Eyeing an Ivy? Getting in may be simpler than this map.
So you’ve decided to shoot for that Ivy League degree after 2 years of community college? Sweet!
Lucky for you, getting into a top-tier school as a community college transfer student is easier than you may think. Here are 3 golden rules to follow to achieve your Ivy-colored dreams.
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RULE #1: GPA MATTERS… BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU THINK
I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that you’ll still need a great GPA to get into an Ivy League school as a transfer student. The good news is that the GPA doesn’t have to be as high as you think.
Remember, you are not competing against every high school student who has been groomed to get into Harvard since they were in diapers. To have a shot of getting into an Ivy League school as a community college transfer student, it is best to keep a GPA of AT LEAST… (drumroll)… a realistic 3.5. See, not terrible right?
Now, you should certainly shoot for a higher GPA, as 3.5 should be the MINIMUM GPA for an Ivy League transfer hopeful. The point is that the GPA you’ll need to stand a fighting chance with the Ivy Leagues is a lot lower for a community college transfer than for a high school senior.
RULE #2: CHALLENGE YOURSELF… ACADEMICALLY
If you read the previous rule about minimum GPAs and said to yourself, “Oh, I’ll just take a ton of easy classes and easily make a 3.5 GPA,” you might want to think again.
Admissions officers at all schools, not just the Ivy Leagues, will look at your community college experiences as a college trial-run. If you do well in your trial run, then you’ll most likely do well once you transfer to their school. However, if you take all easy courses, it will be incredibly difficult for the admissions officer at an Ivy League to know if you are really ready for an academic challenge.
This is why it is incredibly important that you take courses that show you can challenge yourself—and still succeed. Ivy League schools will want to see that you not only do well in the courses related to your major, but that you are also willing take some harder math and science courses.
RULE #3: BE A LEADER… LOGICALLY
Everyone says that Ivy League schools are looking for students with “leadership” abilities, so all of you overachievers run out and sign up for every club on campus. This is one of those times where quality crushes quantity.
Find something you love and own it. Join a club, start a club, volunteer for a cause that you are excited about, and generally do what you can to show that you are passionate about something. It helps if you dedicate yourself to something related to your major (i.e., a job, internship, project, etc).
Transferred from a community college to an Ivy League school? What do you feel like made the difference for you? Let us know in the comments.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
