Can Graduating High School as a College Junior Help with University Transfer?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of graduating high school as a college junior on the ability to transfer to a university, particularly elite institutions. Participants explore the relevance of high school performance, community college credits, and standardized test scores in the context of transfer admissions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that graduating high school as a college junior may not provide an advantage in transferring to universities, as applicants may be considered as freshmen rather than transfer students.
  • Concerns are raised about the impact of a low high school GPA (3.0) on admissions, especially when combined with strong community college performance (3.9 GPA) and advanced coursework.
  • There is a discussion about the perception of high school grades in light of community college achievements, with some arguing that it may reflect poorly on the applicant's overall commitment.
  • Participants note that transfer admissions can be more competitive due to limited slots, and the policies of the target university will dictate whether one applies as a freshman or transfer student.
  • Some express uncertainty about the transferability of community college credits to elite universities, particularly in the context of physics courses.
  • There are suggestions for improving admissions prospects, such as raising grades, retaking standardized tests, and obtaining strong letters of recommendation.
  • One participant shares a personal experience of delayed transcript submission affecting their admissions process, indicating that similar situations could occur for others.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express differing views on the significance of high school performance relative to community college achievements, and whether graduating as a college junior provides any tangible benefits for university transfer. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best strategies for improving transfer admission chances.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the uncertainty surrounding the transferability of community college credits and the varying policies of different universities regarding admissions processes.

haxtor21
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Does graduating high school as a college junior give you any advantage whatsoever regarding transferring to university? considering that you had no real ECs except work and hobbies.
 
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Not that I've seen. And 'transferring' refers to changing schools in the middle of a degree, not just starting one. You'd be applying as a freshman, not a transfer student. Graduating as a junior just means you might be behind in math, or if you were two years ahead of your peers, at the same math level as most people entering the physical science majors.
 
I'm curious what program did you go through to do this>
 
Uhm... let me rephrase that.

I will be grduaring high school with ~60 credits of community college credit, including Calc 1,2,3, diff eq, phy 1,2 and the other rubbish classes. GPA 3.9.

The thing is i just let my high school slip, since I just hate the place. I have a 3.0 HS GPA and a 21 ACT.

So uhm, Do i have any advantage considering i basically went full time since I was 16? I am planning to transfer to top 10 programs, my target school being Cornell.

College confidential really screwed up my head and I kind of lost confidence in my stats.
 
haxtor21 said:
Uhm... let me rephrase that.

I will be grduaring high school with ~60 credits of community college credit, including Calc 1,2,3, diff eq, phy 1,2 and the other rubbish classes. GPA 3.9.

The thing is i just let my high school slip, since I just hate the place. I have a 3.0 HS GPA and a 21 ACT.

So uhm, Do i have any advantage considering i basically went full time since I was 16? I am planning to transfer to top 10 programs, my target school being Cornell.

College confidential really screwed up my head and I kind of lost confidence in my stats.

Only if you apply as a transfer. Sadly your high school scores will reflect badly on you.

I only suggest this is because I went through kinda the same thing. Except my high school neglected to send my transcript until many months after any scholarship decisions were made. I still got into the colleges I wanted to go to.
 
You high school grades will reflect poorly - in fact, they will be looked at in a worse light because of your other accomplishments. The message it sends is "works hard - but only when he feels like it". This is not what elite colleges are looking for. The admissions committee may well come to the conclusion that, based on your grades and test scores, that the community college has a very liberal grading policy.

As far as transfer vs. freshman admissions, in most cases transfer admissions are more difficult, as the number of slots is smaller. However, the university's policy will determine whether you apply as a freshman or a transfer.

You also need to consider the possibility that not all of your CC credits will transfer. Physics 1 and 2 at a CC may not be the same as from an elite university.
 
So I am screwed basically. What can I do in order to transfer at cornell ? I received emails from them encouraging me to consider them for transfer admission (through phi theta kappa).

I have one semester left of high school. Should I just not care about it, or what should I do ? retake the ACT ?

Should I take up more ECs at college?

I was planning on applying for winter 2010.

Crap. -_-
 
You need to get your grades up, and it wouldn't hurt to get your test scores up. It's also important to get good letters of recommendation from your teachers.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
You need to get your grades up, and it wouldn't hurt to get your test scores up. It's also important to get good letters of recommendation from your teachers.

Well I am only going to be taking 3 easy classes at my high school ( I exhausted all of the hard classes basically) and 3 classes at college. And I don't really have any relationships with my teachers. I am quiet and shy. I don't think I can get my grades up that significantly. Should I retake the ACT?

Is this high school stuff really that important even though I will be transferring ? Does it really have that much weight?
 
  • #10
I'd retake the ACT, you seem smart and a 21 on the ACT will NOT be reflecting your potential.
 

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