Expert: Susie Watts - 4/10/2009

Question
Hello,
I'm now a senior in high school who will be attending
University of Maryland in the fall. I applied to UCLA
however, and didn't get in. I would like to transfer there
after two years at UMD, so how difficult would that be?
what do admissions representatives generally look at other
than GPA? As of now, my major is biology...so I was
wondering if there is an ideal GPA that would get one
accepted into the school.

I know it's very early to be thinking about this now, but I
was just wondering :)

Thanks.
Trisha

Answer
UCLA is a very difficult school to get into but it is often easier to transfer to than apply as a freshman.  I would suggest you take all ot the core classes you need to take at UMD and get the best grades in them as possible.  The higher your grades, the better opportunity you will have get in.  They also look at essays, campus, involvement, recommendations from college professors, and anything that makes you unique.  You will probably need a 3.5 or above to be a realistic candidate.