transfer admission essay example

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

Learn about our editorial policies

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Undergraduate transfers continue to increase, growing 5.3 percent from the fall of 2022 to fall of 2023. Students may transfer for a variety of reasons, ranging from academics to athletics to geography. Some students simply want to be closer to home or found that the culture of the college started out in is not a fit for them. 

If you are in the process of transferring colleges, it’s likely that you will have to write a personal essay as part of your transfer admissions process. Ultimately, there’s no one way to write a college transfer essay. Everyone is unique, and this individuality should shine through in your essays.

However, there are some recommended things to include, and even a real example essay that was used to successfully transfer college! In this post, we’ll help you write a powerful transfer essay so you can tell your story to the admissions committee.

Jump ahead to…

• Do’s and don’ts
• Why did you choose your current school?

What are your main reasons for transferring out of your current school?

Why do you want to attend the transfer school.

• Example essay

Additional resources

• Key takeaways
• Frequently asked questions

College transfer essays: The do’s and don’ts

Before we start, we want to cover a few basics do’s and don’ts about what your transfer essays should be about.

• Elaborate on how your current school has helped you progress towards your goals. Positivity is always a good thing!
• Research your prospective school (e.g. specific classes, organizations, opportunities) for why you want to go there.
• Make sure to follow the standard/correct essay format! Transfer essay prompts may vary from college to college so you should make sure that you’re answering the exact question.
• Use up your limited word count by listing negative aspects about your current school. Instead, focus on how it has helped you grow, but how another school could further help you develop your interests/passions 
• List a group of random classes or opportunities available at your new school. Mention opportunities you’re (genuinely) interested in that relate to your goals and passions – make sure you’re telling a story through your essay.
• Copy your initial admissions essay (the one that you used when applying to colleges in high school) – you’ve changed a lot during your time in college so you will want to write a brand new essay.

Apply to these scholarships due soon

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship

Making the Leap Scholarship for Transfer Students

BigFuture $40k Essay-Free Scholarship

Tennessee HOPE Scholarship

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

NMU Presidential Scholars Competition

Minnesota State Workforce Development Scholarships

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

What is the goal of the transfer essay.

Potential transfer students should know that not all colleges and universities require transfer essays, so when in doubt definitely check-in with the college in question for clarification. For the purposes of this article and the sample transfer essay, we’ll be using this prompt:

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. 

Most colleges will be interested in learning why you want to transfer and how transferring will help you achieve your goals. However, specific prompts will vary from college to college, so you should definitely pay attention to the specific prompt you are asked to respond to.

Some of the common questions you’ll come across include:

• How will your transfer school help you accomplish your goals?

Below I’ll break down how to respond to each of these questions and include an example from a successful transfer essay.

Also see: Can you transfer into an ivy league school?

Why did you choose your current school? 

To answer this question, you’ll have to go back in time when you were in 12th grade and selecting your college. Did you choose the college because it had a program you liked? Maybe you really wanted to take classes with a specific professor? Maybe you thought you wanted to attend college in a specific part of the world? Whatever the reason you should lay it out in the most factual way possible.

Here’s how I responded to this question:

Just like Jeopardy, Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home.

Also see: How to write a 250 word essay

This is always an important question for transfer admissions officers: why did your current college not work out? We recommend that students be as honest as possible and stick to the facts (as opposed to simply complaining about your current school).

Students have very different reasons for changing schools, which often depend on what type of school you’re transferring from (a 2-year or 4-year). While many community college students transfer because their plans did work out and they’ve accomplished what they wanted to at their school, those transferring from four-year universities often do so for less positive reasons (which was my experience).

If the situation at your college didn’t exactly pan out as you thought it would, you should also try to talk about some of the ways you are making the most of the situation. This shows the admissions officers that despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, you have continued to learn, grow, and contribute to your community.

Here’s how I accomplished this:

Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home”, it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject. 

Going through the admissions process as a transfer student is interesting, because you have learned a lot about yourself and your preferences at your first college. This should provide you with a great perspective on what you are looking for next.

The two major things you’ll want to accomplish when answering this question are why the transfer college in question is a good fit for you and how it can help you accomplish your goals as a student.

Specificity is always more ideal here so you can show that you have spent some time thinking about what you want and also how the new college fits.

Here’s how I did this:

I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects.  To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems.

College transfer essays: an example

Here we go! Throughout this article, I’ve shown you my college essay divided into sections, and now’s time for the full thing. I can honestly say that this essay had a 100% success rate! Without further ado, here is my full college transfer essay (and prompt):

Prompt: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. 

I wake up from my daily after-school nap to realize that it is already dinner time. As I walk downstairs, I smell the delicious fragrance coming from my mom’s samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup), one of my favorite meals. Soon enough, everyone sits down to watch the newest episode of Jeopardy , a tradition we’ve had going on for as long as I can remember. As I take that first sip of samgyetang, and miss yet another geography question on Jeopardy – and wait for my family to inevitably tease me about it – I feel at home, like I am somewhere that I belong. Wherever I go, I hope I can encounter that same warm feeling. Just like Jeopardy , Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home. Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once, it made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home,” it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject. I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects.  To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems. With so many opportunities available at USC, I hope to not only help others feel more comfortable, but to find a second home for myself after all.

And that’s it! This essay touches on all of the tips listed above, and should serve as helpful inspiration as you begin your writing. Hopefully, it gives you an idea of how to integrate everything you should mention in a cohesive essay. With that, I wish you good luck with your college transfer essays (and applications)!

Don’t miss: What looks good on a college application?

If you finish your essay and still have questions about the transfer process, consider checking out these Scholarships360 resources:

• How to transfer colleges
• How to transfer from a community college
• Top scholarships for transfer students
• How to choose a college
• What’s the difference between a private and public university?

Key Takeaways

• Explain why you want to transfer, what you need that you are not getting at your current school, and why you chose your current school to begin with
• Always present things in a positive light
• Share how the transfer school will help you achieve your goals and why you are a good fit for the school

Start your scholarship search

• Vetted scholarships custom-matched to your profile
• Access exclusive scholarships only available to Scholarships360 members

Frequently asked questions about writing college transfer essays 

How are college transfer essays different from regular application essays, do all schools require transfer essays, can i reuse my old college essays for a transfer, what should you not say in a transfer essay, scholarships360 recommended.

10 Tips for Successful College Applications

Coalition vs. Common App: What is the difference?

College Application Deadlines 2024-2025: What You Need to Know

Trending now.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale

PSAT to SAT Score Conversion: Predict Your Score

What are Public Ivy League Schools?

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Transfer Essays That Worked

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you’ll be in our community.

As a transfer applicant, your essay is a chance to tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals and how you would pursue them at Hopkins. Below you’ll find selected examples of transfer applicant essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee.

These selections represent just a few essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. We hope these examples inspire you as you prepare to compose your own essay. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us.

Read essays that worked from first-year applicants .

Essays that worked.

Bedtime Stories

Summer Mai Li connects the personal stories of her loved ones to global civil and human rights issues that she intends to study during her time at Hopkins.

Becoming a Better Mathematician

Jorge’s essay provides the admissions committee with a detailed narrative about his lifelong interest in mathematics: how he discovered it, cultivated it, and pursued it to the highest level available.

Pursuing My Passion in Research

Through her transfer essay, Klaire showcases her deep interest in advancing scientific research through her experiences at her community college and her future at Hopkins.

Application Workshops

Our interactive workshops—on topics like the college search process and essay preparation—will help you build your strongest application when you’re ready to apply.

REGISTER FOR AN APPLICATION WORKSHOP

Application tips in your inbox

Join our mailing list to receive insights from our admissions committee, event invites, and other resources for your college journey.

Quick Links:

• Majors, Minors & Programs
• Application Deadlines & Requirements
• College Planning Guide

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

How to Write a Winning College Transfer Essay

December 27, 2021

Much like snowflakes, DNA profiles, or interpretations of a David Lynch film, no two college transfer applicants are alike. Even if two prospective transfers to Boston University are both named Fred and each hail from Farmington, CT, their paths, and the contours of their academic journeys are probably quite different from one another. Perhaps Fred #1 is a first-generation college student who, for financial reasons, had to complete his freshman year at the local community college. Perhaps Fred #2 underachieved a touch in high school, gained admission into a less-selective state school where he excelled freshman year and is now highly-motivated to study at top school. Each Fred possesses an equally valid story to tell the BU admissions office, and doing so adeptly may well be the key to their acceptance. After all, 42% of all U.S. colleges—and close to 100% of highly-selective schools—cite the essay as being “important” to their transfer application decisions.

To cite another relevant statistic, 37% of all college students transfer at some point in their academic career and each has a worthwhile pathway to chronicle. Whether you’re Fred #1, Fred #2, or someone not even named Fred (imagine that!), you need your transfer essay to be so strong that it leaps right off the page and captures the attention (or, even better, heart) of an admissions officer. In the following article, the College Transitions team will explain precisely how to master this essential component of the transfer application.

Which Transfer essay prompt should I pick?

Starting in 2020-21, the Common App granted its member institutions the option of allowing their transfer applicants to select one of the seven current Common App essay prompts (that are available to freshman applicants).

Some schools will offer you this option, while others will simply ask you the equivalent of “Why are you applying to our university?” If you are given the choice between prompts, it is generally best to select the one that is most broad (note: a broad prompt is good, a broad essay is not) and allows you to compose an essay containing the following essential elements:

• 1) Why your prospective transfer school is a perfect fit for you.
• 2) Why your journey has led you away from your current institution.
• 3) What unique attributes and talents you will bring to campus.
• 4) How your past achievements and efforts can bolster your case.
• 5) Share your academic and career ambitions.

Let’s dive in and take a more thorough look at each component, beginning with #1.

1) Why this college is the perfect fit for you

Share with your prospective new academic home exactly what makes them attractive to you. Smaller class size, a particular academic program, a more diverse environment, or the opportunity to for hands-on learning/research opportunities are just a sampling of the legitimate selling points you can cite. Mention specific courses that you are eager to take at their institution, certain distinguished professors who you desire to study under, and unique clubs, activities, or campus traditions in which you are excited to partake. Take advantage of this chance to impress admissions officers with you expansive knowledge of their institution as well as a highly-specific accounting of how you will take advantage of your 2-3 years there. Doing so will separate you from the pack of similarly-qualified transfer applicants.

2) Why you want to leave your current college

Make sure that the reasons that you communicate for wanting to transfer do not end up sounding like a nasty Yelp review of your present school. While you may want to leave College X because the professors are all centenarian windbags and your roommate is breeding capybaras to sell on Craigslist (is there really a market for that?), remember that the school to which you are applying wants to feel wanted. Think about it—would you rather listen to your girlfriend/boyfriend rant about their ex or hear them tell you what makes you awesome? Admissions officers considering a transfer student feel the same way.

3) What unique attributes you will bring to campus

Even in the transfer admissions process, admissions officers are tasked with enhancing the diversity of their undergraduate student body and adding individuals who are likely to be contributing members of the campus community. Is there a particular club that you are eager to join or do wish to start your own? Do you desire to assist a professor in conducting research? Are you an a cappella star or club volleyball diehard? What books do you read for pleasure? Do you have a hidden talent or area of expertise? Are you an introvert or extrovert (both can be selling points)? What ideas, activities, or dreams keep you up in the middle of the night? Give the admissions reader a full picture of what your life will look at their school and how you will make more of an impact (in any form) than many of your fellow applicants.

4) Talk about your academic and extracurricular record

This is also a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your record of involvement on your current campus. It is far easier to sell yourself as someone who will be a contributing member of the campus community if you displayed these qualities at your previous college. Students with an eye on transferring are sometimes so focused on escaping their first institution that they fail to become involved in anything outside of the classroom and thus miss out on valuable opportunities to demonstrate leadership and passion—the very traits needed to transfer to a prestigious school. Write about what you are most proud of—a challenging physics exam you mastered, a philosophy paper you wrote arguing the compatibility of science and religion, or how you started a campus chapter of an organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer.

5) Share your academic and career ambitions

The more you can use your essay to communicate your genuine passions and what makes you tick, the better. Doing so gives your essay broader context and deeper meaning, as it explains the true significance of all of the info shared in steps #1-4. If you want to major in biology, where do you see that taking you down the road? Are you considering graduate or medical school? Do you want to work in research in a specific area? You don’t have to be 100% sure of your career and future academic path at 19 or 20 years old, but as a transfer student, you should share where your experiences and interests may someday take you.

College Transfer Essay – Do’s and Don’ts

• Make a coherent and well-researched case for why the school to which you are applying would be a perfect fit for you.
• Explain how you spend your time outside of school whether it’s participation in a club or sport, paid work, or a hobby to which you are extremely dedicated.
• Paint a picture of the reasons why this new university is the right place to pursue your academic interests.
• Give the committee a sense of your talents and character/personal qualities. If your school does not offer interviews, this essay will be primary vehicle through which you can forge a personal connection to a fellow human being.
• Bash your current school or overly-focus on the negative.
• Make excuses for past academic performance of lack of outside the classroom involvement.
• Say that you want to attend a new school for the prestige, the pretty campus, or for a personal reason (close to home, girl/boyfriend attends, etc.).
• Forget to do adequate research on your prospective academic home. Details matter!
• Application Strategies
• College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

• 2-Year Colleges
• ADHD/LD/Autism/Executive Functioning
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Data Visualizations
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Homeschool Resources
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Outdoor Adventure
• Private High School Spotlight
• Research Programs
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Teacher Tools
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

College Reality Check

How to Write Best College Transfer Essay: Secrets, Tips and Tricks

If the college you wish to transfer to is asking for a transfer essay, you can rest assured that it’s something that can have a considerable impact on the admissions decision.

As a matter of fact, you should consider submitting one even if it’s optional — it can work to your advantage should admissions officers compare you with another applicant with similar qualifications.

Since it’s not uncommon for the acceptance rates for transfer applicants to be lower than the acceptance rates for freshmen applicants, writing a winning one can help you win an acceptance letter.

How to Start a College Transfer Essay

Because it’s the very first thing that admissions officers will read, the introduction of a college transfer essay is an opportunity for the transfer applicant to stand out from other applicants.

While there are many ways to start a college essay, only a few of them can deliver each time.

Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used opening techniques that never fail to engage admissions officers, thus making the task of getting to know you through your college transfer essay an enjoyable endeavor:

Open with an attention-grabbing sentence

The goal is to make admissions officers want to read the entirety of your transfer essay from the get-go. And that is why you should start yours with something that can get them hooked and curious enough right away.

Here are some examples of successful good openings from winning college essays submitted to Stanford:

• I have old hands.
• When I was in the eighth grade I couldn’t read.
• I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks.

Describe a moment without revealing much

Opening with an image-based description of a particular moment without explaining much gives the audience, the admissions officers, a sense that something important is happening, the full significance of which is yet to be revealed, which is why it can keep them from wanting to grab another college essay to check out.

The following is an example of a great college transfer essay that takes advantage of this effective opening technique:

Bowing down to the porcelain god, I emptied the contents of my stomach. Foaming at the mouth, I was ready to pass out. My body couldn’t stop shaking as I gasped for air, and the room started spinning.

Create an expectation and then give a twist

Nothing can surprise admissions officers more than reading a bunch of sequential sentences establishing things that create a certain expectation by the readers only to take them in a different direction entirely.

Check out this college essay’s opening that leverages the twist approach to its full advantage:

I am on Oxford Academy’s Speech and Debate Team, in both the Parliamentary Debate division and the Lincoln-Douglas debate division. I write screenplays, short stories and opinionated blogs and am a regular contributor to my school’s literary magazine, The Glue Stick. I have accumulated over 300 community service hours that include work at homeless shelters, libraries and special education youth camps. I have been evaluated by the College Board and have placed within the top percentile. But I am not any of these things. I am not a test score, nor a debater, nor a writer. I am an anti-nihilist punk rock philosopher.

What to Write About in the Transfer Essay

The things to talk about in one’s college transfer essay depend on the prompt chosen. But generally speaking, it’s a good idea for transfer applicants to focus more on their postsecondary experience thus far.

And because the essay is for transfer admissions purposes, it’s also recommended to discuss future goals at the target institution.

It’s the body that’s the longest part of a college essay. As a result of this, as the word limit permits, the transfer applicant has plenty of room to demonstrate his or her creativity and writing skills as well as reasons for switching colleges.

However, it’s a must that the right matter is discussed in the main part of the transfer essay.

There’s something transfer applicants have that first-time, first-year applicants don’t: a higher education experience.

As such, it’s just suitable and necessary for them to talk about theirs in their college transfer essay.

After all, when reviewing transfer applications, admissions officers want to get to know how much applicants have grown since high school.

Generally speaking, the following are some of the most fitting things to write about when asked to submit a transfer essay — most college essay prompts, anyway, ask transfer applicants to discuss them:

• How you have grown from attending your current school
• What your specific goals are at your new school

How to Conclude Your Writing

Depending on the approach or method of choice, a college transfer essay can be concluded in a number of ways. For instance, the students may return to the beginning or look forward.

Ending on an action or revealing the main point, if not disclosed in the introduction and main body as a part of the preferred style, are also options for closing one’s college transfer essay.

In some instances, it’s a much better idea to know the things to avoid at all costs as far as putting your transfer essay to an end. The general consensus is that the following are some bad ones:

• Summarizing the essay
• Stating the point of the essay even if it’s obvious
• Opening the ending with cliché transitions
• Extending the desire to get accepted to the college

Tips for Writing the Best Transfer Essay

It’s important for admissions officers to know you beyond your GPA from your current college and test scores, which are required by many colleges and universities for transfer applicants to submit.

And that is why a transfer application essay is commonly a required material to include in one’s application other than the Common App or Coalition App essay.

Here’s a rundown of some dos and don’ts when it comes to writing a transfer essay so that you will find it even easier to remember the things to do to strengthen it and the things to avoid that can lower your admissions chances:

• Do focus on what you have learned. Talk about what you have discovered about yourself and what you want in life as a result of your experience at your current college. Needless to say, you should consider discussing the changes in your academic and professional goals that your college experience thus far has caused.
• Do point out the reasons for wanting to continue at another school. Of course, admissions officers at the college you are applying to would like to know why you want to switch schools. Remember to provide clear objectives and plans so that the school can have an idea of whether or not it could serve your needs better than your current institution.
• Do mention the things you like about the new college. Demonstrated interest is not considered in the admissions process at many institutions. Still, a college would be interested to know what about it that you like. Is it the academic program? How about the research opportunities available? Or is it the summer internships offered?

Don’ts

• Don’t bad mouth your current school. Avoid using your transfer essay as a platform for whining, enumerating everything you hate about the institution you are attending currently. However, there is nothing wrong in pointing out the obvious, as you will later find out in a couple of examples of successful transfer essays — so keep reading!
• Don’t use your current school as an excuse for having bad grades. While it’s true that a terrible program, campus culture or roommate can affect your academic performance negatively, there’s always a workaround for a determined and hardworking student. You don’t want the college you are eyeing to suspect that you are lazy.
• Don’t waste precious word count. Always keep in mind that it’s not just your transfer essay that the admissions officer at the college you are applying to will check out — they will, of course, also take a look at the rest of your application. To let them know you more, consider talking about things that are nowhere to be found in your Common App.

What Colleges are Looking for in Transfer Essays

According to the associate dean of admission at Hamilton College in New York colleges and universities are looking for the reasons why transfer applicants want to transfer .

She added that transfer essays are nothing like first-year essays that are more open-ended for the lack of the students’ postsecondary education experience.

True enough, a retired dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College said that — still as a part of the same report — transferees should be more reflective about their educational goals due to their experience after high school.

Of course, different institutions have different prompts for transfer essays.

Most of them, however, want to see the very same things. And spearheading the short list is the transfer applicant’s future goals, both academically and professionally, and how transferring to the school can help in the achievement of those.

It goes without saying that the transfer applicant should be certain that the new school is a better fit for him or her than the current school. Being able to provide specific examples of why he or she deserves to be a part of the campus is also expected.

Otherwise, it’s not unlikely for the admissions officers to give any available spot to a more deserving transferee.

And to conclude this part of the post, here’s a 6-minute video of a college admissions reader talking about everything that any transfer applicant needs to include in his or her college transfer essay.

Two Transfer Essay Examples

It’s one thing to know how to write a good college transfer essay. But it’s another thing to know what a good college transfer essay looks like. And that is why in this part of this post I will give you a couple of examples of successful transfer essays, the kinds that won transfer applicants a much-coveted acceptance letter from their top-choice schools.

This first example is a transfer essay submitted to the University of Pennsylvania, in response to a prompt asking the applicant to state the reasons for transferring and the objectives he or she hopes to achieve using a minimum of 250 words:

My reasons for transferring are two-fold and equally important. Academics and campus life are arguably the most vital components of the college experience and these two areas at [current school] have been unsatisfying for me. My unhappiness at [current school] is rooted in the difference between my academic philosophy and [current school’s]. Based on my experience in class I feel like the educational emphasis at [current school] is on knowing and not learning. An example of this comes from my philosophy class in which one of the teacher’s most common responses to a question is, “let’s bracket that for now,” when the inquiry is not about something printed on the syllabus for that day. To me, this sort of teaching discourages curiosity and in a philosophy class, especially, a deeper discussion that strays from the lesson plan is what gives the class its significant and educational value. The process of learning is pared down to its most straightforward and austere so that the state of knowing can be achieved as soon as possible.

What I hope to get out of transferring is to find a school that fits my academic philosophy and believes that learning for the sake of learning is vital to a healthy education. My favorite part about classes is taking a long, winding, side-note-packed path on the way to knowing, and if we never get there it doesn’t matter because knowing isn’t the point of learning — learning is the point of learning.

As for campus life, the prevailing campus social culture has been disappointing to me. No one ever seems to tire of doing the same thing week after week and the students admit that none of the events they attend would be fun without alcohol. I prefer an environment where the sober experiences trump the drunken ones. The ongoing joke about extracurricular life is that all of the clubs and organizations are “drinking club with debate” or “drinking club with community service” and so in this manner. The students do their work so they can go out at night as opposed to doing their homework to learn something. The prevailing culture sets the tone for the whole school and creates an uninspired environment. I’d like to go to a school where the spirit is less unimaginative and more intellectually ambitious.

Both my academic and cultural concerns center on differing philosophies. The academic approach at [current school] is too pragmatic, especially given that I am a classics major, and the social life is too alcohol-centered for my liking. I’m aware that all college campuses have drinking and it is a part of college life, but I’m looking to transfer to a school where drinking is more a means to an end of socializing than an end in itself.

And now, this second example of a transfer essay submitted to the University of Texas at Austin was a response to a long prompt that basically ask applicants to talk about their current studies and future academic and professional goals:

I stood still, lost amidst a sea of towering figures. I felt the familiarity of being alone. Each time I change environments, it doesn’t come any easier. A broad-shouldered girl in a blue shirt asked accusingly me where I needed to be. Despite intimidating me at first, she turned out to be sweet and concerned for my well-being.

She took me to my classroom and introduced me to the other girls. They all seemed so different from me. My family left the United States when I was young, and during my ten years spent in India, I switched between three very different schools.

Accustomed to American schools that are relatively orderly and organized, it took time to adjust to India’s disorderly schools. Just as I started feeling comfortable with the unusual teaching methods of my new school, my parents transferred me to a more “cultural” school. With a total of seven students in the entire school, we learned in literal shacks.

My classmates were behind in their education and far below my grade level, so the teachers focused most of their time on them. I suffered greatly when I switched back into mainstream schooling. Now, it was my classmates who raced through their work. I was thrown, unprepared, into India’s rigorous education system. I struggled with constructing angles and balancing chemical equations. I had to work especially hard to make up for the time lost at my cultural school.

I made it through Tenth grade with extensive additional coaching. Despite my setback, I knew that I could do better. Through my classes, I began to develop an interest with the mathematical functions that power finance and accounting. My accounting teacher became my biggest inspiration. The way she related accounting procedures to current business crises convinced me to learn more. I started keeping up with companies’ corporate strategies and their effect on the economy.

Before my board exams, I completed additional work on my own and solved about 70 papers in preparation. The work ethic I acquired under her guidance is something that has stuck to me through the challenging times at community college. I continue to self-study with online courses offered on Khan Academy to further exceed expectations.

Additionally, my internship at the Pratham International School in the summer of 2016 gave me real-world experience with auditing and organizing financials. I applied my classroom and self-studying knowledge to help with vendor payment methods and profitable tuition pricing.

I also pursued an internship in the accounting department of The Home Depot. For the first time, I saw theoretical concepts come to life as I helped facilitate vendor payment methods and profitable product pricing. The chance to interact with higher-level financial managers gave me exposure to strategic decision-making and contingency planning.

I look forward to pursuing another internship and taking advantage of the connections provided by the McCombs School of Business. I hope the university will help connect me with fruitful opportunities to develop my business competencies. By participating in the Texas Stock Team and The University Finance Association, I can explore different interests and develop my network. I don’t have these opportunities at Houston Community College, and I don’t think any Texas university offers the unparalleled opportunities of UT. Doing research under award-winning professors like Laura Starks and Robert Parrino will give me a head start in the industry.

Like The University of Texas, I also want to transform myself and change the world. The past few months at Houston Community College have helped me realize that I need an environment with a limitless ceiling for growth. Since I have experienced many different educational environments, I have a good idea for what I seek while avoiding opportunities that may not be in my best interest. I bring a different perspective that will contribute to classroom discussions and be a valued addition to the McCombs community.

College Transfer FAQs

Before this post comes to an end, let’s answer some pressing questions many transfer applicants who are in the process of brainstorming for their college essay feel too embarrassed to ask:

Do all colleges require a transfer essay?

Not all institutions of higher education make a transfer essay a part of the admissions process for transfer applicants. However, many colleges do, including some of the most selective ones.

Some require transfer applicants to answer just a single prompt, while others oblige them to answer multiple prompts. Most prompts call for an explanation for wanting to attend the school.

Can you use a common topic for your transfer essay?

Admissions officers do not expect all transfer applicants to talk about never-before-seen topics in their college transfer essays.

Even a common topic can become fresh and exciting if the student discusses it from a unique perspective or gives it a surprising story arc. Needless to say, using an advanced or creative writing style can make any everyday topic new and exciting.

How do you cite sources in a transfer essay?

Compared to research and academic writing, a college essay, whether by a first-year applicant or a transferee applicant, is less formal. As such, using an established style of citing sources and providing a reference list is unnecessary.

The transfer applicant may instead cite sources casually in the essay, in practically any part where it will not disrupt the flow of thoughts.

How do you meet the word count limit?

Going past the word limit necessitates going over the transfer essay to eliminate any irrelevant details. Since brevity is an important component of a written piece, unnecessary words that clutter the submission should be removed, too.

On the other hand, sharing stories, feelings and insight by vividly describing them is a solution when struggling to reach the minimum word count.

What is a diversity essay?

A diversity essay is a supplementary essay some institutions of higher education or scholarships require that is focused on the unique identity, background, culture, beliefs or characteristics of the college applicant.

In most instances, a diversity essay is asked to be submitted as part of the admissions process where diversity is believed to be enriching for the campus community.

Recap: How to Write a Winning College Transfer Essay

In most instances, transfer applicants need to include a transfer essay in their application. There are recommended ways to open and close a transfer essay, such as the ones we talked about in this post, which can help increase one’s admissions chances — since transfer acceptance rates are generally lower, they need to ace every part of their application.

Transfer students, typically, have to talk about their experiences with their current school and their goals at the new school, which are things that admissions officers look for other than writing skill and creativity.

Take your time when writing your transfer essay because it’s an important component of your application.

Independent Education Consultant, Editor-in-chief. I have a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and training in College Counseling. Member of American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Similar Posts

Can You Pay Someone to Write College Essay?

How to Transfer to USC

How to Transfer to Stanford (Deadlines and Application Requirements)

How to Transfer to UCLA in 5 Steps

Is Transferring Colleges Worth It? Weighing Options

How to Tell Your Parents You Want to Transfer Colleges

How to Write an Effective Transfer Essay

• February 4, 2023
• College Admission Guidance , Parents Must Read , Student Admission , Under Graduate

Transferring to a different university can be a stressful process. The transfer essay, which is usually 500 words, is one of the most important features of your transfer applications. This essay is your chance to show an admissions officer their school is the right fit for you. In this post, we will walk you through how to write effective transfer essays along with strategies, tips, and examples.

How to Write a Transfer Essay

Co-authored by Jaya Ghosh

What are Colleges (or Admission Officers) Looking for in a Transfer Essay?

Transfer essays are different than the original application essay you wrote to be accepted in the first place; transfer essays are more focused on:

• How you have grown from your time at your current university
• Why do you want to transfer
• Your specific goals for your future at your new university

DOs and DON’Ts of a Transfer Essay

Every student is different from the other and hence a specific method cannot be maintained for everyone when writing transfer essays. Let us first see the DOs and DON’Ts of college transfer essays.

• Explain how you have benefitted from your current college (or university)
• State the goals that you intend to achieve by attending the new university
• Make a logical and consistent case for why the school to which you are applying is apt for you.
• Explain how you spend your leisure time, particularly your extracurricular activities, which you are extremely dedicated to.
• Give reasons why the new university is the right place to pursue your academic interests.
• Your transfer essay should be written in such a manner that the committee gets a sense of your talents, character, and personal qualities. In other words, they get to know you well through your essay.
• Be descriptive when writing. Focus on specifics that will grab the attention of admission officials and give them something to hold onto—and remember you by. Always remember the “Show; Don’t Tell” rule.
• Some schools do not offer interviews, hence this essay would be a good platform to establish a personal connection between you and the committee and thus make a personal connection to a fellow human being.

DON’Ts

• Do not write anything negative about your current school.
• Never make excuses for past academic performance or your lack of outside-the-classroom involvement.
• You should not make sugar-coated statements regarding your desire to attend a new school.
• Do it alone: Give your essay to a mentor and/or counselor to review your work—preferably someone who knows you well, who may be from your hometown or high school—both for errors and content. Friends and family can be helpful as well.
• Last but not the least, do not forget to do adequate research on your prospective academic home. Details do matter a lot.

Related Article: Transfer Admission to US/Canada from India – A Mother’s Perspective

Key Components of an Effective Transfer Essay

Start with your core values.

make the opening paragraph awesome and impressive and everlasting. It should be to the point. Focus on establishing a few core values or the essential part you are suffering in your current school and present situation. Focus on the needs that are not met within the present school.

How to Express Core Values in Transfer Essays

You need to come up with an essence image that captures that value (or those values).

See this example below, where the applicant wanted to communicate her core values of connection, intimacy, family, and listening. So she chose the dinner table:

Breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day. In my family the most sacred meal is dinner. The aroma from my mother’s authentic Persian saffron and Barberry spirals around the circular dining table as we prepare to pile each other’s plates high with current events, future plans, and questions about what we learned that day. Slowly, the notification bells and piercing ring tones are replaced by the clamor of metal utensils as my sisters try to fit the plates and silverware around our carefully crafted dinner table. Each person sits the same distance from the center as we listen to my little sister’s attempt at hopscotch from earlier that day with as much interest as my Dad’s stories about his patient with Atherosclerosis. Listening is how we take care of one another.

Here is another example:

Before I could even walk, my parents instilled in me a love for history. And thanks to their passion for travel, much of my early education was experiential. At eight, I could not only recite knowledge of Corrie Ten Boom, I’d visited the house where she’d hidden Jews in her home during WWII. By 10 I’d seen the Roman Ruins just outside Paris and by 11, I’d visited Rome and Florence, and begun to develop a passion for Michelangelo. By 14 I’d climbed the caverns of Mykonos and by 16 I’d walked barefoot through India and jogged along the Great Wall of China. Though moving around wasn’t always easy, travel gave me the opportunity to become more adaptable and resourceful, and I came to embrace differences as not only normal but exciting. My passion for cultural experiences and history continued in high school, and I looked forward to more experiential learning opportunities in college.

Explain the Reasons for Choosing this Particular College

Share with your prospective college what makes them unique. You can mention the class size that matters to you, a particular college program, a diverse environment, or the opportunity for hands-on learning and research opportunities.

Write about specific courses that you are eager to take at their institution, certain distinguished professors who you desire to study under, and unique clubs, activities, or campus traditions in which you are excited to take part.

Here is your chance to impress admissions officers with your thorough knowledge of their institution and how you will take advantage of your next few years there. Doing this will definitely make you stand out from other transfer applicants.

Tell the Readers Why you Want to Leave your Current College

What you communicate to the admission committee through your essay is very important. You need to start with the reasons for choosing the current college in the first place. Here is an example:

I originally chose Pasadena Community College because I wanted to a) stay close to home to take care of my mom, who was recovering from cancer when I graduated high school, b) save money by living at home and finishing my general ed requirements for under $50 per credit, and c) help my dad at his TV repair business.

Make sure that the reasons you give for leaving the present college do not leave a bad note on the mind of the person reading your essay. Do not give a bad review of your present school, or sound bitter about your experiences there.

Remember that the school to which you are applying wants to feel wanted.

Demonstrate the Attributes you will bring to the Campus

While admissions officers toil on the transfer admissions process, they are tasked with intensifying the diversity of their undergraduate student body and adding individuals who are likely to be contributing members of the campus community.

It could range from a particular club that you are eager to join or wish to start your own, or a desire to assist a professor in research work, the kind of books you like to read, if you have a hidden talent or area of expertise; you may also add that point.

Your nature as an introvert or extrovert could both be used in a positive way. The ideas, activities, or dreams that haunt you. Give the admissions officers a full picture of what your life and what it will look like at their school and how you will make an impact over many of your peer groups.

Speak about your Extracurricular Interests

Most high schools (and colleges) provide a plethora of extracurricular activities for their students. Exposure to a wide range of such special interests — sports, drama, dance, painting, singing, scouts, volunteer work, debating, fundraising, and even a foreign language can be the single thing that sets you apart from other candidates.

These activities bring many benefits and improve your social skills as a result. This is also a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your record of involvement on your current campus. It is far easier to sell yourself as someone who will be a contributing member of the campus community if you displayed these qualities at your previous college.

Students with an eye on transferring are sometimes so focused on escaping the first institution that they fail to become involved in anything outside of the classroom and thus miss out on valuable opportunities to demonstrate leadership and passion—the very traits needed to transfer to a prestigious school. Write about what you are most proud of.

Write about your Academic Aspirations and Career Goals

Use your transfer essay as a tool to communicate your genuine passions and what motivates you. Doing so gives your essay broader context and deeper meaning, as it explains the true significance of all of the information you shared.  

You could write about the subjects that interest you and how they will help you progress in the future. As a transfer student, you should share where your experiences and interests will take you someday.

Related Article: All You Need to Know about Transfer Acceptance Rates

Featured Image Source: Word Counter

Sources: 1 , 2 , 3 .

Share this:

Discover more from stoodnt.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Guide to Writing a Great Transfer Essay

Here is the most common prompt for transfer students applying through the Common App :  

“Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.” (250-600 words)

The three key steps to mastering the transfer essay are as follows:

Step One: Establish why you want to transfer.

Tell admissions why you want to transfer, and do so without speaking negatively about your current institution. Are you looking for a bigger school? Do you want to attend a university in a tech-centric city? Did you just discover your passion for a major that your current institution doesn’t offer? Transferring is a big decision, so it’s important to show that your intentions are clear. Whatever the reason, refrain from speaking ill of your current school. You want to come off as optimistic and forward thinking to admissions.  

Step Two: Demonstrate your interest.

Why are you applying to this school in particular? You’ve been through the admissions cycle before and you are wiser than you were a year or two ago. Admissions officers will expect that you’ve done your research and are making a calculated, thoughtful decision to transfer. Your interest in transferring to one school should be directly related to your reason for leaving your current school: What gaps or unmet needs will your prospective institution address? Do you want to transfer for the school’s humongous alumni network, award-winning journalism program, or non-profit affiliations? Have you always dreamed of living in the city in which the school is located? Make sure admissions knows that you aren’t applying because “it’s gotta be better than my current school” but because this school is where you feel you truly belong. Illustrate your drive and maybe you’ll be hitting the ground running come the fall. (Hint: the best way to get the information you need is by setting aside a chunk of time to pore over the school website. Sorry, there’s no shortcut, even the second time around.)

Step Three: Establish the highlights of your collegiate career so far.

You have an edge that most freshman don’t: You’ve already been to college, so you know a bit more about the experience as well as your own academic and career goals. Being able to say that you know you will succeed at your school of choice because you flourish in small classrooms, lead in group projects, excel in the math and sciences or whatever your reasoning may be is crucial. Talk about what you have enjoyed about college thus far (again, be positive!) and how you hope to build on your experience at your (hopefully) new school!

Once you complete these three steps, you will have all the ingredients for a fantastic transfer essay! But before you hit submit, a final word of warning: some schools require transfer applicants to submit supplemental essays (remember those?). Do yourself a favor and compile a list of these in advance to ensure that every essay you write reveals something new and special to admissions. But first, give yourself a pat on the back. By reading this post, you’ve already given yourself a leg up (at least we think so). Go you!  

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We're here to help.

Written by Kat Stubing

Category: Admissions , advice , College Admissions , Essay Resources , Essay Tips , Essay Writing , Quick Tips , Tips

Tags: brainstorming , College , college admissions , college admissions essay , college applications , college essay , college essay advisors , college essay tutor , essay , essay advice , personal statement , transfer , transfer admissions , transfer application , transfer applications , transfer essay , transfer help , transfer student , transfer students , writing , writing advice , writing help

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

Sample College Transfer Essay

A Sample Essay by a Student Transferring From Amherst to Penn

Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

• Essay Samples & Tips
• College Admissions Process
• College Profiles
• College Rankings
• Choosing A College
• Application Tips
• Testing Graphs
• College Financial Aid
• Advanced Placement
• Homework Help
• Private School
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
• B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

The following sample essay was written by a student named David. He wrote the transfer essay below for the Common Transfer Application in response to the prompt, "Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve" (250 to 650 words). David is attempting to transfer from Amherst College to the University of Pennsylvania . As far as admissions standards go, this is a lateral move—both schools are extremely selective. His letter will need to be extremely strong for his transfer application to be successful.

Key Takeaways: A Winning Transfer Essay

• Have a clear academic reason for your transfer. Personal reasons are fine, but academics need to come first.
• Stay positive. Don't speak badly of your current school. Emphasize what you like about your target school, not what you dislike about your current school.
• Be meticulous. Grammar, punctuation, and style matter. Show that you put time and care into your writing.

David's Transfer Application Essay

During the summer after my first year of college, I spent six weeks volunteering at an archaeological excavation in Hazor, site of the largest tel (mound) in Israel. My time in Hazor was not easy—wake-up came at 4:00 a.m., and by noontime temperatures were often in the 90s. The dig was sweaty, dusty, back-breaking work. I wore out two pairs of gloves and the knees in several pairs of khakis. Nevertheless, I loved every minute of my time in Israel. I met interesting people from around the world, worked with amazing students and faculty from Hebrew University, and became fascinated with the current efforts to create a portrait of life in the Canaanite period.

Upon my return to Amherst College for my sophomore year, I soon came to realize that the school does not offer the exact major I now hope to pursue. I'm majoring in anthropology, but the program at Amherst is almost entirely contemporary and sociological in its focus. More and more my interests are becoming archaeological and historical. When I visited Penn this fall, I was impressed by the breadth of offerings in anthropology and archaeology, and I absolutely loved your Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Your broad approach to the field with emphases on understanding both the past and present has great appeal to me. By attending Penn, I hope to broaden and deepen my knowledge in anthropology, participate in more summer field work, volunteer at the museum, and eventually, go on to graduate school in archaeology.

My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic. I have made many good friends at Amherst, and I have studied with some wonderful professors. However, I do have one non-academic reason for being interested in Penn. I originally applied to Amherst because it was comfortable—I come from a small town in Wisconsin, and Amherst felt like home. I'm now looking forward to pushing myself to experience places that aren't quite so familiar. The kibbutz at Kfar HaNassi was one such environment, and the urban environment of Philadelphia would be another.

As my transcript shows, I have done well at Amherst and I am convinced I can meet the academic challenges of Penn. I know I would grow at Penn, and your program in anthropology perfectly matches my academic interests and professional goals.

Before we even get to the critique of David's essay, it's important to put his transfer into context. David is attempting to transfer into an  Ivy League  school. Penn is not the most selective of the country's top universities, but the transfer acceptance rate is still around 6% (at Harvard and Stanford, that number is closer to 1%). David needs to approach this effort at transfer realistically — even with excellent grades and a stellar essay, his chances of success are far from guaranteed.

That said, he has many things going for him — he is coming from an equally demanding college where he has earned good grades, and he seems like the type of student who will certainly succeed at Penn. He will need strong  letters of recommendation  to round out his application.

Analysis of David's Transfer Essay

Now on to the essay... Let's break down the discussion of David's transfer essay into several categories.

The Reasons for Transfer

The strongest feature of David's essay is the focus. David is pleasingly specific in presenting his reasons for transferring. He knows exactly what he wants to study, and he has a clear understanding of what both Penn and Amherst have to offer him. David's description of his experience in Israel defines the focus of his essay, and he then connects that experience to his reasons for wanting to transfer. There are lots of bad reasons to transfer, but David's clear interest in studying anthropology and archaeology makes his motives seem both well thought-out and reasonable.

Many transfer applicants are trying to move to a new college because they are running away from some kind of bad experience, sometimes something academic, sometimes something more personal. David, however, clearly likes Amherst and is running towards something—an opportunity at Penn that better matches his newly discovered professional goals. This is a big positive factor for his application.

The Common Transfer Application instructions state that the essay needs to be at least 250 words. The maximum length is 650 words. David's essay comes in at around 380 words. It is tight and concise. He doesn't waste time talking about his disappointments with Amherst, nor does he put much effort into explaining the things that other parts of his application will cover such as grades and extracurricular involvement. He does have a lot more space left to elaborate, but in this case the letter gets the job done well with few words.

David gets the tone perfect, something that is difficult to do in a transfer essay. Let's face it—if you are transferring it is because there is something about your current school that you don't like. It's easy to be negative and critical of your classes, your professors, your college environment, and so on. It's also easy to come across as a whiner or an ungenerous and angry person who doesn't have the inner resources to make the most of one's circumstances. David avoids these pitfalls. His representation of Amherst is extremely positive. He praises the school while noting that the curricular offerings do not match his professional goals.

The Personality

Partly because of the tone discussed above, David comes across as a pleasant person, someone who the admissions folks are likely to want to have as part of their campus community. Moreover, David presents himself as someone who likes to push himself to grow. He is honest in his reasons for going to Amherst—the school seemed like a good "fit" given his small-town upbringing. It is, therefore, impressive to see him so actively working to expand his experiences beyond his provincial roots. David has clearly grown at Amherst, and he is looking forward to growing more at Penn.

The Writing

When applying to a place like Penn, the technical aspects of the writing need to be flawless. David's prose is clear, engaging and free of errors. If you struggle on this front, be sure to check out these  tips for improving your essay's style . And if grammar isn't your greatest strength, be sure to work through your essay with someone who does have strong grammar skills.

A Final Word on David's Transfer Essay

David's college transfer essay does exactly what an essay needs to do, and he includes the features of a strong transfer essay . He clearly articulates his reasons for transferring, and he does so in a positive and specific way. David presents himself as a serious student with clear academic and professional goals. We have little doubt that he has the skills and intellectual curiosity to succeed at Penn, and he has made a strong argument about why this particular transfer makes a lot of sense.

Odds are still against David's success given the competitive nature of Ivy League transfers, but he has strengthened his application with his essay.

• Sample Weak Supplemental Essay for Duke University
• Sample Short Answer Essay on Running
• Sample College Admission Essay—The Allegany County Youth Board
• Sample Application Essay - Porkopolis
• Sample Supplemental Essay for College Admissions: Why This College?
• Should an Application Essay Be Single-Spaced or Double-Spaced?
• Tips for Writing a Winning College Transfer Essay
• Sample College Admissions Essay - Student Teacher
• "My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
• College Application Essay - The Job I Should Have Quit
• Addressing Diversity in a College Application Essay
• "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
• Short Answer Response on Working at Burger King
• Sample Common Application Essay for Option #5
• "Gym Class Hero" - a Common Application Essay Sample for Option #3
• How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

Login or sign up

Get Started

• College Search
• College Search Map
• Graduate Programs
• Featured Colleges
• Scholarship Search
• Lists & Rankings
• User Resources

Articles & Advice

• All Categories
• Ask the Experts
• Campus Visits
• Catholic Colleges and Universities
• Christian Colleges and Universities
• College Admission
• College Athletics
• College Diversity
• Counselors and Consultants
• Education and Teaching
• Financial Aid
• Graduate School
• Health and Medicine
• International Students
• Internships and Careers
• Majors and Academics
• Performing and Visual Arts
• Public Colleges and Universities
• Science and Engineering
• Student Life
• Transfer Students
• Why CollegeXpress
• CollegeXpress Store
• Corporate Website
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• CA and EU Privacy Policy

Articles & Advice > Transfer Students > Articles

The Best Transfer Essay Advice From Admission Insiders

Your transfer college application essay is just as important as it was the first time around. Learn how to write a winning essay with this expert advice.

by Kim Lifton President, Wow Writing Workshop

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2023

Originally Posted: Jul 10, 2019

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is clear about what they want in the supplemental essay that’s required of every transfer applicant. In no more than 500 words, U-M asks students to “Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?” “I want to understand why they want to transfer,” says Kimberly Bryant, Assistant Director of Admissions and point person for transfer applications. “Sometimes they don’t say it: Why do they want to come to U-M? Why now? What is the reason?” Bryant would like to see genuine answers to the question. “I want them to talk about the journey,” she says. “I’m not going to guess why someone missed a semester of college. Maybe they just weren’t ready. That’s okay. They are now, and we want them to talk about that. We don’t want to guess.”

What is a transfer college essay, anyway?

Bryant and other admission professionals at top universities across the country say the transfer college essay provides an opportunity to show people who may never meet you just what kind of person you are and why you need to switch schools for your goals. Most schools don't conduct transfer interviews, so the college essay requirement could be your only opportunity to share your unique voice with the people who get to decide your fate inside the admission office. Amy Jarich, Associate Vice Chancellor of Admissions & Enrollment and Director of Admissions at the University of California, Berkeley , wants to know what you care about. “What would you tell me in an elevator? Let me know that you’re active and alive in the world you live in.” Tamara Siler, Senior Associate Director of Admission at   Rice University ,   says any application essay will add context to any transfer application file. “A personal statement can provide context and truly show why a certain student is a better match than other clearly capable students,” she says. “Sometimes an essay can be the conduit for a student to reveal something to the admission committee that we would never have thought to ask.”

Related: 6 Important Pieces of the Transfer Admission Process

How do I make my essay stand out?

Colleges will use your essay to help select a diverse class from among the many other transfer applicants whose grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities can make everyone look alike. How will you stand out? Overall, admission officers look for a glimpse of who an applicant is as a writer, but more importantly, as a person. They use the essay to help determine what an applicant can offer them and what the student has learned from their life experiences—the things that aren’t easily captured on a transcript or activities list. Calvin Wise, the Director of Recruitment for Johns Hopkins University , gets excited when he reads a stellar essay. Just like admission officers at other highly selective schools, Wise expects 4.0 GPAs and top test scores. “We need to dig deeper,” he says. “That’s where the essay comes into play. That’s where we find out more about the student. We are looking for your story. Academically, we’re glad you’ve done well. We want to know who you are. What did your experience mean to you? How did it shape you? “I never run into a colleague’s office and say, ‘Look at this 4.0 GPA,’ Wise adds. “I will run into an office with a good essay to share; that excites me.”

What do you want colleges to know about you?

Your essay should show who you are beyond your grades, transcripts, and test scores. Consider your best traits and characteristics, not your accomplishments and experiences. Colleges want to know who you are , not what you did . They want genuine stories that illustrate a positive trait or characteristic. When applying as a transfer student, they also want to know why this school is a better fit for you. What do you want to do there? The transfer essay is a variation of the “Why College X?” essay supplement. It can be challenging for freshman applicants as well as transfer students. A prompt from the new Common App transfer application reads: “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve” in 250–600 words. Most transfer essay prompts will be a variation of this question. For example:

• Cornell University : Tell us what you'd like to major in at Cornell, why or how your past academic or work experience influenced your decision, and how transferring to Cornell would further your academic interests.
• University of California, Los Angeles : Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
• University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences: How do your possible career or professional plans relate to your planned course of study?

Every college wants to know specifically why you are applying to that institution. You started somewhere else, either at a community college or a school that just isn’t working out the way you had envisioned. They expect you to have good reasons for making a move, so share them in your essay. Be thoughtful. Be honest. Is there something this school offers that your current school doesn’t? Are you more clear about what you want to major in and realize the program at the new school is stronger? Let them know. You know more about yourself now; you’ve matured since you first applied to college. Perhaps you took time off to work. Just tell them why you want to make a move.

Related: How to Write a Transfer Essay That Will Impress Admission Officers

What makes a good transfer essay?

In your transfer statement and other writing supplements, you need to reveal something meaningful about yourself. What are three traits you want to share with a new school? Are you resourceful? Dependable? Curious? A hard worker? Shy? Funny? Competitive? Determined? Shawn Felton, the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell, reviews thousands of applications each admission cycle. What delights him? A story that rounds out an applicant’s package and an essay that helps him understand who the person is. “We want to put a face to the pile of paper,” Felton explains. “It is part of a number of identifiers that deliver who you are as a person.”

What turns him off? Stories that aren’t genuine, don’t answer the prompt , or fail to give him any insight into the applicant’s character. He doesn’t like it when students try too hard to impress him or write essays that seem forced or inauthentic. “The essay is not something to be cracked,” he cautions. There’s no rubric for a good transfer essay, but the ones that stand out all share a few common features. Regardless of the prompt, they:

• Answer the question;
• Showcase a positive trait or characteristic;
• Sound like a college student;
• Illustrate something meaningful about the student;
• Explain why a student wants to transfer to a new school; and
• Demonstrate reflection.

The best transfer essays showcase a more mature student and are often simple and to the point. As a student who has already succeeded in a college classroom, you can tell your new college of choice that you know how you learn best (e.g., you shine in small classrooms, love leading group projects, excel in science or math or any subject). How can you build on your current educational (and work) experience at a new college?

Related:  What's Your Story? A Guide to Transfer Admission Essays

Your transfer essay isn’t all that different than the one you wrote when you applied to college back in high school. You may have to focus a little more on the topic of  why you’re transferring, but the process of writing it should be more or less the same. Take this advice into consideration as you do and you’re sure to write a great essay that’ll allow you to transfer to the school of your choice.

Find more great tips for the transfer admission process with the articles and advice in our Transfer Students section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Tags: application essays college essays transfer advice transfer applications transfer students writing tips

Join our community of over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information. Swipe left if you're not interested.

Southern Methodist University

Angelo State University

San Angelo, TX

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—Newark

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC

Georgian Court University

Lakewood, NJ

University of Connecticut

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA

Pepperdine University

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY

Dallas Baptist University

Marymount Manhattan College

New York, NY

Stevenson University

Stevenson, MD

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO

Saint Louis University

St. Louis, MO

Fordham University

Kean University

Alfred University

Wentworth Institute of Technology

That's it for now!

Fabiola Rodriguez

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me on my journey to get to the school of my first choice by showing me all the options I have. I didn’t know of the College of Southern Nevada until I went on this website, and it helped me look for other choices and compare what colleges would be right for me.

My mother signed me up for a couple of scholarship contests through CollegeXpress. I was also able to do some research and compare the different schools on my list. I was able to see the graduation rates and different programs that helped me decide on Adelphi University. I will continue looking for some scholarships for my start in September.

Priscilla Yeboah

High School Student

I was afraid and timid throughout my search for colleges, but I finally found the college that was fit for me and luckily I got accepted. One of the most influential things that helped me was the articles and advice on CollegeXpress. They've helped me a lot and benefited me as a senior to make the right choices in life. Thank you!

Cameron Lee

I used CollegeXpress to search for colleges. It helped me narrow down the schools on the West Coast and which schools had Construction Engineering programs. I made my decision to go to OSU and I am so excited about it.

Sadie Hartmann

High School Class of 2021

I'm a senior in high school, and CollegeXpress has helped me in so many ways this year in trying to navigate the process of deciding and committing to a university. The COVID-19 Student Resource Center has helped me many times with the most up-to-date and accurate information, along with financial aid and student life [advice]. During these uncertain times, CollegeXpress has been a great recourse to relieve the stress as a senior. Along with the COVID-19 Student Resource Center, I'm constantly using the extremely helpful tools off the site to aid me during this stressful process. Tools like the lists and rankings of universities have been the most beneficial. I've also used the site to receive expert advice on topics like financial aid. Finally, CollegeXpress has helped me easily apply for several scholarships. I'm thankful to be given the chance to win a scholarship to lessen the burden of my college debt.

•   Fighting for Your Education: An Expert Look Into Transfer Credits
•   Our Best Advice for the Transfer Admission Process
•   Great Colleges and Universities in the West for Transfer Students
•   Great Colleges and Universities in New England for Transfer Students
•   Great Colleges and Universities in the Northeast for Transfer Students

Personalize your experience on CollegeXpress.

With this information, we'll display content relevant to your interests. By subscribing, you agree to receive CollegeXpress emails and to make your information available to colleges, scholarship programs, and other companies that have relevant/related offers.

Already have an account?

Log in to be directly connected to

Not a CollegeXpress user?

Don't want to register.

Provide your information below to connect with

How to Write a Successful College Transfer Essay & Examples

• Icon Calendar 18 May 2024

When students want to change their higher education institutions, they need good guidelines for writing a college transfer essay. In this case, the article provides essential insights, including the definition and meaning of a college transfer essay, the seven sections that students should consider, common prompts that they can use to produce their papers, and 20 tips for creating a high-standard transfer paper, including what to do and not to do. Students also get a glimpse of a sample outline and an example for a practical impression of how a college transfer essay should appear. Therefore, reading this guideline is helpful to students who need to convince college admission committees that a transfer request is genuine and why they should grant it.

How to Write an Outstanding College Transfer Essay & Examples

Reading scholarly texts is intellectually refreshing and essential in grasping insights into the mechanics of writing different types of papers. Moreover, students write different types of essays to assess their course content understanding continuously. Therefore, learning to write academic papers is critical to one’s performance in those assessments. This article provides a guideline for writing a successful college transfer essay, covering key insights and crucial details that students and anyone interested in writing should study to create high-standard documents. Some insights include the definition and meaning of a college transfer essay and its main features when to write this document, possible topics, a sample essay outline template, practical examples of this work, and 20 tips for producing a high-standard paper. In turn, critical details include the easy step-by-step process of starting a college transfer essay, emphasizing the technical aspects of creating the piece. As a result, reading the guideline can help all writers to understand the attitude they should adopt to have a high-quality essay.

Definition of a College Transfer Essay and Its Meaning

From a simple definition, a college transfer essay is an academic document that college students write to move from one educational institution to another. Essentially, students communicate their desire to transfer and highlight details that can help a committee to accept the request by following a well-organized essay structure. This structure comprises seven sections, each providing details that allow the audience to understand the student and the reason for requesting a college transfer. The essential information includes the student’s core values, the reason they chose their current college, why they want to transfer to another education institution, a demonstration that they have maximized or optimized their current situation, their dream, how the new place will help them to actualize the goal, and a memorable closure. Therefore, a college transfer essay means that people must convince the audience, mainly a college admission committee, to accept them as new students.

Use exceptional writing services that guarantee original and well-researched papers.

Unique Structure of a Winning College Transfer Essay

💠 section/paragraph 1: how to write about core values & example.

As stated above, Section 1 of a college transfer essay highlights the student’s core values. For example, core values determine people’s behavior, what they can and cannot accept in their social circle, and what inspires them. When outlining these values, students should focus on making a first impression. Therefore, core values should convince the audience to accept the student’s transfer request. In turn, some core values that can help to make the first impression in such a request include a family; caring; a willingness to serve, learn, grow, fight injustice; and solve problems. Students can communicate effectively by using personal stories to emphasize these values and explain how the current college does not align with some of these values in an essay. Writers should avoid exaggeration and use a hook to keep readers interested in continuing reading.

An Example of a Paragraph for Section 1

I hold dear core values that define my personality and identity, including a desire to do good, dependability, hard work, commitment, integrity, generosity, and moral uprightness. One reason for seeking a transfer to your institution is your anti-plagiarism policy. While my current college has been valuable in helping me to demonstrate most of these values, it could have been more helpful regarding integrity. Academic honesty is the most relevant issue in demonstrating integrity in college. Typically, colleges and professors clarify to students with solid emphasis the penalty of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism. While my current college does this activity, I do not find the penalties sufficient to dissuade academic dishonesty. Such laxity may expose me to circumstances where I may violate my value system. For example, I have faced a dilemma severally of whether to report my peers who plagiarize their work.

💠 Section/Paragraph 2: The Reason Why I Decided to Choose Your College & Example

Section 2 of a college transfer essay should explain why students chose their current college. Basically, students should understand that the audience is interested in hearing why they want to transfer and about their college. While a negative issue may compel the transfer request, one should communicate the problem without painting the college negatively. Essential details in this section include what made the student choose the college; the current experience, including what one is doing to develop intellectually; how the college has helped to meet a learning objective, such as going on field trips to gain practical experience. When writing this section of an essay, students’ focus should be to demonstrate to the audience that they are using their time in the current college optimally. In turn, one should focus on positive aspects rather than negative ones of the institution in an essay.

An Example of a Paragraph for Section 2

My current college has proven helpful to my quest for intellectual development because of its various programs. However, I chose it primarily because it is in the same city as my home, and I could save on accommodation money. Nonetheless, I have made important leaps in knowledge since I joined. I am in the second year of college education and spend most of my time researching topics in the library. Indeed, my research skills have developed incredibly during my time at the institution. I credit this intellectual development to professors and other instructors who give assignments, including essays and research papers, requiring students to research materials. As such, the college library has been like a second home to me. As I seek to leave, I take these experiences as a ladder for greater intellectual development in my next destination.

💠 Section/Paragraph 3: The Reason Why I Want to Leave the Current College

Section 3 of a college transfer essay should convince the audience why the student seeks to transfer to their institution. Ideally, students should not paint their current college negatively but focus on explaining why they think the college they want to move to is ideal for achieving their goal. Students should explain why they want to leave their current college, such as a lack of critical resources like a science lab, limited opportunities for exposing students to the corporate world, or a new policy like mandatory online learning. When writing this section of an essay, students should convince the audience that the current college can not push them toward their goal and that the one they seek to join is ideal. The most crucial detail in an essay is not to talk badly about the current college.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 3

One reason for requesting a transfer from my current institution is the limited opportunities for career exposure. For example, it is normal for students to go a whole year without a field trip despite course content insisting on the need to link theory and practice. While researching the college to transfer to, I came across your website and how the institution prioritizes field trips as a pillar of students’ practical learning. As a nursing student, I must get first-hand experience with the dynamics that influence healthcare in the clinical environment, such as the relationship between nurses and patients, including the issues that nurses confront daily in developing or nurturing the relationship. As I investigated your college, I learned that nursing students have at least two field trips each academic year. This orientation is ideal for my dream.

💠 Section/Paragraph 4: Maximizing or Optimizing Time and Achievements

While students may want to explain why they think the college they wish to transfer to is better than their current one, one should also tell the audience how they maximize or optimize their time in the current college. Section 4 of a college transfer essay allows students to tell the audience how productive their time in the current institution is. This message is essential to convince the audience that one is not preoccupied with a desire to leave at the expense of their academic development. Instead, they should show that they are working on their intellectual growth but see a transfer as more effective in accelerating it. Doing so in an essay convinces readers that a transfer is necessary during the learning process. Moreover, students should state their accomplishments in the current college and how they have met instructors’ expectations when writing their essays.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 4

My time in my current institution is productive and intellectually engaging. Although there are reasons why I want to transfer from the college, I am spending my time to get the best of what I have. For example, I use the college library to gain insights into nursing topics and interact with instructors to seek clarification on complex concepts. Some resources in my current college are still beneficial to my intellectual development and career preparation. A core value that enables me to optimize my time in college is commitment, and I am deeply committed to my intellectual growth, not allowing a desire to transfer derail me from what is essential. While an institution may be supportive, the student’s attitude determines their success.

💠 Section/Paragraph 5: My Study Dream

Section 5 of a college transfer essay focuses on the student’s dream, career aspirations, or what they want to become after college. Ideally, people have different reasons for pursuing a college education. Students should use this section to educate the audience about the end goal of their college education. Therefore, writers should tell readers about their dream and how they intend to achieve it. At this point, authors should state how the transfer request is open to the plans because it allows them to get into a resourceful learning environment. When the audience reads this section, they should answer “Why us?” because the student emphasizes how the new college differs from their current institution. However, one should briefly mention the new college’s positives because the focus of an essay is on their dream.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 5

My dream to become a registered nurse is the reason for my college transfer request. All my life, I have dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional to enable people to live healthier lives. A college education is a prerequisite for this dream. While my current institution has taught me the fundamentals of a nursing career, it has not immersed me fully into the practical environment. This gap is why I seek to transfer from the college to your institution. While searching for an alternative college, I learned how your institution considers practical education integral to holistic learning. Your college immerses learners into the career environment through field trips and student attachment programs. This orientation is critical and beneficial to my quest to become a registered nurse knowledgeable in theory and practice.

💠 Section/Paragraph 6: How Your College Will Help Me

Section 6 of a college transfer essay is about the competitive advantage of the college a student seeks to transfer to, meaning that writers inform the audience about the aspects of their institution that make it attractive. These aspects may include education programs, student policies, and resource availability. Moreover, writers must emphasize the college’s advantages over their current institution and how they support their career aspirations. In their essays, students should inform the audience about what they need and how their college has helped to meet it. An example of a need may be practical skills, and the resources that a particular college has at the moment may help them to develop themselves, including attachment programs that immerse learners into a realistic environment, such as a workplace. Besides, a college transfer essay must emphasize how the target institution beats the rest as an ideal place to achieve a learning outcome.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 6

Prioritizing students’ practical knowledge is central to your college’s identity and the primary reason for my college transfer request. I have learned how nursing students get at least two field trips per academic year and how an attachment program allows learners to work in a clinical environment during holidays. These orientations are fundamental to gaining insights into the dynamics in the healthcare environment and their impact on the nurse-patient relationship. Unfortunately, my current college has limited opportunities for such exposure, questioning its commitment to students’ holistic learning. As a nursing college that minds students’ practical skills, your institution stands above the rest as the institution of choice for students aspiring to a nursing career. In this respect, I am confident I have made the right choice to seek a transfer to your institution.

💠 Section/Paragraph 7: Memorable Closure

Section 7 of a college transfer essay summarizes the students’ communication with a college admission committee. As such, writers must make it short, relevant, and impactful. These outcomes are essential in making it memorable to the audience and a reason to grant the transfer request. Various strategies for writing this section include using an academic tone to wrap an essay. This inspiring ending emphasizes one’s personality, ending with a statement beginning with “I have a dream,” commenting on how the new college will be a new or second home or how one will benefit the new family as much as they can. Regardless of the ending of an essay, students should refrain from introducing further information in this section because they must exhaust all they have to say in the preceding paragraphs.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 7

I firmly believe my college transfer request is timely. The information I have offered is genuine and shows my desire to join your college as my new family. I promise to do my best to contribute to the welfare of this family without losing sight of my core values. As you consider my transfer request, please, consider the resources lacking in my current institution but available in yours and how they are essential to my career aspiration.

Example of a Full College Transfer Essay

Comment: The details in each section of a college transfer essay should help students to produce a persuasive paper as below:

The core values that define my personality and personal identity are a desire to do good, dependability, hard work, commitment, integrity, generosity, and moral uprightness. One reason for this transfer request is your institution’s anti-plagiarism policy. While my current college has been valuable in helping me demonstrate most of my core values, it could have been more helpful regarding integrity. Academic honesty is the most relevant issue in demonstrating integrity in college. Typically, colleges and professors clarify to students with solid emphasis the penalty of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism. While my current college does this, I do not find the penalties sufficient to dissuade academic dishonesty. Such laxity may expose me to circumstances where I may violate my value system. For example, I have faced a dilemma severally of whether to report my peers who plagiarize their work.

A host of programs in my current college has proven valuable in my quest for intellectual development. However, I chose the institution primarily because it is in the same city as my home, and I could save on accommodation money. Nonetheless, I have made important leaps in knowledge since I joined. I am in the second year of college education and spend most of my time researching topics in the library. Indeed, my research skills have developed incredibly during my time at the institution. I credit this intellectual development to the professors who give assignments, including essays and research papers, requiring students to research materials. As such, the college library has been like a second home to me. As I seek to leave, I take these experiences as a ladder for greater intellectual development in my next home.

One reason for requesting a transfer from my current institution is the limited opportunities for career exposure. For example, it is normal for students to go a whole year without a field trip despite course content insisting on the need to link theory and practice. While researching the college to transfer to, I found your website and information about how the institution prioritizes field trips as a pillar of students’ practical learning. As a nursing student, I must get first-hand experience with the dynamics that influence healthcare in the clinical environment, such as the relationship between nurses and patients and the issues that nurses confront daily in developing or nurturing the relationship. As I investigated your college, I learned that nursing students have at least two field trips each academic year. This orientation is ideal for my career aspiration.

My time in my current institution has been productive and intellectually rewarding. Although there are reasons why I want to transfer from the college, I am spending my time to get the best of what I have. For example, I use the college library to gain insights into nursing topics and interact with instructors to seek clarification on complex concepts. Some resources in my current college are still beneficial to my intellectual development and career preparation. A core value that enables me to optimize my time in college is commitment, and I am deeply committed to my intellectual growth, not allowing a desire to transfer derail me from what is essential. While an institution may be supportive, the student’s attitude determines their success.

My dream to become a registered nurse is the reason for my college transfer request. I have dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional to help people live healthier lives. A college education is a prerequisite for this dream. While my current institution has taught me the fundamentals of a nursing career, it has not immersed me fully into the practical environment. This gap is why I seek to transfer from the college to your institution. While searching for an alternative college, I learned how your institution considers practical education integral to holistic learning. Your college immerses learners into the career environment through field trips and student attachment programs. This orientation is critical and beneficial to my quest to become a registered nurse knowledgeable in theory and practice.

Therefore, the primary reason for my college transfer request is your institution’s tradition of prioritizing students’ practical knowledge. I have learned how field trips and an attachment program allow learners to work in a clinical environment. These orientations are fundamental to gaining insights into the dynamics in the healthcare environment and their impact on the nurse-patient relationship. Unfortunately, my current college has limited opportunities for such exposure, questioning its commitment to students’ holistic learning. As a nursing college that minds students’ practical skills, your institution stands above the rest as the institution of choice for students aspiring to a nursing career. In this respect, I am confident I have made the right choice to seek a transfer to your institution.

Why and Where Do You Need to Write a Creative College Transfer Essay

Students write a college transfer essay to move from the higher learning institution they are currently in to another. As such, various reasons compel students to write this essay, such as an unsatisfactory learning environment, new unfriendly policies, increased fees, or any other reason that might make one want to leave. However, transfers are not automatic, and students must convince the institution they seek to transfer to that their request is valid. In other words, colleges do not encourage students to transfer for the sake of it. Student admission committees demonstrate this attitude by requiring students to explain through their essays why they want to transfer to the institution. Therefore, when writing a college transfer essay, one should approach it with some seriousness because the student admission committee can reject it if it finds the reasons for wanting to transfer are invalid.

Most Common College Transfer Prompts

• Some students believe their college transfer request is complete with a mention of their background, identity, interest, or talent, which they consider meaningful. If this statement describes you, kindly share your story in an essay.
• Obstacles can provide lessons that prove fundamental to later success. Please share your experience of a challenge, failure, or setback, how it affected you, and the lesson(s) you learned.
• Recall when you challenged or questioned a belief or an idea and reflect on it, commenting on what prompted the thinking and the outcome in an essay.
• In an essay format, describe a problem you have solved or would like to solve, stating its significance and the steps you took or would take to find a solution. Consider problems important to you regardless of their orientation or magnitude, such as a research question, ethical dilemma, or intellectual challenge.
• Discuss how a personal accomplishment, event, or awareness triggered a period of personal growth and a deeper understanding of self or others in an essay.
• Describe an idea, concept, or topic that captivates you to the extent of losing track of time. Explain why it has this effect and what you do to learn more about it.
• Choose a topic for an essay. Feel free to consider topics you have written about, topics that respond to a different prompt, or a topic you design from the knowledge you have gained.
• Explore some ideas that make you hungry for intellectual development. State how these ideas can help describe your life perspective.
• Discuss how a career aspiration can propel one’s desire for academic achievement and state some behaviors students demonstrate when pursuing a career goal.
• How do you define a dream, and how is it relevant to one’s education? Describe how your dream underscores your choice of a college in an essay.
• What are motivations? What motivations underscore your desire to join a specific college?
• Discuss life experiences as educational. Describe a personal experience that has taught you important life lessons that underscore your value system in an essay.

The Prompt That Represents Your Strength the Most

Typically, student admission committees ask students to describe certain aspects of their education as a basis for their transfer request. While addressing all the prompts above in a college transfer essay is standard, students may need to focus on one or several themes. The best way to write a perfect college transfer essay focusing on a few prompts is to choose those that represent their strength the most. For example, one may select prompt #7, which asks students to write some essay topics of their choice. The reason for choosing the prompt is that it gives one enough room to generate ideas. Since college essay topics decide the quality of a college transfer essay one can produce, allowing students to determine a specific theme is helpful because they can choose what they are passionate about or knowledgeable about.

Sample Outline Template for Writing a Good College Transfer Essay

I. Introduction

• Starting with a hook.
• A personal statement that highlights one’s core values in an essay.
• Provide reasons for choosing the new college.
• Include reasons for wanting to leave the current college.
• Explain how one has or is optimizing time in the current college.
• Emphasize career aspiration.
• Explain why the new college will make the aspiration come true.

III. Conclusion

• End a college transfer essay with memorable information that impresses the audience enough to grant the transfer request.

Sample College Transfer Essay

I am ambitious because I always make the best of every opportunity and seek personal development. My personality’s core values include altruism, ambition, hard work, generosity, commitment, empathy, and dependability. Indeed, these values have been fundamental in shaping my experiences with people and institutions. I write to request a college transfer to the University of Pennsylvania because Amherst College no longer supports my career aspiration.

Undoubtedly, Amherst College is a wonderful place because it promotes students’ social and intellectual development. I chose the college because I have heard stories about it being the home of liberal arts. Coming from a home with a father who practices as a family therapist and a mother who spends most of her working time attending to patients in a psychiatric institution, I have always dreamed of being a psychologist. Amherst College has been instrumental in my quest to attain this career aspiration.

However, I want to transfer from Amherst because I wish for a place committed to cutting-edge research and innovation. For the time I have been at Amherst, I have seen students travel to distant colleges to have a deeper insight into the research world. While this tradition has benefits, it inconveniences students’ intellectual development. Moreover, how a college invests in a course or program reflects its commitment to the academic and intellectual welfare of the concerned students. From this perspective, Amherst College has work to do.

While I seek to transfer to Penn, I do not take my time at Amherst for granted. I continue to focus on my academic work, utilizing the available resources, including professors and the physical and online libraries, to the maximum. The core values of ambition, hard work, and commitment propel me to use every minute at Amherst to develop intellectually and move closer to my dream.

As stated, becoming a psychologist is my life-long aspiration. I dream of helping people with mental health problems because evidence shows psychiatric disorders are increasingly becoming common. Indeed, the pressures of life that continue to mount amid compounding problems trigger mental health issues, including anger, depression, stress, and suicidal ideation. Psychologists are in demand because they can prevent these experiences and conditions from resulting in severe outcomes like death.

While searching for an alternative college, I learned about Penn’s commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation, which enrich its brand in the United States and beyond. Psychology is an evolving discipline; only research can help equip students and practicing psychologists with evidence-based knowledge to address contemporary mental health issues. Moreover, innovation empowers psychologists to know how to use limited resources to achieve optimal results. Penn’s research and innovation orientation can propel me to a career where I become knowledgeable in using available resources to help the greatest number of people with mental health problems.

In conclusion, I write this request for a college transfer because I believe that while Amherst is an incredible institution that has taught me the fundamentals of psychology, it lacks what I need to achieve my dream. Penn’s commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation is a ladder I intend to climb to become a psychologist who is responsive to the mental health issues of the time .

Join our satisfied customers who have received perfect papers from Wr1ter Team.

4 Easy Steps for Writing an Amazing College Transfer Essay

Writing a college transfer essay is a technical process that demands students’ utmost focus and commitment to academic writing conventions. The technicality of producing this kind of document underscores the details students should consider to create a high-standard essay. These details include preparation, stage setup, writing an essay, and wrap-up.

Step 1: Preparation

Preparation is the first step of writing a college transfer essay. Since the document must address why a student wants to transfer from one college to another, writers must consider such reasons and how to defend them. In other words, one must brainstorm to generate essay ideas about their current college and the institution they seek to join.

Step 2: Stage Setup

Setting up the stage is the second step of creating a college transfer paper. Students must understand that ideas are not enough, and they must know how to organize them to create a coherent composition. As such, this step involves adopting an attitude and approach that leads to a persuasive high-standard essay. One approach to consider is a seven-section essay outline that helps people to communicate effectively their reason for requesting a college transfer.

Step 3: Writing an Essay

Writing a first draft of a college transfer essay is the third step. In this case, students should focus on producing an initial draft to demonstrate a coherent flow of ideas and thoughts. Typically, this document has numerous mistakes because the writer’s focus is to have a complete essay communicating their reason for wanting a college transfer.

Step 4: Wrap-Up

In this last step of writing a college transfer essay, students should perfect their initial drafts into final essays. As such, the priority is eliminating all flaws, including grammar errors and inconsistent ideas and statements. Revising and editing an essay helps students to produce a perfect document.

20 Tips for Writing a College Transfer Essay

Considering the preceding sections, a college transfer essay is a complex document that requires writers to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of essential details, like a seven-section structure and common prompts. The tips for demonstrating such understanding include staying focused on the topic while being creative in content, knowing why one is writing the essay, focusing on an aspect of the current college that does not support one’s career dream, focusing on making oneself marketable, aiming to be the best among many candidates, demonstrating a logical progression of ideas and thoughts throughout the text, not bad-mouthing the current college, emphasizing the competitive advantage of the new college, convincing the audience that the reason for wanting to transfer is genuine, and concluding a paper with a memorable ending that leaves a lasting impression or do not impact on readers.

10 things to do when writing a college transfer essay include:

• writing a personal statement that underscores one’s core values in an essay,
• describing the strengths of the new college,
• stating the weaknesses of the current college,
• emphasizing the competitive edge of the new college,
• explaining one’s career aspiration,
• being specific in why one wants to transfer from their present to the new college,
• following a seven-section essay structure,
• not talking negatively about the current college,
• not exaggerating issues,
• ending a college transfer essay in a way that makes a lasting impression on the audience.

10 things not to do include:

• failing to emphasize one’s value system in an essay,
• attacking one’s current college,
• exaggerating the positives of the new college,
• being informal in writing,
• assuming the audience knows why one wants to transfer,
• overthinking about impressing the audience at the expense of being genuine in expressing one’s desire to transfer,
• thinking a college transfer essay is not academic because it is not related to a course,
• being simplistic in communication without aiming to impress,
• assuming the audience will have only one application to consider,
• writing an essay in a hurry and making numerous grammatical mistakes.

Summing Up on How to Write a Perfect College Transfer Essay

• Find the best way to express yourself without exaggerations in an essay.
• Adoptive a narrative approach to communicating details about the current college, such as personal experiences.
• Integrating humor but remaining formal in communication.
• Using one paragraph to communicate a single idea or aspect of the transfer request, such as the strengths or weaknesses of the current college.
• Asking for help from the professor(s).
• Brainstorming ideas to make a college transfer essay impressive.
• Assuming the audience comprises scholars to avoid careless mistakes, like grammar errors.
• Focusing on an aspect of the current college that is unsupportive of one’s career dream in an essay.
• Emphasizing aspects of the new college that support one’s career aspiration.
• Proofreading a college transfer essay several times.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Examining Gatsby’s Pursuit of Daisy: Love or Obsession?

• Icon Calendar 19 August 2023
• Icon Page 773 words

Causes and Effects of Climate Change on Global Food Production

• Icon Calendar 18 August 2023
• Icon Page 828 words

The College Transfer Essay Examples Database

Access Sample College Transfer Essays For Free Here!

If you're planning to transfer to another university, you’ll need to submit several transfer essays as part of your application. Writing a compelling transfer essay can be challenging, especially if you're not sure what admissions officers are looking for.

At Quad Education Group, we understand how important the transfer essay is to your application, and we're committed to helping you succeed. So, to help you get started, we've compiled a collection of transfer essay examples from successful students who have transferred to top schools. These sample essays are meant to show you what admissions officers are looking for in a strong transfer essay and serve as models for your own essays. 

Our transfer essay examples cover a range of topics, including why the student wanted to transfer, what they hope to achieve at their new school, and how they plan to contribute to the college community. 

How Does Quad Education’s Transfer Essay Example Database Work?

All you need to do is enter your email, and you’ll have access to over 20 sample college transfer essays, including examples from universities such as the University of California, New York University, Texas A&M, the University of Washington, and the University of Southern California.

In addition to offering transfer personal statement samples, we offer a range of services to help you with your transfer application, including transfer essay editing and application counseling .

Do's and Don'ts of Writing a Transfer Essay

Here are some do’s and don'ts you should follow when writing your transfer essay.

• Be honest and genuine when explaining why you’re transferring
• Be clear about the reasons why you’re transferring. Make sure the reasons are reasonable and thought out
• Explain how your current school has helped you work towards your goals. Focus on the positives
• Research your future school. Look into specific classes, clubs, and opportunities that interest you
• Remember, transfer essay prompts can be different, so be sure to answer the exact question asked
• Proofread your essay. Check for grammatical and spelling errors, typos, and proper paragraph structure
• Don’t criticize your current school. You should avoid negative comments about the school and instead talk about why the new school is right for you
• Going over the word limit. This shows you can’t follow instructions
• Reuse your previous admission essay
• Ramble on your essay. You should keep your essay concise and straight to the point

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers. 

1. What Does a Good Transfer Essay Look Like?

A good college transfer essay clearly articulates the student's reasons for transferring and how the new institution aligns with their goals. It should be well-structured, personal, and showcase the applicant's unique experiences.

2. What Not to Write In a Transfer Essay?

Avoid writing a transfer essay that focuses on negative experiences or complaints about your current institution. Instead, emphasize positive reasons for your transfer and how the new school aligns with your goals.

3. How Do You Write an Essay About Why You Want to Transfer?

To write a college transfer essay, explain your reasons for transferring and how the new institution fits your goals. Highlight your achievements and what you hope to gain.

4. How Long Should My Transfer Essay Be?

Your transfer essay should be 500-750 words, single-spaced, and closer to 1 page. It should have a conversational tone but be free of loose writing, contractions, slang, and clichés.

Wondering How We Can Help You?

Application support.

Support for every aspect of the application, including your personal statement, Common Application, college essays, interview prep, and more.

Grade 12 Admissions Consulting

Are you a senior in high school looking to boost your chances of getting into a top college? If so, our personalized admissions consulting is for you.

We would love to chat with you about your child’s college plans. Schedule a call with one of our experts today.

SAT Tutoring

Customized 1:1 SAT tutoring to help you identify and focus on your weaknesses with proven problem-solving techniques

ACT Tutoring

Customized 1:1 ACT tutoring to help you identify and focus on your weaknesses with proven problem-solving techniques

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

Undergraduate Admissions

Deadline Update: We want to ensure anyone applying for federal financial aid has enough time to make an informed decision regarding their college choice! For this reason, we're extending our enrollment decision deadline to May 15.

Essay Questions for Transfer Applicants

You'll answer one to two essays as part of your application, depending on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Essays should be 300 to 400 words each.

If You're Applying to a Major :

Explain your interest in the major you selected. Describe how you have recently developed this interest, inside and/or outside of the classroom, and how this major relates to your professional goals.

If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program :

Explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you are currently considering.

If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared ):

You have selected a second-choice major. Please explain your interest in this major.

Tips for Writing Your Essay

Be memorable..

The essay portion of the application is important because it gives us further insight into who you are and who you want to be. Make us remember you!

Be prepared.

Take time to think about and brainstorm your message. Create an outline, write a good first draft, and edit multiple times.

Be yourself.

We want to know more about you, so be honest and let us into your world. Instead of making broad statements about what you want to do, provide specific examples from your current institution or extracurricular activities. And don’t be afraid to add your personal style and voice to your writing!

You only have a couple of paragraphs to tell us that you’re not only qualified to attend UIUC, but you're also ready for the challenge and will make the most of your experience. Choose your words wisely.

Be focused.

It's not necessary for you to repeat information that’s already elsewhere in your application. Stay focused on explaining how those credentials and qualifications will lead to a successful future here.

Be professional.

Submitting a sloppy-looking essay with spelling errors and glaring mistakes sends us the message that you’re not serious about UIUC. Proofread your essays and ask your counselor, a friend, or a parent to take a second look.

Want more info?

Most Searched

Common questions, essay questions.

University of Michigan Questions

• Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.  (Required for all applicants. 1,500 character limit.)
• Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?  (Required for all applicants. 2,750 character limit.)
• An optional essay  related to the impact of COVID-19 on the applicant. We encourage students to share their specific circumstances, and will bring empathy and compassion to our holistic review process.

Additional Question for Transfer Applicants:

• Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. (1,500 character limit)

Marsal Family School of Education Transfer Applicants Only:

• How does your experience prepare you to engage in a program with these commitments?
• What goals do you have for your own career in light of these commitments?   
• Please answer in approximately 250 words (2000 characters) maximum: Describe your experiences (work and/or volunteer) engaging with youth.

The Common Application Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.  (1,250-3,250 character limit, approx. 250-650 word limit. The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

• Faculty & Staff

Transfer personal statement

All applicants must write a personal statement and submit it with the transfer application for admission. The personal statement should be a comprehensive narrative essay outlining significant aspects of your academic and personal history, particularly those that provide context for your academic achievements and educational choices. Quality of writing and depth of content contribute toward a meaningful and relevant personal statement.

You should address the following topics in your personal statement. Within each subtopic, such as Academic History, write only about what is meaningful to your life and experience. Do not feel compelled to address each and every question.

Required elements

Academic history.

• Tell us about your college career to date, describing your performance, educational path and choices.
• Explain any situations that may have had a significant positive or negative impact on your academic progress or curricular choices. If you transferred multiple times, had a significant break in your education or changed career paths, explain.
• What are the specific reasons you wish to leave your most recent college/university or program of study?

Your major & career goals

• Tell us about your intended major and career aspirations.
• Explain your plans to prepare for the major. What prerequisite courses do you expect to complete before transferring? What led you to choose this major? If you are still undecided, why? What type of career are you most likely to pursue after finishing your education?
• How will the UW help you attain your academic, career and personal goals?
• If you selected a competitive major, you have the option of selecting a second-choice major in the event you are not admitted to your first-choice major. Please address major or career goals for your second-choice major, if applicable.

Cultural Understanding

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.

Optional elements (include if applicable)

Educational challenges/personal hardships.

Describe any personal or imposed challenges or hardships you have overcome in pursuing your education. For example: serious illness; disability; first generation in your family to attend college; significant financial hardship or responsibilities associated with balancing work, family and school.

Community or volunteer service

Describe your community or volunteer service, including leadership, awards or increased levels of responsibility.

Experiential learning

Describe your involvement in research, artistic endeavors and work (paid or volunteer) as it has contributed to your academic, career or personal goals.

Additional comments

Do you have a compelling academic or personal need to attend the Seattle campus of the UW at this time? Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Content, as well as form, spelling, grammar and punctuation, will be considered. Suggested length is 750-1000 words.

• Online application: You should write your statement first in a word processing program (such as Word) or a text editor, and then copy/paste it into the text box provided on the application. All line breaks remain. However, some formatting may be be lost, such as bold, italics and underlines. This will not affect the evaluation of your application.
• PDF application (spring applicants only): Type or write your statement on 8.5’’ x 11’’ white paper. Double-space your lines, and use only one side of each sheet. Print your name, the words “Personal Statement” and the date at the top of each page, and attach the pages to your application.

Tell us who you are

Share those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your transcripts. In providing the context for your academic achievements and choices, describe your passions and commitments, your goals, a personal challenge faced, a hardship overcome or the cultural awareness you’ve gained. Tell us your story. Be concise, but tell the whole story.

Be specific

Personal statements too often include sentences such as “I’ve always wanted to be a Husky” or “My whole family attended the UW.” Although this may be important to you personally, such reasons are not particularly valuable to the Admissions staff because they do not tell us anything distinctive about your experiences and ultimate goals.

Write like a college student

Your personal statement should reflect the experience and maturity of someone who has already attended college. It should reflect your understanding of the components of an undergraduate education, such as general education and the major. We want to read how, specifically, your academic and personal experiences fit into your academic, career and personal goals.

Keep in mind

• We want to know about your intended major and career aspirations, and we want to know your plan to get there.
• You have the option of selecting a second-choice major. If you do, be sure to address it in your personal statement.
• The UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

All writing in the application, including your essay/personal statement and short responses, must be your own work.  Do not use another writer’s work and do not use artificial intelligence software (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) to assist or write your statement.

Navigating the Transfer Application

Navigating the transfer application process.

Are you a college student asking yourself, “ Should I transfer colleges?” Or, perhaps you were not accepted to your top choice school and are now wondering, “How do college transfers work?” No matter where you are in your college journey, CollegeAdvisor is here to answer any questions you may have about the transfer application.

If you’re considering transferring, you’ll want to have all the information needed to put together a strong transfer application for schools. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you understand the process of transferring colleges. To begin, we will review the transfer application process , including:

• The transfer student meaning
• Why a student might want to transfer colleges
• How to choose transfer colleges for your list
• Transfer application deadlines

We will also break down the college application requirements for transfer applications and provide tips for writing your college transfer essay. Lastly, we will prepare you for life as a transfer student, ensuring that if you choose to transfer colleges, you do so ready for the opportunities and challenges that the decision may bring.

Fundamental Knowledge About How to Transfer Colleges

Before you transfer colleges, you must first understand the basics of how to transfer colleges. So, let’s start with the transfer student meaning. A transfer student is most commonly defined as any student who:

• has a high school degree
• has completed only some college credits as part of a degree-seeking program
• completed these credits at a regionally accredited American university after graduating from high school AND
• has not yet completed a bachelor’s degree

As such, high school students who took dual credit classes are not considered transfer students. Additionally, international students who took college credits abroad may still be considered first-year students instead of transfer students. However, each school can have its own unique transfer student meaning. For this reason, it’s important to double-check with the school about how they define a transfer student.

As you can see, the college transfer process can be complex. Still, millions of students transfer each year to find their new educational home. Without the ability to transfer colleges, some students would not be able to pursue their dream major or flourish academically and socially. In addition, transferring colleges is a way for some students to save money or live closer to family and friends. 

To some extent, applying to transfer colleges is not that different from applying to college as an incoming freshman. In fact, many students will complete a Common App transfer using the same platform and login as they did when they were in high school.

However, the key difference is that when transferring colleges, you’ll need to discuss your college experience. Schools are looking to see your academic and extracurricular achievements not only in high school but in college as well. Most importantly, they want to know why you are looking to transfer colleges. Ultimately, transfer admissions teams want to make sure that their school will be a better fit before they admit you.

The Transfer Application Landscape

While most of the attention of college admissions goes towards freshman applications, nearly 2.1 million students transfer colleges each year. Some of these students are transferring from two-year programs at community colleges to four-year programs at universities. Other students may be transferring between four-year programs, either to gain admission to a more selective college or a specific program at another four-year school. 

Many students wondering “Should I transfer colleges?” want to know if the acceptance rates for transferring colleges are higher. In essence, is it easier to get into a more selective school, like an Ivy, as a transfer student? The answer is that it depends on the transfer college. There are many schools which have higher acceptance rates for transfer students. While accurate transfer rates calculators are hard to come by, we know that larger public institutions generally have the capacity to accept more transfer students. 

However, selective schools like Harvard and MIT are known to accept very few transfer students. Each year, Harvard only accepts approximately 12 transfer students. MIT accepts 15-20 out of around 400-500 applications. We don’t need to use a transfer rates calculator to learn that MIT’s transfer acceptance rate is around 4%, slightly lower than their freshman acceptance rate.  As such, you should put a great deal of thought into your MIT transfer application or your Harvard transfer application. Cornell University is one of the few selective schools known for having a higher acceptance rate for transfers, closer to 16% . 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into our transferring colleges advice. As we move forward, we will discuss how to decide where to submit your transfer application. Later, we’ll go more in-depth on how to craft a compelling transfer application.

Deciding to Transfer Colleges

For students wondering “Should I transfer colleges?”, there are many motivations and factors to consider. Some students transfer for academic reasons, such as their intended major not being available at their initial school. Or, after starting in one program, they may decide they want to pursue more robust academic opportunities at another institution. Other students transfer colleges for personal reasons, like wanting to be closer to home or in a different climate. Additionally, transfer students are sometimes looking to pay less tuition at a new college.

Before starting your transfer application, consider the following questions:

Questions to Consider Before Transferring

• Why am I transferring? 
• How confident am I that my transfer college will be a better fit? 
• Is there a way I can get what I need at my current school? 
• What are the potential downsides of transferring colleges?
• Do I have the energy and time to complete a transfer college application?
• Am I prepared for the challenges of being a transfer student?

While transferring colleges may be a great decision for many transfer students, there are important challenges to consider. For example, transferring colleges means starting over in a new social environment. It may take some time to find new friends and community. Additionally, transfer students sometimes struggle to complete all their academic requirements within four years. We will discuss more of the academic challenges of transferring colleges later.

Therefore, the best transferring colleges advice we can offer is to carefully plan and consider the advantages and disadvantages of transferring before completing a transfer application for schools.

Researching and Choosing Transfer Schools

Once you have decided to transfer colleges, you might be wondering–how do college transfers work? In this section, we will begin to share information about how to transfer colleges. The first step in this process is to begin researching colleges.

Before you look at schools, determine the objectives for your search. Are you looking for a different campus culture with more social activity? Or, are you looking for a smaller, quieter campus? Perhaps you are hoping to find schools that have more resources for a specific major , like pre-veterinary studies. Or, maybe you want to be in a warmer climate or at a school with lower tuition. 

Once you have decided on your priorities for your transfer college, you can begin to research. Consider the following steps for your research process:

• Look up lists of transfer friendly colleges that provide transferring colleges advice and advising. 
• Use online resources like U.S. News or Niche.com to find the best colleges for your major.
• Consider using a transfer rates calculator to find out admissions rates for your intended transfer college.
• Visit campuses and ask to speak directly with someone who can offer advice on transferring colleges.
• Contact a reputable company like CollegeAdvisor to provide transferring colleges advice.

A Note on Articulation Agreements

Some students may be interested in finding colleges with articulation agreements. These are agreements made between colleges that allow students to transfer more smoothly and easily, to ensure that credits transfer between the schools. For instance, some community colleges have articulation agreements with universities. This helps students seamlessly matriculate into a four-year bachelor’s program after completing a two-year associate’s degree. An example is the City College of New York’s articulation agreements with a number of local community colleges. 

Other transfer friendly colleges, like Texas A&M’s Program for System Admission , allow students to complete their freshman year at another Texas campus before transferring to A&M. In this case, students must have specific majors and complete a set of requirements in their freshman year to guarantee their admission to Texas A&M. Looking into colleges with articulation agreements or other transfer-friendly practices can make your transfer application for schools infinitely easier.

Understanding Transfer Admissions

So, you have chosen where to submit your transfer application. Now, you need to develop a plan to complete your transfer application for schools on your transfer list. Here are a few aspects of the transfer process you should consider:

Make a list of transfer application deadlines. Some schools only allow students to apply for fall admission, whereas other schools have multiple transfer application deadlines each year. Most transfer application deadlines are 6-9 months before the start of your intended transfer semester. Indeed, the UC transfer application is due by November 30 for the following fall, meaning you must start preparing your transfer application for schools in the UC system much earlier. Meanwhile, other transfer application deadlines can be as late as a few weeks before the start of a semester.

Transferring Credits

Speak with the transfer specialist at each school to learn more about which of your credits will be accepted if you transfer. Sometimes schools that do not offer an equivalent course to one you have taken previously will not give transfer credit. Alternatively, they might give a general elective credit, which will not count towards specific major requirements. In this case, your graduation can be delayed, and therefore the cost of your college degree may be higher. So, it is important to understand the eligibility of your credits before transferring colleges.

Transfer Rates

College transfer rates tend to be very different from first-year admissions rates. Some transfer friendly colleges, like those with articulation agreements, accept 100% of the students who meet their transfer requirements. Other schools, like MIT and Harvard, accept only a handful of transfer students each year. As such, your MIT transfer application or Harvard transfer application must make a clear and compelling case about why you are a perfect fit for their school. 

While finding an accurate transfer rates calculator online may be difficult, you can contact the school to ask how many transfer applications they receive and how many are admitted. You should also ask what the school is looking for in a strong transfer application. With that in mind, let’s dive into the mechanics of college transfers.

How do college transfers work?

By now, you have seen how the college application process for transfer students is unique from the regular admissions process. Here, we will provide a simple overview of key parts of the transfer process.

Types of Transfers

Two main types of transfers occur regularly:

Community College → Four-Year University

Students who transfer from a community college to a four-year university are seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree. These students should consider whether the four-year university they’re applying to offers their intended major. Furthermore, it’s important to determine how many of their community college credits the school will accept towards a bachelor’s degree.

Between Four-Year Universities

Students making a transfer from one four-year program to another are generally recommended to transfer between their first and second years of college. This is because completing one year of college at your original school allows you to demonstrate the academic skills needed to strengthen your transfer application for schools. However, transferring beyond your second year may not allow you enough time to complete the requirements at your transfer college. As a result, you could end up having to spend more than four years total in college to complete your bachelor’s degree.

Transfer Admissions vs. First-Year Admissions

In many ways, transfer admissions are similar to first-year admissions. Namely, schools are looking for the same core traits: academic excellence, community involvement, extracurricular involvement, leadership, and personal growth. Additionally, the college application requirements for transfers include many of the same documents, such as transcripts and essays. More than 600 schools also use the Common App for transfer applications. With a Common App transfer, you will have the ease of using your existing account from first-year admissions. 

However, there are some important differences between transfer admission and first-year admissions:

How academic performance is evaluated

Generally, transfer colleges place much more emphasis on your academic performance in college rather than in high school. Additionally, some may not even review test scores . They believe that your performance in college is generally a better indicator due to the rigor of college classes. If you did not perform well in your college classes, speak about what impacted your performance on your transfer application for schools. Colleges want to see academic growth but understand that life can impact your grades.

Essay topics change

Many transfer college application requirements, such as the UC application , include an essay about why you decided to transfer. Make sure you do not submit the same essay you wrote in first-year admissions, as it is unlikely to answer this question. Even if you are completing a Common App transfer, you must make sure you update all your information. So, spend some time reflecting upon your choice to transfer and make a compelling case for why the transfer would be a great fit for you and the college.

Greater importance of major

While many first-year students apply to colleges as undecided majors, a successful transfer application generally demonstrates why a student is interested in their intended major. Indeed, some students may even be required to meet stricter requirements in their application to qualify for a major before they are admitted. Since you have had some time in college to explore, colleges are looking to see an intended major and a clear narrative for why you want to study this subject.

Different timelines

As we stated earlier, some schools have both spring and fall deadlines for transfer applications. As such, the deadlines can differ from first-year admissions deadlines. In a later section, we will provide transfer deadlines for some of the most popular transfer schools.

Now that you know how to transfer colleges, we recommend preparing early for the process

Preparing to Transfer Colleges

Here are some tips for successfully transferring colleges while minimizing stress:

Tips for Transferring Colleges

1. research early.

If you think you might want to transfer, start researching colleges right away. Some students even begin researching before they start their freshman year at their original institution if they think they want to transfer for their sophomore year. Case in point, your UC transfer application will be due November 30 of your freshman year if you wish to start at a UC school in your sophomore year. 

2. Give your full effort at your original institution

Just because you think you may transfer does not mean you should slack off in your classes at your original institution. As we shared above, transfer applications are made stronger by academic achievement in college courses. As such, make sure to take all your courses seriously and get help at the first sign of struggle. If you are hoping to put together a stellar Harvard transfer application or MIT transfer application, you will need to demonstrate strong academic achievement. 

3. Investigate transfer credits early

If you know you may want to transfer, then understanding which classes are more likely to transfer to other schools is important. For example, if you know that a calculus class is likely to transfer to any other college, then it would be smart to enroll in calculus. Taking a rare and specific elective course may mean those credits do not transfer directly to your transfer college.

Remember to seek out help in your transfer process. You can speak with students who transferred previously to hear about their experiences. And, try to meet with transfer advisors at both your original college and your intended transfer college. CollegeAdvisor can also help provide you with personalized college application guidance.

When to start your transfer application?

As we shared above, the transfer application process differs slightly from the first-year admissions process. Importantly, the deadline for transfer application for schools can vary greatly from first-year applications. Here is a list of the top 20 schools with the most transfer students and their application deadlines for the fall semester.

Top 20 Schools with the Most Transfer Students 

As you can tell, transfer application deadlines vary immensely from school to school. For California public schools, you must apply nearly a year in advance of the fall term at the transfer college you want to enroll in. As previously stated, your UC transfer application is due by November 30 for admission the following fall.

Meanwhile, you can submit a transfer application for schools like the University of North Texas up until a few weeks before the fall semester starts. Researching this information earlier will empower you to avoid stressful rushing to complete your applications. And, it will give you plenty of time to strategize for putting together the most successful transfer application for schools.

Exploring Transfer Requirements

When completing any transfer application for schools, there are certain college application requirements you’ll need to fulfill. In general, each application will have the same essential requirements. However, always check the admissions sites to have the most updated information on application deadlines and requirements. With that in mind, let’s look at the requirements that you’ll need for most schools when transferring. 

Letters of Recommendation

First, be sure to secure strong letters of recommendation. If you’re transferring colleges after a full year of school, the letters of recommendation for your transfer application should be different from those used on your initial college application. Your transfer application for schools should reflect your most recent achievements–that includes relationships with college professors rather than high school teachers. 

Extracurriculars

Similar to when you’re applying to college for the first time, extracurricular activities and work experience are important sections in your transfer application for schools. Remember, you shouldn’t just list these activities. Rather, put some thought into how to describe each experience to make your transfer application stand out. Use strong, active verbs to describe your involvement in activities as well as to highlight your leadership qualities (organized, collaborative, communicative). And don’t waste any words on filler text–your transfer application will be stronger for it! 

Supplemental Materials

Each transfer application will also require supplemental materials. Some schools may require a supplemental essay to transfer colleges, just like a first-time college application. Your transfer application will also require a fee. However, if you don’t have the funds, you can likely get a fee waiver.

Some transfer applications require students to submit standardized test scores, though many are now test-optional. For example, the Harvard transfer application doesn’t require test scores. However, the MIT transfer application does require SAT or ACT scores, just as it does for first-year applicants. 

Transfer Application Nuances

Every transfer application is different. For example, the Harvard transfer application is specifically looking for “a clearly defined academic need to transfer, a proven record of achievement at your current institution, and strong faculty recommendations.” You also need to have been a student at another institution for at least one full year, but no more than two. The Harvard transfer application is pretty standard and is similar to the NYU transfer application. 

Similar to applying as a first-time student, when you transfer colleges, you can apply to many schools through the Common App. However, some colleges don’t use the Common App transfer application and have their own. Students will submit the MIT transfer application via MIT’s platform. On the other hand, both Harvard and NYU accept the Common App transfer application.

Now, we’ve learned a bit about general college application requirements for transfer students. Next, let’s go into more detail about how to use the Common App to transfer colleges. 

Common App Transfer Requirements

If you’re considering transferring colleges and want to apply to multiple schools, you’re in luck—the Common App has got you covered! Just like with first-year applications, you can apply to transfer colleges using one standardized application. Whether you’re transferring from one four-year program to another or a community college to a four-year school, the Common App gives you access to over 600 colleges . 

For your transfer application, you’ll need your college transcripts, college credits you’ve earned, and letters of recommendation. On some schools’ transfer applications, a personal statement or supplementary essay is required. These essays will be more focused than some other college essays, asking you to explain why you want to transfer colleges. 

The transfer application hosted by the Common App also requires a fee, though you can contact the school you want to transfer to individually for a fee waiver. Just like with other college applications, some transfer applications require test scores, but most are test-optional. 

In addition to using the Common App to transfer colleges, you may encounter other transfer applications, like the UC application.

UC Transfer Requirements

The University of California system is a collection of public universities in California. The UCs include some of the best public colleges in the U.S., like UC Berkeley and UCLA . The UC transfer application is separate from the Common App and has its own requirements . 

The UC application for transferring colleges is similar to the Common App: it will ask you about your academic history, which UC campuses and majors you want to pursue, and your activities and awards. Additionally, the UC transfer application has a “ personal insight ” section. In this section, you will answer written questions about yourself. Think of these as supplemental essays: they’re how the UCs will get to know you better. 

If you’re interested in completing the UC transfer application, you’re certainly not alone. Almost a third of students entering the UCs each year are transfers—most from community colleges. In fact, many students transfer from community colleges. Let’s look at what that process is like next!

Transferring from Community College

Students choose community colleges for many reasons, and attending a community college is a great way for students to start their college journey. Since many community colleges only offer associate’s degrees, some students want to transfer colleges to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

Transferring to a four-year program from a community college is common, and there are often resources on your community college campus that can help you in the process. See if your school has a dedicated transfer center or advisors who can help transfer students find transfer friendly colleges. Using these resources will guide you in crafting your best transfer application. 

Unfortunately, not all schools will accept community college applicants. Some elite institutions only accept students who transfer from one four-year program to another. However, as we mentioned earlier, some community colleges have partnerships called articulation agreements . These agreements with transfer friendly colleges make it easier for students to transfer colleges. For example, NYU has partnerships with nearby community colleges.

If you want to transfer from a community college to a public or private university, then the process will be different from the one for transfer students in other four-year programs. Often, when you’re transferring from community college, you will have graduated and finished a degree after 2 years—your associate’s degree. This may seem confusing since even though you are technically a transfer student you have already concluded one degree before you transfer colleges. 

If you think you want to transfer colleges from a community college to a four-year program, start thinking about it as early as possible. You’ll need to make sure that your credits are transferable. Additionally, you’ll need to demonstrate that you made the most of your time before transferring colleges. This means showing work experience or extracurricular involvement in addition to your academic coursework. 

Preparing Your Transfer Application

If you’re wondering how to transfer colleges, your best shot at success is to ace your transfer application. Remember, each school could have a different transfer application deadline. Make sure you double-check each school’s transfer application deadline so you have plenty of time to prepare your application materials. The transfer application deadlines are often later than regular first-year application deadlines.

The transfer application requirements are similar to the college application requirements. And, admissions advisors will be evaluating your application holistically. However, as a transfer student, you have the added responsibility of explaining why you want to transfer and demonstrating what you have done at your first college.  

Calibrating to Your Individual Transfer Circumstances

When asking yourself, “Should I transfer colleges?”, keep in mind that there are various facets that define what a transfer student is. Depending on the transfer student meaning that applies to your situation, you will need to tweak your application accordingly.

For example, you may have already applied to the college you’re trying to transfer to but were denied admission. If so, you’ll have to convince these colleges that you are now qualified and ready to be a member of their student body. You’ll need to stress how you have used the previous year (or two) to grow at your current institution in your application.

Reflect on the Why

Take the time to really reflect on your experiences at your current institution. What has served you and what hasn’t? What are you looking to gain by transferring? If you feel like the resources at this institution aren’t working for you, what have you achieved despite that? And what resources would you take advantage of at the school you’re applying to?

Remember, the answer to “Should I transfer colleges?” shouldn’t be based solely on prestige. Your transfer application for schools like Harvard or Yale can’t revolve around these schools’ elite nature. Work on reframing what prestige means to you. Does it mean increased job prospects? If so, in what fields? What are your career goals and how can these institutions help you achieve them? Maybe you’re focused on research opportunities that only exist in schools with enough resources for specialty labs. In your transfer application for schools like the Ivies, stress their specific offerings, not the fancy name.

Transfer Essay

Additionally, one of the most important parts of the transfer application for schools will take some time to complete: the transfer essay. This essay is different from the personal statement you may have written in high school– so don’t just reuse the same essay! Your essay is an excellent opportunity to tell your story.

Brainstorm by asking yourself why you want to transfer and what you have learned from your experience at your first school. You’ll also want to highlight what you will bring to a new school and how that school will help you achieve your academic and career goals. 

As the essay is a crucial part of the transfer application, we’ve compiled some tips to help you in our next section. 

Tips for Writing the College Transfer Essay

The essay portion of the transfer application for schools is one of the most important sections of the application. To transfer colleges, you must convince the admissions committee that you would immensely benefit from a different college experience than the one you are currently having. Or, if you studied at community college, you’ll need to show that you are passionate about taking the next step in your academic journey. 

Here are some tips for crafting the best essay for your transfer application for schools. 

Tips for Writing Transfer Application Essays

1. be specific.

Similar to a “why school” essay that you likely wrote as a first-year applicant, the essay for your transfer application for schools should be detailed and specific. If you’re trying to transfer colleges, always do your research on each school of interest. Admissions committees want to see that you have put in the work and understand why their school in particular would be a good fit for you. If you could submit your essay to transfer colleges to various schools, you’re not getting specific enough. An essay for Binghamton University won’t be the same as one for Cornell University . 

2. Explain why you want to transfer colleges — without bashing your first school.

When you’re looking to transfer colleges, you need to walk a fine line. In your essay, you need to express that there is something at a new institution that you just can’t get at your current one. However, you must do so without being rude about your current school. Framing your desire to transfer colleges in quest of resources, opportunities, or a specific major or program that your school doesn’t offer will help you walk this line. This closing paragraph from an Emory transfer student exemplifies how to find this balance: “I’ve never regretted my time here. I simply exhausted all the available resources and it’s my responsibility to go where I can flourish as a student in every sense, and this place for me, is Emory University.” 

3. Express your academic or career goals.

When you filled out your college application the first time, you may not have known what you wanted to study. However, schools expect that transfer students are more confident in their academic paths. They expect that, as a transfer student, you have settled on a major. Talking about your academic and career goals is also a great way to express why you’d be a better fit at a new school. If your current college doesn’t have the same opportunities, that’s a great reason for you to transfer colleges. Let’s say you want to pursue an interdisciplinary major or study a very niche topic. Write about this in your essay as a reason why you need to be at that school and nowhere else! 

4. Be yourself

Just like in a typical college essay, the most important thing to remember about your transfer application is that it should show a college who you are. Each one of us is unique, and your transfer application should reflect your distinct skills, qualities, and goals. You can express your uniqueness by being specific about your experiences and sharing relevant anecdotes about your life. Remember that the transfer student meaning has different nuances–use the transfer application essay as an opportunity to show who you are, not only as a transfer student, but as a person. Also, don’t be afraid to have a little fun with applications to transfer colleges! If you’re a creative person, show that in your essays. Not only will this make your application feel authentic to who you are, it will help you stand out.

5. Don’t forget to use great grammar, spelling, and word choice.

All the rules of great writing still apply to your transfer application and essay.  With access to online spellchecking and grammar tools, there’s no excuse for submitting typos or grammatical errors in your essay. Always read your essay out loud before you submit it to catch any mistakes. Additionally, enlist the help of friends or family in the proofreading process. 

Remember that while you can get creative with your essays, don’t get so creative that you forget about grammar. You want to show off your writing chops–don’t let grammatical errors distract from your narrative! These example essays from USC are a good reference—the writer talks about silly things but provides vivid descriptions using impeccable vocabulary and grammar.

Ultimately, writing your essay to transfer colleges should focus on expressing your unique reasons for wanting to transfer using specific details, vivid descriptions, and flawless spelling and grammar. If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our article on transfer essay examples. 

More College Transfer Advice

Transferring colleges can be a daunting process. If you’re still asking yourself, “How do college transfers work?”–here’s some more transferring colleges advice.

Start the Transfer Process Early

If you’re at a community college, make sure you talk with your admissions counselors about transfer friendly colleges that interest you. If you’re in a four-year program, your grades and extracurriculars will be an important part of your application. So, even if you plan to transfer, get involved at your first school. Preparing early is one of the best pieces of transferring colleges advice to ease the transfer process.

Build an Application Narrative

Keep in mind that the transfer student meaning includes many students with different goals and experiences. Sometimes transferring colleges is a backup plan for people who don’t get into their top schools the first time around. In fact, this is very common.

While it can feel exhausting, you should aim to make your transfer application as competitive (if not more) than your first college application. After all, just because you apply to transfer colleges, doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get in. Take the time to craft the best application narrative possible!

If you’re a student who has lower stats than the average student at the universities you’re applying to, or you get mostly B’s , don’t panic. However, you’ll want to put extra energy into other parts of your application, like your essays or your letters of recommendation. You could also tell a story of academic growth over time and explain any extenuating circumstances. 

Do Your Research

When seeking out transferring colleges advice, remember that college lists are important in the transfer process. Look at a transfer rates calculator, or a list of transfer rates, to understand which schools are more friendly to transfer students. The UCs, for example, take far more transfer students than somewhere like Harvard. It’s useful to look at a transfer rates calculator because these rates are different from regular admission rates. For example, at UC Berkeley, the transfer rates calculator shows rates that are higher for transfer students than for first-year students.

And our last piece of transferring colleges advice is to stay organized! We’ve provided an easy way to do so below.

College Transfer Application Checklist

If you started reading this guide wondering, “How do college transfers work?”, then you’ve probably learned plenty about the process. Now, a better question might be: “How do I stay organized when completing the transfer application for schools?” Here’s a checklist to keep you on schedule:

• During your first year of college, ask yourself, “Should I transfer colleges?” 
• Talk to a counselor at your school about how to transfer colleges—there may even be a designated office to assist with transfers.
• Make sure that your academic plan has transferable credits. 
• Research transfer-friendly schools.
• Familiarize yourself with the transfer application and the requirements for each school.
• Check the transfer application deadline. Every school has different transfer application deadlines, so make sure you know when to apply .
• Secure letters of recommendation from your professors who can speak to your strengths.
• Give yourself plenty of time to work on your transfer essay. 
• Order your transcripts from your school’s registrar.
• Fill out and submit your transfer application by the transfer application deadline!

Remember, during your first semesters at a new school, make sure to keep your grades up and get involved with extracurriculars. You should have a good idea of what academic goals you want to pursue once you transfer colleges. And, you need to be able to demonstrate that you made the most of your time at your first college in your transfer application. 

We know that navigating the transfer application process can be tricky. But we hope that this transferring colleges advice and checklist make you more confident in the process. Now, we’ve covered a lot, so let’s go over some final takeaways.

Navigating the Transfer Application Process – Final Thoughts

Transferring colleges can be a challenging and stressful process, but remember the light at the end of the tunnel. A successful college transfer means more educational opportunities and a college that feels like the perfect fit. If you decide that your first college isn’t the right fit for you, or that you want to pursue a bachelor’s degree after attending community college, then going through the transfer application process may be the right choice for you.

Make sure that you do your research and choose transfer friendly colleges—schools that have the right financial fit, coincide with your academic goals, and provide meaningful extracurricular, career, and research opportunities. If you’re wondering what your chances are of getting into a particular school, don’t just rely on their regular admissions stats. Transfer rates calculators offer a more accurate picture of your chance of getting admitted as a transfer applicant. 

Most transfer applications can be filed using the Common App, just like most first-year applications. However, some applications, like the MIT transfer application or the UC application, have their own platforms via their school websites. Make sure that you know where and when to apply. Remember to put a lot of thought and effort into your transfer essay since that’s where you’ll explain to the admissions committee why you want to transfer to their school.

More Transfer Resources

If you want more resources on how to transfer colleges, check out these free CollegeAdvisor resources. This webinar on transferring colleges can help assuage any concerns and this one gives you a first-person perspective from a student who successfully transferred to Vanderbilt. 

Regardless of where you are in your college journey, CollegeAdvisor is here to support you. We can provide one-on-one counseling from expert advisors, and we have countless guides to help you transfer to your dream school.

This article was written by senior advisors, Courtney Ng and Rachel Kahn . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

Three Perspectives on Transfer

It’s time to reassess the transfer student pathway, Stephen J. Handel and Eileen L. Strempel write.

By  Stephen J. Handel and Eileen L. Strempel

You have / 5 articles left. Sign up for a free account or log in.

Anastasiia_New/iStock/Getty Images Plus

In a March 2024 Inside Higher Ed essay , we highlighted—lamented really—the outcomes of a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC), the Aspen Institute, and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), which concluded that only 16 percent of community college students transferred to a four-year institution and earned a bachelor’s degree within six years. This statistic was lower for minoritized groups. Worse still, the 16 percent figure was largely unchanged from an earlier study conducted on a cohort of students who began college in 2007. We concluded that the transfer pathway between two- and four-year institutions did not serve as a productive pipeline to the bachelor’s degree, especially for underrepresented students, and that our collective efforts to improve the pathway had largely failed.

Our disappointment was less about the 16 percent figure and more about the lost promise of the transfer function. Few avenues in American life allow individuals to ascend into elite, flagship, liberal arts or other four-year colleges and universities regardless of previous academic preparation, income level, or racial, ethnic or religious background. In today’s highly stratified postsecondary educational system, if we fail to improve the productivity of this educational onramp, we will abandon one of postsecondary education’s longest-running and progressive ideals.

Our essay spurred some disagreement from higher education colleagues—and understandably so. Over the past two decades, transfer has captured the interest of the philanthropic community , led to the formation of advocacy and research organizations , and spurred significant state and local policymaking . Calling out transfer’s failures was bound to generate a reaction. Arguments fell into three camps.

Declare Victory and Go Home

This group argues that the low transfer rate is a reasonable outcome given the institutions that actively participate in transfer, such as community colleges, and the students those institutions are most likely to serve. Their logic is persuasive: Community colleges are open-access institutions; anyone can enroll regardless of their previous educational success. As a result, these institutions welcome and serve many students who lack college-going skills. This situation is compounded by the fact that community colleges are often the least well-funded sector of U.S. higher education. As such, they have comparatively modest academic and advising supports to help students meet their transfer goals.

Even more problematic, this group also noted that the current transfer system is inherently complex, reducing the number of students who manage to navigate its considerable rapids. In a highly diffuse postsecondary system, where virtually every college or university operates autonomously, transfers get caught in the maw between sending and receiving institutions. There is no guarantee that a student will be admitted to his or her dream transfer destination. Even if they are, students are often unable to port all their community college credit to the four-year institution.

Our colleagues also stressed that the bachelor’s degree has lost a bit of its luster, especially among younger students drawn by the lure of earning family-sustaining wages directly out of high school rather than the prospect of paying off student loans. Price-sensitive students are frequently drawn to community colleges, and once enrolled, they may decide not to continue onto a four-year institution. Community colleges are in the enviable position of offering a variety of educational credentials that may look more appealing than transferring. In addition to associate degrees, these institutions offer, as a crucial part of their mission, short- and medium-term credentials and licensures that often lead to specific jobs in the local economy.

It might be easy for some to classify the 16 percent figure as the best we will ever achieve. College costs, unmet basic needs, student loan debt and concerns about post-graduation employment play into the worries that both students and their families have about whether going to college is a risk worth taking. Given the fraught and complex transfer pathway, our colleagues believe that we may as well celebrate the 16 percent figure as condemn it.

Wait and See — The Best Is Yet to Come

The ”wait and see” crowd believe that transformative and hard-won higher education reforms are only now beginning to impact students. More time is needed to see how they will influence the transfer rate. They specifically highlight two initiatives.

The first is the widespread reform of developmental (remedial) education , especially at community colleges. These reforms eliminate stand-alone remedial courses, in favor of credit-bearing courses supplemented with tutoring and advising services to help students pass. Earlier institutional practices, which often placed students in remedial courses based on a single high school grade or placement test score, diverted as many as 70 percent of community college students into developmental education courses for which students receive no credit while burning through their limited student aid . Worse, they could not enroll in college courses until they earned their way out of their remedial course placements. Students in this situation—higher education’s version of purgatory—might be stranded there for a year or more if they do not simply leave the institution in despair.

This group’s second hoped-for transformation is the implementation of “ guided pathways .” This approach channels students’ academic interests—which for many are initially inchoate or diffuse—into a limited number of “meta-majors” from which they can further refine their interests in later academic terms. With fewer, yet broader, disciplinary choices, students have a better chance, the theory goes, of enrolling in courses that build toward a specific major. Guided pathways are constructed to be especially helpful to first-generation students or others who lack sufficient college knowledge when they enter higher education. Previously, many such students struggled to make wise course selections, lengthening their time to degree and drawing down their available financial aid.

The reform of developmental education and implementation of guided pathways are both positive movements in higher education and are relatively recent. These reforms, widely supported by both policymakers and academics, nonetheless will take time to blanket the country. Early adopters have taken as many as five years to implement guided pathways on their campuses. Waiting for these initiatives to hit a scaling “tipping point” does little for transfer students in the interim.

The third set of responses come from colleagues who believe that the 16 percent rate confirms the false premise of transfer from its inception. For this group, transfer is a promise that can never be fulfilled. With about 40 percent of all undergraduates enrolled in community colleges and an estimated eight of ten first-time community college students hoping to earn a bachelor’s degree , the enormity of the potential transfer cohort exceeds the admissions capacity of four-year institutions.

Editors’ Picks

• Library Faculty Eliminated Amid ‘Fiscal Insanity’ at Western Illinois
• Questions Linger After Sasse’s Departure From U of Florida
• Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor

This harsh winnowing process is nothing new; it has been at the heart of the transfer pathway since its beginning more than a century ago. Transfer’s legacy is more about thwarting access than supporting it. The 16 percent figure is the latest empirical verification of sociologist Burton Clark’s often-quoted conclusion from 1960 that the community college transfer pathway serves to “cool out” the overheated aspirations of many community college students. If there is a success to be found, it is that the cooling out function is working better than ever.

Colleagues in this camp argue the traditional transfer pathway between two- and four-year institutions needs more than a refresh. They call for the abandonment of the current transfer pathway in favor of other models that have a better bachelor’s degree completion rate than 16 percent.

Where Does All This Leave Us?

You need not agree with all or any of the arguments from our colleagues and still believe that we can do better than 16 percent. With little evidence of an increasing transfer rate over the past decade—despite significant policymaking, investments and programmatic initiatives in the interim—reasonable people must surely pause to reassess our contemporary transfer pathway.

The key question for us is this: Can we mend transfer, or do we need to start with something new? As we have reviewed the CCRC/Aspen/NSCRC data, as well as reflected on the thoughtful commentaries of our colleagues (and of those who work daily in the transfer trenches), we offer the following:

• We know and should support those institutions where transfer is working —that is, where significantly higher transfer rates are being documented regularly. Sometimes those outcomes are aided by proximity: Northern Virginia Community College, for example, is just ten minutes from George Mason University. Our nation should further incentivize additional substantive partnerships among neighboring institutions.
• We should support different forms of credentialing and degree-granting. Today, 24 states allow community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees . Many four-year institutions hate this idea on its face, but they should not uniformly oppose it given the degree of access it offers to students.
• We need to shift higher education’s incentive structure. Enrollment is a key element, but persistence, completion and student economic mobility must play a role in institutional funding models. Fiscal sustainability must be directly tied to the student outcomes that we’re seeking.
• We must solve the credit muddle and make a national commitment to academic credit mobility. This is not a plea for all colleges to accept each other’s courses for degree credit; this isn’t a realistic expectation from an academic or curricular standpoint. What we need is to mandate greater transparency for community college students by clearly showing how credit will transfer from one institution to another prior to their enrollment in four-year institutions. Students will vote with their feet and enroll at those institutions that accept more of their previous academic work toward their degree.

Rather than lament the fact that the transfer pathway has never lived up to its hoped-for potential, we support its rejuvenation in a more strategic fashion. We should strengthen the transfer pathway where it serves students well—by “well,” we mean a partnership between institutions that encompasses the tenets of a transfer-affirming culture and focuses on the needs of 21st century students — through strong advising, sane credit mobility policies, transfer-focused orientations and summer bridge programs, among other things. As noted above, this ideal situation is most likely to happen between two- and four-year institutions that are close to one another. However, where transfer may not serve students, such as in so-called “ education deserts ,” where, say, a community college is the only postsecondary resource available, why not let that institution offer four-year degrees? The reverse would apply to four-year institutions serving as a similarly singular education resource by allowing them to offer sub-baccalaureate degrees and other credentials.

The idea here is not to abandon transfer, wait for innovative solutions to bear fruit or believe that a 16 percent completion rate represents success. The problems that weaken transfer—lack of credit mobility, low completion rates, unmet student basic needs—afflict higher education generally. If we solve those challenges, we’ll solve transfer. In the meantime, rather than focus on special pleading for transfer students, we should advance broader strategies that better serve all students as they pursue their baccalaureate degree dream.

Stephen J. Handel is the strategy director for postsecondary education transformation at ECMC Foundation, a former senior strategist with the College Board and former associate vice president of undergraduate admissions for the University of California system.

Eileen L. Strempel is the inaugural dean of The Herb Alpert School of Music and a professor of education at the University of California at Los Angeles.  

Report: Teaching Online Students to Self-Regulate Learning

New research suggests that short skill-building activities can motivate self-regulated learning among learners taking

Share This Article

More from views.

A Case Against Rubrics

Rubrics are not the path to intellectual liberation, Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera writes.

An Awkward False Neutrality

Abiya Ahmed and Alexander Key argue that false binaries and assumptions contribute to distortions of campus discourse

SATs Have Never Been About Equity

The history of the SAT raises questions about how we value and measure intelligence, Pepper Stetler writes.

• Become a Member
• Sign up for Newsletters
• Learning & Assessment
• Diversity & Equity
• Career Development
• Labor & Unionization
• Shared Governance
• Academic Freedom
• Books & Publishing
• Financial Aid
• Residential Life
• Free Speech
• Physical & Mental Health
• Race & Ethnicity
• Sex & Gender
• Socioeconomics
• Traditional-Age
• Adult & Post-Traditional
• Teaching & Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Digital Publishing
• Data Analytics
• Administrative Tech
• Alternative Credentials
• Financial Health
• Cost-Cutting
• Revenue Strategies
• Academic Programs
• Physical Campuses
• Mergers & Collaboration
• Fundraising
• Research Universities
• Regional Public Universities
• Community Colleges
• Private Nonprofit Colleges
• Minority-Serving Institutions
• Religious Colleges
• Women's Colleges
• Specialized Colleges
• For-Profit Colleges
• Executive Leadership
• Trustees & Regents
• State Oversight
• Accreditation
• Politics & Elections
• Supreme Court
• Student Aid Policy
• Science & Research Policy
• State Policy
• Colleges & Localities
• Employee Satisfaction
• Remote & Flexible Work
• Staff Issues
• Study Abroad
• International Students in U.S.
• U.S. Colleges in the World
• Intellectual Affairs
• Seeking a Faculty Job
• Advancing in the Faculty
• Seeking an Administrative Job
• Advancing as an Administrator
• Beyond Transfer
• Call to Action
• Confessions of a Community College Dean
• Higher Ed Gamma
• Higher Ed Policy
• Just Explain It to Me!
• Just Visiting
• Law, Policy—and IT?
• Leadership & StratEDgy
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Learning Innovation
• Online: Trending Now
• Resident Scholar
• University of Venus
• Student Voice
• Academic Life
• Health & Wellness
• The College Experience
• Life After College
• Academic Minute
• Weekly Wisdom
• Reports & Data
• Quick Takes
• Advertising & Marketing
• Consulting Services
• Data & Insights
• Hiring & Jobs
• Event Partnerships

4 /5 Articles remaining this month.

Sign up for a free account or log in.

• Sign Up, It’s FREE