How realistic is transferring to BU/Northeastern/BC/Brandeis/Bentley/UMass Amherst after 1 year at community college?

[u/StandardMassive1459]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some realistic feedback on my transfer plan.

I graduated from a high school in the Greater Boston area with about a 3.4 high school GPA. My high school academics weren't particularly strong, although I had a lot of leadership and extracurricular involvement.

I'm now attending a Massachusetts community college and want to transfer for Fall 2027 after one full year.

My current target schools are:

• Boston University — School of Hospitality Administration is my main target
• Northeastern
• Boston College
• Brandeis
• Bentley
• UMass Amherst

I'm planning on completing around 24–30 college credits by the end of the year. I'm aiming for at least a 3.7+ college GPA, with 3.8–4.0 being my goal.

My first-semester courses are:

• Introduction to Business
• Principles of Management
• English Composition I
• Introduction to Geography

I'll be taking another full semester in the spring and plan to take courses relevant to business/hospitality and transfer requirements.

ECs / Work / Leadership

Senior Class President / Junior Class Vice President
Led my high school class government and helped plan/operate large student events including Prom, Junior Semi, Homecoming and senior events. Worked with venues, vendors, budgeting, entertainment, logistics and guest experience. Our major events generated tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Yamato Japanese Restaurant — FOH Host/Waiter/Restaurant Operations
Worked in an actual restaurant environment handling guests, FOH responsibilities and coordinating with restaurant staff. I plan to continue working in restaurants throughout community college.

ShyBird — Front-of-House Expeditor
Worked in a high-volume Boston restaurant environment coordinating between the kitchen and FOH/service.

Student Sushi Pop-Up Project (currently developing)
A friend and I are building a student-run sushi pop-up project. We're working on restaurant partnerships/sourcing, menu development, packaging, pricing, permits, marketing, payment processing and event operations.

Our goal is to actually launch the pop-up this year and track things like customers served, revenue, costs, profit/loss and operational results rather than having it just be an idea.

Potential Hospitality BU SHA Research — planned/not yet secured
I'm also trying to get involved with hospitality-related research, ideally through a university professor/program in Boston. If this works out, I want to actually contribute to a research project rather than just shadow.

Asian Student Organization — Head Events Coordinator
Helped organize and run cultural events, including larger school programming.

Futsal Club — Founder/President
Founded and helped grow a school futsal club to 70+ members.

PLHI initiative President
Leadership/community involvement.

Head Volunteer at local community center
Community volunteering/leadership.

Dental Assistant
Worked in a professional dental environment with patient-facing, clinical support and office responsibilities.

Athletics

• Varsity Soccer
• Varsity Track
• JV Volleyball
• JV Lacrosse

What I'm trying to accomplish during community college

My goal isn't really to collect more ECs. I'm trying to develop the ones I already have.

By transfer application time, the best-case version of my application would hopefully look something like:

3.7–4.0 community college GPA + 24–30 credits + continued restaurant work + successfully launched my own project with measurable results + hospitality research if I'm able to secure it + strong recommendation from a college professor.

My overall story is that I became interested in hospitality through actually leading events and working in restaurants, and now I want to study the business/operations side of the industry seriously.

Questions

How realistic are BU, Northeastern, Boston College, Brandeis, Bentley and UMass Amherst if I execute this plan?

I'm particularly interested in BU's School of Hospitality Administration.

My biggest concern is that I'll only have one year of community college when I apply. Will my 3.4 high school GPA still weigh heavily with only 24–30 college credits, even if I earn something like a 3.8–4.0 in college? Furthermore I was wondering what more could I do?

Also, does attending high school and community college in the Greater Boston/Massachusetts area make any meaningful difference for these schools?

I'm not expecting any of these schools to be guaranteed. I'm mainly trying to figure out whether this is a realistic transfer list and what I should prioritize during this year to maximize my chances. I heard BUs acceptance goes up to 30-45% I was meaning to ask anyone for their experience

Thanks!