2015 509s are Out Forum

[BVest]

Last year when they first started posting transfer GPAs on 509s, my first complaint was that a GPA doesn't give you good predictive value at all, because the median at one school can be up to .2 or .3 different, and someone with a 3.6 could be top 10% at one place, and top 33% at another, and the top 10% person would have a lot better shot than the latter.

It can be off by a lot more than that. A typical median at a TTTT is 2.5-2.7 (or even lower at a complete dumpster fire), vs 3.1 to 3.3 at a T1.

[NoDayButToday]

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[Nebby]

Last year when they first started posting transfer GPAs on 509s, my first complaint was that a GPA doesn't give you good predictive value at all, because the median at one school can be up to .2 or .3 different, and someone with a 3.6 could be top 10% at one place, and top 33% at another, and the top 10% person would have a lot better shot than the latter.

It can be off by a lot more than that. A typical median at a TTTT is 2.5-2.7 (or even lower at a complete dumpster fire), vs 3.1 to 3.3 at a T1.

The fact that they have to report the numbers though, and not percentage place in the class, makes me think a person's percentile might be worth less than we've determined on TLS. By TLS's percentile standards, it seemed like I didn't have a shot at T6, much less lower T14, but I was very successful with all except to HYS. I was within the 509 GPA ranges of where I was accepted, though. Have since met others who say the same -- that they were top 15-33% but their GPA was in the 509 ranges or close. So if only anecdotally, I think the GPA value is much more predictive than our conventional belief in percentiles. I also think because of minimal reporting requirements, they have more discretion to value soft factors once they hit their desired median.

What were your stats?

[NoDayButToday]

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[Tiago Splitter]

Could also be that transferring has gotten easier in recent years.

[lavarman84]

Thankfully OCI worked out and i didn't end up transferring... but jesus. Applied to transfer at two schools, above BOTH school's 75% transfer GPA, and didnt get either. Not too bitter cause of how it worked out, but would have likely had a lot less stressful fall.

ETA: must have had some glaring flaw on app/letter of rec/something.. who knows

Last year when they first started posting transfer GPAs on 509s, my first complaint was that a GPA doesn't give you good predictive value at all, because the median at one school can be up to .2 or .3 different, and someone with a 3.6 could be top 10% at one place, and top 33% at another, and the top 10% person would have a lot better shot than the latter.

Can only speak for myself but my percentile and GPA were about equally strong and still got rejected by Columbia despite my GPA being significantly higher than their median and 75th percentile GPAs. Not sure what caused it. Which is what bothers me.

[droopy999]

New holiday tradition for when the 509s come out and rejected transfers are reminded of bad memories from the summer time.