Hey, I didn’t see any for next year applicants trying to transfer over to Stanford, anyone who applies or has transferred, advice is welcome, very welcome 
I’m not sure my chances, transferring from a CCC, so advice on what to do to optimize my chances and everyone who goes on this thread’s chances, would be really helpful!
Hi! I might try to transfer if Berkeley proves to be hard for me with grade deflation. I’m doing pre med so it’s essential to have a high gpa!!!
Hey there! :)) I’m actually having thoughts about applying to Stanford as well. From what I know, their minimum GPA requirement for transfers is a 3.5 (I’m a 3.4 so far, I’m hoping to raise it after spring semester ends). They also require your SAT/ACT scores from high school. Although I emailed them and they said you can retake the SAT and ACT as a transfer student before you apply. I’m tempted to retake it again haha.
I’m also planning on transferring from a Community College! Mine’s in Connecticut though so I’m worried that that will shrink my already infinitesimal chances…
I’m in the same exact boat as you! It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one with plans to transfer to Stanford aha. The process is so intimidating… Right now I’m just trying to maximize my GPA and take a balanced course load in terms of subjects with of course a focus on my major.
I know that Stanford is really big on the essay portion of the application, more so than other universities. Stellar letters of recommendation and things that allow you to stand out are important as well.
One thing that I got from my research on admission to Stanford in general is that the vast majority of students that transfer there all have one special and unique trait that they have a high mastery in. So focus on really honing your strengths and letting those shine through in your application. I also learned that the admission people spend a great deal of time in evaluating each application thoroughly, which was really refreshing to hear since they get so many per year! Good luck to everyone
hi all, i’m also trying to transfer. am i at a disadvantage if i’ll transferring as a freshmen rather than as a sophomore?
I would say your best bet is transferring after two years of study at the college you’re transferring from. I’m not sure if Stanford even accepts sophomore transfers. Either way, consider focusing yourself for the next two years in order to maximize your chances.
You can transfer anytime but wwould imagine having steady success at a college for two years woulde probably help your chances than just one year. Then again it also depends on the rest of your application.
I’d also agree with the consensus above, and I speak from experience. Applying to colleges with only a semester and a half under my belt had me at a disadvantage over other applicants who had a longer and more established college record.
As an accepted transfer from last year (i.e. the 2017 admits), I would be happy to lurk this thread in the coming months and answer any questions you may have. I can’t promise regularity (especially right now - midterms got me dying over here), but I’ll do my best. #TransferLove
Full disclosure - I will not share my personal essays nor will I read your essays. With all due respect, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. An essay should come from your heart as mine came from mine, and my life experiences.
Best of luck to you all, and Go Cardinal.
Take it from me, this person is a hero <3
We were on the transfer boat last year together and it was a hell of a ride! Nice seeing you again
@mjr2013 Thanks for taking the time to join us! Do you mind sharing some background on yourself in terms of academics and achievements as well as where you fell on the SAT percentile ranks? I’m taking the SAT next Saturday and I’m light weight stressing. Never took it in high school.
@mjr2013 scratch that. I pulled up your post from last year. How are you liking Stanford? I would be almost as happy if I were to get admitted to CAL but Stanford just seems to check all the boxes fit wise!
@AGoodFloridian AYYYYYYYEEEE. I didn’t see your post. How have you been? It was a fun ride last year. That Vanderbilt Transfer thread nearly killed me before I got the chance to survive to the 2018 school year. LOL
@GoldenState1 I’m loving it out here. The work is challenging but rewarding, and they’re expected to get snow in Michigan this week (while it is like 85 and beautiful here at the moment). I’ve joined a couple ECs, and I’m still treading water decently, but ask me in two weeks after midterms!! I’ll give the synopsis of my app so that not everyone has to grave dig my life history:
Me:
22yo
White Male
Metro Detroit, Michigan
High School:
Average public high school in suburban Michigan (~350 graduating class)
3.2 GPA (downward trend if at all, A’s and B’s in 9th, still A’s and B’s with some C’s and a rare D in 10th and 11th, barely passed a couple classes while absent like 20 days in 12th)
28 ACT (took it only once in March 2011)
Applied: University of Michigan, Florida Southern College, Oakland University, Central Michigan University, community college
Accepted: FSC, OU, CMU, community college
Deferred then rejected: UM
College:
It was a very begrudging decision for me to go to community college, and I almost was late registering for classes. But I took classes, out of pocket, because I didn’t know (had never been taught) how to acquire grant funds.
It’s been a funnnn ride. I was one of 27 transfers in this class and we are a pretty tight group. Again, if you have any questions I’ll be happy to help.
@mjr2013 Thanks so much for helping us out! It’s awesome to hear your story! What’s your major at Stanford? And Has it been easy to integrate into Stanford life even though you’re a transfer?
@Shoumei I am a prospective Human Biology major. I say prospective because I have yet to declare, but I’m enrolled to continue the core in the Winter, so I don’t see myself dropping the major at this point.
Stanford really does everything in their power to make the transition smooth, but there are still bumps in the road, as can be expected of any life transition. For me, socially I didn’t have any issue. Everyone here has been extremely friendly, and transfers tend to have really cool backgrounds that are quick conversation starters. There are a hugeeee amount of things you can join, and everyone is really welcoming.
Academically, I came in knowing I needed to bring my best studious attitude (ahem as I type this at 1040 when I should be studying), but for the first three weeks or so, I wasn’t maximizing my study time in the right areas, and I did fall behind, which has made for a bit of a stressful, chronically behind quarter. It didn’t help I had to just jump head first into the HumBio core, which is designed for second year students. With that said, I don’t hate where I’m at now, I’ve caught up fairly well, and I’m in a really good position for winter quarter. In addition to that, every person is different, and I do know of transfers that had a fairly seamless transition.
Hope that helps.
This may help some of you out in what Stanford is looking for. Just published today, hot off the press.
https://news.stanford.edu/2017/11/01/small-mighty-cohort-transfer-students-joins-stanford-community/
Hey guys, how’s it going? I appreciate all of you helping out here, I am planning to apply to Stanford next year like many of you.
Me:
21 year old
Brazilian
High School:
High school in Brazil are only 3 years instead of the 4 years here in the US. I was a Foreign Exchange student in Houston, Texas on 2011 through 2012. Played varsity soccer on that year. Finished that year with a 3.4GPA, had to climb up after the first semester, was rough for me to get adjusted to the different style of classes, different language, but after a few months everything was more than fine. After I went back to Brazil I had zero desire to stay there for longer than I needed so I finished HS there, the last two years needed, we don’t use GPA but I was top 10% of the class. Played American Football in Brazil for a year or so.
College:
Got accepted to go to University of Houston in 2014 but due to financial issues I had to decline the offer and settle for the University in Brazil. Did that for two years when I finally decided to bail on all that and start over here in a Community College close to where I used to leave. We can afford this college, I have some friends around from that exchange year, and live with one of them, which makes everything way cheaper for me. I couldn’t not come here to the United States due to the state of my home country, politics, robberies, no where is safe, and the list goes on. My father is putting a lot of effort to make me stay here, while still being able to provide a good life for my mom (doesnt work) and my two siblings, one is 8 and the other is 26, but Brazil is so bad that he can’t find a job on his field.
Anyways, I am a computer science student here, and only want to transfer credits from my Community College here, and not the one in Brazil due to lower grades than what I have here, University in Brazil is crazy difficult, at least compared to what I am going through right now. While in Brazil I worked on what we call Junior Enterprise in Brazil but it’s very uncommon here. It’s a company inside the University made with only students. We were a group of 20 people running a TI company, making events on the universities and having big clients asking for us to develop their websites and mobile apps (android and IOS)
My Community College received the Aspen Prize this year for being in the Top 5 junior colleges in the nation. I have a 4.0 GPA right now, but that might go down to 3.9 or so after this semester, I am working on not letting that happen.
I have my SAT coming up this December since I was not required to take on to come to this Community College, so I don’t have those grades for you, but I am fairly confident on my skills.
I am working on a research with a professor from the Engineering Department, we are working towards sending some 3D prited materials for testing on the International Space Station, the deadline for the submission of all materials is before the deadline of the application for Stanford so I should have some information about this on my application as well.
I have some solid ideas about my essays. Already have two professors to write my letters of recomendation plus the one optional letter, I will probably get my Karate Sensei to write it since Karate is a huge part of my life and he knows me since I was a kid, even though I stopped practicing for a while.
So yeah. I don’t feel too confident about this to be honest, but I feel like I should at least give it a shot, nothing worse than getting a negative response will come out of it, so what’s the harm?
Thanks guys, looking foward for your responses!
Hey guys, thanks for all the help here in this thread. I am thinking about applying and thought it would be an idea to get your opinion here, even though I am not too confident.
Me:
21 years old.
From Brazil
HS:
High School in Brazil are three years long. During the first year I came to the US for my exchange year, where I lived in Houston for ten months going to a small private school. Had a GPA of 3.4, struggled a little bit on the first few months since it was a brand new language that I could barely maintain a conversation. As time went by I was doing more than fine and managed to pull my GPA up a little bit. Played Varsity Soccer that year and practiced American Football during Off-Season. Went back to Brazil but already making plans to come back as I did not wanted to stay in the country knowing how poorly it was doing, politically, financially, among other issues. Finished my HS on the top 10% of my class, and GPA is not used in Brazil, so I don’t have one.
Between HS and College:
I got accepted to go to University of Houston for Computer Science but I had to decline the offer since the financial aspect of it was too much for me mand my family.
College:
Went to the University in Brazil for 2 years, also Computer Science, although I like the course, I hated my life being there, Brazil is not the place that I want to settle, so at the same time I was taking courses, I was also planning my future and finding a way to get out of there even if it meant to abandon those two years of classes and start all over. Finally with the help of some friends that I made in my exchange year, I applied and got accepted for a Community College in Houston for which I was able to afford, with the help of my father. This college was recently awarded the Aspen Prize as it is on the Top 5 of Community Colleges nationwide, if that is worth anything.
While in the University in Brazil I was a part of a Junior Enterprise, which is a company that is 100% made of students, in our case, Computer Science and Computer Engineering students. We were responsible to a few events on our school and also developing websites and mobile apps to multiple clients, that was where I managed to gain the most experience on my field since culture in Brazil is different than in the US and we usually don’t work untill graduation unless you absolutely need it.
So right now I have a 4.0 finishing my third semester, the GPA might go down to a 3.9 but I am working to not let that happen. I am working on a research with a professor of the engineering department, and we are working towards sending a 3D printed object for testing on the International Space Station, we will have the confirmation if it will be sent or not, by the time of the application deadline, so I might or might not be able to talk about that on my application.
I have some solid ideas for my essays, been thinking about them for a while. Got two professors of mine for my letter of recomendation. Also for the optional letter I will ask my Karate Sensei from Brazil to write one since Karate was a big part of my life and will paint a accurate picture of me outside school.
I will be taking my SAT in a month, I was not required to take it for this community college. I am fairly confident on my abilities to get a good grade on it.
Anyways, thank you guys. Can’t wait for the responses, don’t hold anything back, as I said, I am not too confident but I figured that I don’t have anything to lose other than the application fee.