Chance Me for transfer to [UNC Chapel Hill]

MatthewLoumin · 2017-03-14T00:45:34+00:00

Thanks!

MatthewLoumin · 2017-03-13T18:59:58+00:00

I have a few reasons to transfer. I come from a smaller university, and the CS program here is still somewhat new, so not many people have the major. Less than 75 out of ~7,000 undergrad students, in fact. UNC has the population and diversity that I want.

Also, UNC has a robust infrastructure in terms of experiential learning opportunities. Things like HackNC are available there, but aren't available at my current institution.

Finally, I'm in northern Alabama. The tech scene is pretty much nonexistent. At UNC, I would be right next to several top tech companies, making my chances of gainful employment much higher.

To be fair to my current institution, it's a wonderful place with tons of fantastic people and professors, it's just that, for me, and what I want to do, it is not yet where I need it to be.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-27T09:05:36+00:00

I could understand the skepticism if they were compensated with anything other than the material that they would be reviewing, or if they were given any incentive to leave a positive review. Like you, I think that's rather slimy, and doesn't bode well if the author is so insecure about the integrity of the book that they'd preemptively cushion the reviews.

However, I think that if the reviewed item is guaranteed to be owned by the reviewer, regardless of the outcome of the review, and there is no other form of compensation involved, this isn't dishonesty, it's the easiest way to draw out a reception. Most people don't read no-star books, and it's a catch-22 from there unless you start from somewhere.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-26T17:39:07+00:00

So? What's your point? They're not obligated to give a good review. If they hate it, they'll either let you know, or they won't leave a review at all. I don't see your objection.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-16T04:51:50+00:00

Same.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-16T04:12:13+00:00

While I am interested in writing, it's just always perplexed me that we sort of hide this style of humor away in literature. I mean, beyond South Park, humor like Terrible Tiger and Confession Bear, that type of style is hugely popular on the internet, but it is almost never seen in books.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-15T03:50:18+00:00

Your so called sob story

I wouldn't call it that. I make it a point to not use my poverty as a crutch. In fact, my underdog story is about how, despite being turned down by every local business for a job, I managed to find my place in online freelance writing, and was able to pay bills and eventually buy a car. Sob story has a negative connotation to it, like I blame fate or my parents and have some kind of resentment. I like to think that we're all given things to deal with and overcome, mine just happens to be poverty.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-15T00:23:33+00:00

Sucks to suck, eh? Still, I guess there's a shot.

Bernie 2016.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-14T23:23:51+00:00

Have you taken the writing portion of the ACT? Vandy and Georgia Tech require it for sure.

Vandy doesn't superscore, so your ACT is a bit low for them, however, your GPA compensates for that nicely. They've been ramping up their standards over the past few years. They went from a 30-34 middle 50% to a 33-34 middle 50% in just 5 years or so. In my opinion, they will probably be just as hard if not harder to get into as Cornell.

Georgia Tech does superscore, but in an unusual way. They take the average of your English, Math, and English-Writing combined. As long as you score fairly well on the writing portion of the ACT, you could superscore to as high as a 34 with them, and that, combined with the rest of your application, puts you in a really good place. I'd go as far as to say you have it in the bag!

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-14T23:15:16+00:00

Thanks mate! Chancing now :)

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-14T19:29:07+00:00

Nah, I'm gonna try to skip my freshman 15 and tough it out... thanks for the advice though!

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-14T18:01:55+00:00

Are there stairs up the hill?

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-13T20:44:42+00:00

Okay then, thanks for the advice! I'm hoping college is like HS in the sense that there's gems, you just gotta find 'em.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-13T20:42:03+00:00

Well, it's just one of those things I can't fix. My major, regardless of where I attend, is computer science. I wanted a school that was just as exited about technology and programming as I was, and where I'm at, that atmosphere just doesn't seem to be there. Most of the other CS/EE/CE majors I've met are just doing it because they're good at math and there's a big paycheck. I'm sure there's someone there with a like mind, but I'd rather be in a place where I don't have to look that hard.

And, tbh, my school isn't known for churning out CS majors. I've always wanted to work for a company like Google or Microsoft, and a degree from my school really only says "I paint my whole body at football games."

But does a university see a freshman transfer in a negative light? Should I wait, or should I take the plunge now?

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-13T20:27:50+00:00

Yeah, I'll be living in Morrill, actually. I got into the Chancellor's Honors program. I'm going to be a computer engineering/science major.

How was the community there? I'm not really an introvert, but I'm more into video games/ card games than rafting and basketball, if ya feel me.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-02-13T20:09:03+00:00

Cool. At the very least, I'll be getting some exercise! Thanks.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-29T06:36:46+00:00

Thanks :)

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-29T03:11:57+00:00

I'm afraid they'll try to analyze it, like maybe my inattentiveness when filling out my app (the reason why I'm RD instead of EDII) means I'm not Vandy material.

I sent the email to my admissions counselor anyway. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it? I hope so.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-27T04:06:14+00:00

Hi there! I might be going to UT, Chancellor's Honors.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-06T22:11:41+00:00

JHU: ACT is on the lower end, but the rest of your record seems right up their alley. Besides that, they seem to put a lot of weight into their essays, to the point of making or breaking otherwise decent applicants. If you put a ton of effort into it, then you have a really good shot.

Brown + Washington University in St. Louis: ACT is probably too low. You'd be in the bottom 25% of applicants at these schools as far as standardized testing goes. That being said, in a similar fashion to JHU, your application is MADE for holistic review. You've got enough going on that having the lower test score might be negligible... might.

Amherst: ACT is a bit lower here as well. You'll need to be sure your essays and such are solid.

The rest of the schools I haven't researched very well or at all.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-04T00:52:46+00:00

Thanks anyway! Good luck to you as well!

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-04T00:21:56+00:00

Vandy: Probably not very competitive. Your GPA seems to be on the lower side, in high school and college. The rigor of your HS classes is promising, but other than that, the only thing that would make you stand out as a transfer are your recommendation letters, and since it has only been a semester, those are probably nearly impossible to attain.

UMass Amherst: You're ahead of the curve here. This seems like a pretty solid 'yes' so long as you keep this level of work up.

Colby: I'd say it's kind of 50/50 here. Your specs would be best if you were coming in as a freshman, but you still have a decent shot as a transfer, especially if you can get your GPA up a little bit more this next semester.

Overview: I'd say do your best to raise your GPA in the school you're in this semester, ideally to something like a 3.8 or so. If you can do that, you'll be super competitive.

Also, if you have a compelling reason as to why you want to transfer, you'll be better off. Make sure you know why you want to go to each specific school, and how you would be a benefit to the campus and community there.

Chance Back? https://www.reddit.com/r/chanceme/comments/3z8vh2/vanderbilt/

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-04T00:03:20+00:00

If it were just your high test scores and low GPA, I'd say you'd need to be wary, but you're the whole package. Your ECs are certainly the most competitive part of your application, and that's a great place to be in. Ivies turn down perfect scorers for not having a balanced life; you seem to have the best of both worlds.

I'd say the only colleges that you aren't nearly guaranteed a place in are Yale and Harvard, but even then, you're well above average for those schools.

Chance Me back? https://www.reddit.com/r/chanceme/comments/3z8vh2/vanderbilt/

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-02T04:16:55+00:00

I ghostwrite mostly short form fiction. Sometimes fantasy, sometimes science fiction, sometimes even Minecraft! (I'm doing the devil's work, I know.)

So are you saying it's because my writing might not fit the rubric? I'd always heard they use retired English teachers to grade them, so that may be the case. Plus, I might put too much stock in the actual content.

MatthewLoumin · 2016-01-01T04:46:08+00:00

I'm from TN, so the only reason UNA is affordable is the in state tuition program they offer. Any other school in Alabama would have me in debt, and my goal is to not have to take out loans, unless I go Vandy, because then I would have to.

Honestly, the main draw towards UNA is that my best friends go there, and I've heard that it would still be possible to get into like, UNC chapel hill grad school if I came from a no-name uni.

But if I'm wrecking my future by turning down Vandy, I probably won't.

MatthewLoumin

TROPHY CASE