Grades need for lateral transfer or up/down transfer Forum

[acdisagod]

So, I'm currently at a lower top 14 and I'm looking to stay near my girlfriend of four years who will be getting her PHD somewhere, but we are not sure where yet. I wanted to know what kind of grades I would need to transfer to a top 25, a similarly ranked school, a top 6 or a top 3.

Most of the threads I could find were about transferring way up, sorry if this question has already been answered. Here is what I have gathered so far to the best of my ability correct me if I am wrong

To go from lower T14 to a similarly ranked school I would need to be in the top 25-30%
To get into a school between about 6-10 I would need to be in the top 15-20%
To get into a top 6 maybe about top 10%



EDIT: And I know some people would want me to know my grades before I make this post but the problem is applications for a lot of PHD programs are due before I get my grades so it would be nice to have some idea of how difficult it will be to transfer.

[danidancer]

Your thread going unanswered is making me sad. These are just guesses, so take them with a grain of salt. Here goes:

As you've probably figured out on your own, top 10% is the fairly standard quote for lower T14 transferring to HYS. Anyway, I'd imagine CCN requires similar stats, although top 15% might be OK there? For the rest of the t14, maybe top 20-25%? Not really sure about transferring down. For a T30 you might be alright at median? Maybe slightly above?

[vanwinkle]

There's very little stats on lateral transfers so it's hard to say. Top third to top quarter probably makes it almost certain, as long as it's coupled to a good geographical reason for the move. Median or above is at least worth a shot. There's just very little data on people doing this.

To get into H or S from lower T14, you're going to need top 10% or better. I say that as someone who did just that. Y will take top 5% and/or a blessing from the Pope. Y is super-stingy with transfers, they only take 10-15 a year and can be incredibly choosy. Things will open up a bit as you get down into the CCN range, since I think Columbia (for example) takes 60-80 transfers a year (for comparison, Y takes 10-15 and H takes 30-35).

But it's hard to say, especially since the economy is making everything strange. Harvard got 30% more transfer apps this year than they ever have before, and that might continue increasing as the economy keeps people freaked out and looking to move up. Essentially, if you need to transfer, just aim for the highest possible grades you can get, work your ass off 110%, study smart, and hope you're doing the right thing. That's all you can do, regardless of your target.

Good luck.

[acdisagod]

Thanks a lot for your responses. This is just so difficult to figure out and is made near impossible by the fact I have to guess where I might be able to transfer to before I even get my grades.

[XxSpyKEx]

Don't transfer down. That is just a really bad idea. In the past, people on yahoo transferapps have said that they made transfer within the t14 with median grades (e.g. from MVP-->CCN). I think it was typically viewed as a 50/50 shot with median grades to transfer laterally in the t14. Things are probably more competitive now, but I would think top 1/3 would give you a decent shot to transfer laterally.

[ToTransferOrNot]

If your relationship is good/important enough that you would consider transferring down for it, then it is good/strong enough to survive a 2-year LDR. Don't tank your career for proximity to your GF - you will end up resenting her for it. Just a really bad idea. You can always try to be a visitin student during 3L, if things are really insufferable.

Re: Stats required to transfer - 50%+ is going to give you a solid chance, since you will have a good reason for needing to move.

[Maven]

You should seriously consider visiting student status for your third year. Assuming that your SO will be in the same time zone, it will not be too difficult for you to maintain the relationship during your second year by visiting on weekends etc. A long time ago, I did this, and still received my degree from my higher rated school.