The University of Rochester

“Despite what some people say, I don't honestly thinkAug 17 2008Electrical Engineering
Despite what some people say, I don't honestly think UR is that hard to get into. I applied ED, so maybe I'm an exception, but if you've taken AP courses throughout high school, gotten fairly decent grades, and write well, you shouldn't have any trouble. Applying to other high-grade schools also helps- they love stealing students from Ivy schools.
ACT: 32 SAT: 2110 Male

“If you want to go to U of R,Apr 09 2008Other
If you want to go to U of R, you should definitely set up an interview with an alum in your area. I did this and it helped me get in despite my relatively low test scores. Make sure you express your interest in attending a research university that can offer you the best education for your money.

Be creative with your applications essay. Write it yourself and write it about something you are really interested in. My essay was a fictional story of myself in the future working frantically in a lab to combat an ebola pandemic by developing a cure or vaccine or something. It was exciting and different. Its very overused to talk about your past experiences, so use the applications essay as an opportunity to demonstrate your creativity instead.

Don't worry too much about your test scores or high school grades. They do need to be decent, but I am proof that they do not need to be excellent. Also it helps if you took challenging courses in high school rather than just taking the minimum and getting good grades. They would rather see you get a C in an AP class than get an A in a regular class. Keep that in mind.

Hope this helps.
Male

“I screwed up my last year of high schoolOct 23 2007Math
I screwed up my last year of high school. Pretty much all of high school actually. Went to a community college and screwed up there too, but got it together after a semester.

If you are transferring from another college, like I did:
get a high GPA, retake anything you did poorly on. Get involved in some clubs. Develop a sense of what you think work-ethic and education is all about and write about this in your personal statement. Write about how you've grown from high-school to the point where you are ready to transfer showing that you have matured.

Generally, I feel that transfer students have to prove that they are mature and not just smart, as you are expected to be mature after a few years of college compared to the high-school senior. Show that you are passionate, hard-working, know yourself, and have strong beliefs.

Oh, and take liberal arts/engineering/math classes only. If you are taking trade classes and/or secretarial classes they won't transfer and it doesn't show that you are ready/interested in heavy academics. I transferred with a 3.92 gpa in mostly humanities classes, but I imagine a gpa of 3.7 or higher has a very good chance of transferring in.
Male

“I finished at a pretty good level in mySep 19 2005English
I finished at a pretty good level in my class with a pretty solid GPA, I had an interview, visited once, the usual.
SAT: 1350 Female

“I applied EDNov 08 2004Other
I applied ED. With a 50% acceptance rate, I thought it would be easy for most decent students to get in, but I've seen some inconsistencies among my friends who applied. I visited and had an interview with an admissions officer in my town. I had good SAT scores but my grades weren't great.
SAT: 1400 Female