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I am top 2% at a T4 (4.044 gpa) and will be applying to transfer to GW, GULC, USC, and a couple others during regular admissions. If you were in my shoes, knowing the uncertainty in this process for me, would you go binding at USC (to increase chances of getting in) or hold out for the chance at GULC? I have no real preference between the D.C. and Pacific markets. USC is a much smaller school. What would you do?

Mce252 wrote:I am top 2% at a T4 (4.044 gpa) and will be applying to transfer to GW, GULC, USC, and a couple others during regular admissions. If you were in my shoes, knowing the uncertainty in this process for me, would you go binding at USC (to increase chances of getting in) or hold out for the chance at GULC? I have no real preference between the D.C. and Pacific markets. USC is a much smaller school. What would you do?

Are you serious? You are shooting way to low from what I have read in the transfer forum. You could ED to Chicago since they only go off first semesters grades...

AssumptionRequired wrote:

Mce252 wrote:I am top 2% at a T4 (4.044 gpa) and will be applying to transfer to GW, GULC, USC, and a couple others during regular admissions. If you were in my shoes, knowing the uncertainty in this process for me, would you go binding at USC (to increase chances of getting in) or hold out for the chance at GULC? I have no real preference between the D.C. and Pacific markets. USC is a much smaller school. What would you do?

Are you serious? You are shooting way to low from what I have read in the transfer forum. You could ED to Chicago since they only go off first semesters grades...

Nah, I've seen rejects at UChi who were top 15 at T1-T2. That doesn't leave much for me -- especially with the 5 - 10 they take EA.

Mce252 wrote:

AssumptionRequired wrote:

Mce252 wrote:I am top 2% at a T4 (4.044 gpa) and will be applying to transfer to GW, GULC, USC, and a couple others during regular admissions. If you were in my shoes, knowing the uncertainty in this process for me, would you go binding at USC (to increase chances of getting in) or hold out for the chance at GULC? I have no real preference between the D.C. and Pacific markets. USC is a much smaller school. What would you do?

Are you serious? You are shooting way to low from what I have read in the transfer forum. You could ED to Chicago since they only go off first semesters grades...

Nah, I've seen rejects at UChi who were top 15 at T1-T2. That doesn't leave much for me -- especially with the 5 - 10 they take EA.

Over a 4.0 is pretty damn impressive no matter where you go to school

AssumptionRequired wrote:

Mce252 wrote:

AssumptionRequired wrote:

Mce252 wrote:I am top 2% at a T4 (4.044 gpa) and will be applying to transfer to GW, GULC, USC, and a couple others during regular admissions. If you were in my shoes, knowing the uncertainty in this process for me, would you go binding at USC (to increase chances of getting in) or hold out for the chance at GULC? I have no real preference between the D.C. and Pacific markets. USC is a much smaller school. What would you do?

Are you serious? You are shooting way to low from what I have read in the transfer forum. You could ED to Chicago since they only go off first semesters grades...

Nah, I've seen rejects at UChi who were top 15 at T1-T2. That doesn't leave much for me -- especially with the 5 - 10 they take EA.

Over a 4.0 is pretty damn impressive no matter where you go to school

Thank you. I don't think I'm going to apply to binding admission. I was just considering it because of how small USC's transfer class is.

Unless you are deadset for USC, don't do binding. No reason to unless that is 100% where you want to be.

TTRansfer wrote:Unless you are deadset for USC, don't do binding. No reason to unless that is 100% where you want to be.

Hard to argue with this.

I also agree with the poster above who said that you should be considering Chicago ED. Also, send out apps to the entire T14.

GL!

tough choice.... Most t4 transfers don't do really well unless they are in the top 2-3%. The problem is that it is really risky. If you have even a slight slip, it could put you outside the top 5% and would effectively kill your chances at transferring to a school better than WUSTL.

At schools like WUSTL/UIUC/Emory, transfers don't do well at all in terms of OCI. However, at schools USC and up, transfers seem to do really well at OCI. Tough call. I'm risk adverse, I would do binding at USC. You have too much to lose. If you are sick on 1 exam this semester, you might drop out of the top 5%. If your computer crashes, you might drop otu of the top 5%. There are too many variables. I have a friend who was top 2-3% at a T50 school fuck up and drop to top 15%. He still can't get over his mistake of not applying to GULC ED or Uchicago Binding ED.

patrickd139 wrote:

TTRansfer wrote:Unless you are deadset for USC, don't do binding. No reason to unless that is 100% where you want to be.

Hard to argue with this.

I also agree with the poster above who said that you should be considering Chicago ED. Also, send out apps to the entire T14.

GL!

At a T4, though? Eesh. I don't know. I think I'd just do Chicago RD. I always hear that a lot of people are outright rejected ED.

Personally, if I were you I would go binding USC. I think that the east coast is gettting slammmmed with transfers. not a lot of people know about USC binding option. Get in, and get a job. Get your future started.

Also, personal friend had above 4.0 at T4 and had some trouble in transfering east because it was T4.

this is all anecdotal, but I would just capitalize on the chance to get in and get started moving forward.

and GL! keep us posted.

After reviewing everything, I made the decision to not apply binding. One of the factors I considered was my slight interest in returning to the Texas market. The number of firms from Texas which interview at Georgetown/GW compared to USC is a lot higher. Further -- I know I didn't mention this in my original post -- my wife works in the nonprofit industry and would be much more comfortable with D.C. as opposed to LA. Plus we could lose the cars and help accommodate some of that high cost of living. Anyway, USC is definitely an option but I just didn't want to throw GULC out the window after seeing quite a few top 2 % T4 transfers get in on the yahoo transfer group.

cool man - sounds like you got a solid plan. Are you going RD?

opX wrote:cool man - sounds like you got a solid plan. Are you going RD?

I'm doing EA at USC, GULC, and GW. RD at a few others once May comes around.