When applying as a transfer student it’s important to be as honest and open on your application as to the reasons you are transferring. Schools want to make sure that students who transfer to their university will be a good fit and not wanting to transfer again after their first year on campus. It’s also important to find a contact in the office of admission who can serve as your advocate during the admission process.
Take your transfer application seriously. When I transferred from George Washington to Rice University, the acceptance rate for transfers was less than half that of regular applicants. Do not assume a few years of solid grades at an established university will open all doors. Spend time on your application and do it well. Try to articulate why you want to transfer without whining or complaining. Even if you are miserable at your current school, focus on the positives. Admissions officers understand if a school isn’t the right fit; they want to hear from you why there school will be a better fit.
Plan. Organize. Each college has its own application requirements. There is no Naviance for transfer students. The Common Application has not yet gone paperless for transfer applications, and schools have all kinds of different requirements. So students planning on transferring need to make a master chart and go to each college’s individual websites to find exact transfer requirements for applications, including test score requirements, transcripts, recommendations, high school and/or counselor forms, and more. Deadlines also differ dramatically so students need to start getting ready as soon as possible. Fortunately, the essays tend to be fairly similar, and really focus on what students plan to gain by transferring.
When completing a transfer application it is really critical to make the case for why this is the best fit school for you. Obviously you thought the previous institution was where you belonged, so now you need to make the case for why that didn’t work out and this next college will. This time around, you are older, wiser, and hopefully more mature; so take ownership for the past and speak specifically to the future at the next institution and why it makes sense. Good luck!
Answer all questions honestly & accurately. If there’s a question about why you’re transferring, brag about their school & how you’ll be a great addition to it.
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