than the highest and lowest ranked students who got in:

Brown
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 670-760
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 680-770
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 690-760
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 27-33
Students in top 10% of HS class: 91%
Total applicants who are accepted: 14%

Columbia
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 670-760
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 680-780
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 700-770
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 28-33
Total applicants who are accepted: 12%

Cornell
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 620-730
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 660-760
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 670-740
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 28-32
Students in top 10% of HS class: 84%
Total applicants who are accepted: 25%

Dartmouth
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 670-770
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 680-780
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 700-770
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 28-34
Average High School GPA: 3.75
Students in top 10% of HS class: 90%
Total applicants who are accepted: 16%

Harvard:
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 690-800
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 700-790
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 720-780
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 31-34
Students in top 10% of HS class: 95%
Total applicants who are accepted: 9%

Princeton:
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 680-800
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 690-790
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 720-770
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 30-34
Average High School GPA: 3.85
Students in top 10% of HS class: 94%
Total applicants who are accepted: 10%

University of Pennsylvania
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 650-750
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 680-780
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 690-750
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 31-34
Average High School GPA: 3.83
Students in top 10% of HS class: 94%
Total applicants who are accepted: 18%

Yale:
SAT - Critical Reading Middle 50%: 700-780
SAT - Math Middle 50%: 690-790
TPR Projected Range SAT Writing: 720-780
ACT Composite Middle 50%: 31-34
Students in top 10% of HS class: 95%
Total applicants who are accepted: 9%

I would think that if your new test scores are not near the upper range for these schools, even with good grades and activities you might not be admitted. However, that's just a best guess.

Don't forget that you can get a first-rate education almost any place that's accredited, and that Ivy League schools may not be the strongest in the field you intend to study.