<p>"Would transferring to Penn be a good move for me?", "What is Penn's social life really like?", "Will I still get good financial aid?", "What kind of support system is there on campus for transfers?", "How easy is it to transfer credits?" </p>
<p>If you've asked any of these questions, spent days searching forums and threads online and still have burgeoning questions you can't seem to find the answers to - know that you're not alone. A vibrant community of transfer students who were accepted to Penn is here to help. The UPenn Transfer Student Organization (TSO) is eager to make your experience with this stressful process easier. Come out on February, 28th at 9 pm EST to a LiveChat, where we'll be available to answer all your most pertinent questions via google. Our google account is tso.penn@gmail. We invite you to a safe, resourceful, and personal space. Can't wait to meet you!</p>
<p>I asked this question on the other unofficial UPenn Fall Transfer thread. I was wondering if you guys could help me solve this recommendation conundrum.</p>
<p>It is perfectly fine to have your TA write it, especially if you have a very good relationship with him/her. In this scenario, the contact information (that you would fill out) would still be in your professors name, and the recommendation would still be signed by your professor (also I do not think your TAs name would even be mentioned). Furthermore, many accepted transfers in the past have had recommendations written by TAs, so I definitely would not worry about it!</p>
<p>Good luck with your application and if you have any more questions please let us know!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Does it matter when I sent my midterm report? I have another transfer that requires a report by March 1st and I want to try to get them both in at the same time so I don’t bother my professors. Will Penn look down on me sending the form in early?</p></li>
<li><p>If I applied to Penn before and sent standardized test scores that I don’t want to send this time, will Penn consider those? I heard that previous applicants have their files pulled to check.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for posting this thread.
I am planning on transferring to Penn from MIT and I am wondering how easy it is to receive transfer credit. I am aware that you need to upload your data once you get to Penn, however I am curious whether or not this is an easy process, or whether it is rare to receive any form of transfer credit. Especially for economics.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the response. Another question: is it ok to submit the College Officials Report, Letters or Recommendation, and Transcript through the mail before I submit my application?</p>
For the midterm report, it is really just an indication of how you are doing in the class since as a sophomore, you only have one semester of grades to show. Since some classes will not have a “grade” for you, it will not make a difference if you send it in a bit early. However, if you feel like there is a midterm or project after the March 1st date that will allow you to shine or excel on, you should strongly consider asking twice. It is really up to you, because you want to show them everything good that you possibly can!</p>
<ol>
<li>Any standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) does not need to be resubmitted if you have applied in the past.</li>
</ol>
<p>@loyamann123
From my own credit transfer experiences (and those of some others), we feel that Penn is pretty generous with transfer credit. With regards to the math and science departments, most things usually translate with no problems. For classes such as economics, it depends on whether or not you are applying to Wharton or the College because there are actually different economics classes for each school. The worst transfer credit to get is the Critical Writing Seminar. Penn is VERY VERY picky about their writing program and they feel that it is an important part of the Penn experience, so do not expect to get that credit. However, you should not worry too much about transfer credit in general because you are able to submit the classes you have taken to each respective department. You will have to attach syllabi and representative course work, along with descriptions of the course. You can also research the corresponding class you wish to get credit for and work the description to your own advantage during your explanation.</p>
<p>@bettercallsaul
Yes, it is completely fine to submit things separately. The admissions office creates a new file for you once they receive any material from you and continues to add to your file as new information arrives.</p>
<p>@loyamann123
To add on to my previous response</p>
<p>You will be using the External Credit Evaluation Tool (XCAT) that is pretty unintuitive and slow. However, your assigned advisor with help you with the process during the summer before you even step foot on campus. If you have specific questions about your courses, you are welcome to ask (and I will find someone who has had the same experiences). You can also look at our Tumblr that has a myriad of transfer questions. <a href=“http://penntso.■■■■■■■■■■/[/url]”>http://penntso.■■■■■■■■■■/</a></p>
<p>It is required that you have two letter of recommendation. Even if the admission committee does review your letter (even though it will be considered incomplete), having only one letter will severely, if not completely, reduce your chances of being accepted. Keep in mind that if you are unable to have professors write your recommendation due to a large class size (lectures), it is also acceptable to have your TA write it for you (but your professor must sign it).</p>
<p>Penn keeps standardized test scores on file. I do not believe they retain essays, LORs, or other application material.</p>
<p>@knight92
After speaking with the other junior transfers here, they have responded with mixed feelings about the midterm report (but most of them did not send it). Because you will already have three semesters of grades to show, the midterm report would not be as necessary. Again, it is there to be an indicator of how you are currently doing, and if you think that it would add to your profile positively, then it would not hurt to send them!</p>
<p>Does it matter if you have a sibling who is applying to Penn for freshmen admissions? Does Penn’s decision for the younger sibling have an effect?</p>
<p>Also, do you know if adcoms compare past applications with current ones? Is there any effect of being waitlisted in the past?</p>
<p>@knight92
That is actually a very interesting question since I have never met anyone in that scenario. I would only be able to speculate but I would not think that you would be able to tell them your sibling was accepted before you submitted your application. Regardless, legacy status, while still noted, has a significantly less effect now.</p>
<p>To be honest, I do not think the admissions committee compares you with how you did in high school. Although sophomore transfers do have their HS GPA weighted more than if they were juniors, how you perform during your first semester and a half at college is the real indicator of how you have improved. If you were waitlisted during freshmen applications, your HS credentials must have been up to par, and your college “improvement” will surely only benefit you! Good luck!</p>
<p>Interesting. I only ask because I know some freshman applications (I can’t recall it Penn’s does off the top of my head) do ask whether someone in your family is applying at the same time for freshmen/transfer admission. I mean, why would they ask this question?</p>
<p>I wasn’t really thinking of it as a legacy-like thing. More like “okay well if we accept one and the other is not as qualified, we may waitlist instead of outright reject”. But then again, freshmen decisions are over before transfers. Maybe it’s more of an issue if the two people applying are both applying for the same type (freshmen admission or transfer admission).</p>
<p>You are invited to join members of the Penn Transfer Student Organization for an online chat this Thursday February 28th, at 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. EST, regarding any questions that you might have about the transfer process, student life at Penn, and the transfer experience - all answered by actual transfer students at Penn. The chatroom is located at <a href=“http://www.tinychat.com/penntso[/url]”>www.tinychat.com/penntso</a>. To participate, sign in as a guest, or through a Facebook account.</p>