Admissions and Nontraditional Students.

Transfer Students
1

<p>So, during the past year that I have been trying to locate potential transfer schools, learn how selective admissions work, and then fill out applications, I've noticed that while the amount of "how to apply to college" literature for transfer students is so small compared to the amount of advice available to high-school seniors, the amount of advice available as to how to best represent yourself in a transfer application if you are not "the typical college sophomore (age 19-20)" is even harder to come by. I've felt pretty lost.</p>

<p>So I'm starting this thread. Lets discuss how nontraditional students can represent themselves and their experiences most effectively in applications to selective schools. Lets discuss what admissions departments look for in assessing applicants who have followed any path besides HS->Freshman->Sophomore->Transfer applicant.</p>

<p>Let me begin the conversation with some things I've had trouble with during the course of completing my applications:</p>

<p>*Those common transfer app check boxes that dictate you must classify any awards or activities as having occurred in your "11th Grade, 12 Grade, Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior year" ? Those were really annoying. I wound up checking them off as if they really meant "Five years ago, four years ago, three years ago, etc."... but sheesh. The common app people could have just labeled them "2007-2009 school year, etc." Or something.</p>

<p>*Okay. Nontrivial griping now: I really struggled trying to figure out how much to write about high school. I included my 2002 SAT scores in the app, and I sent in a transcript ('twas required)... But I did some really awesome things in high school, and didn't write about them at all. I figured that while HS was great while it lasted, my experiences there are probably totally irrelevant now... Right? </p>

<p>*I felt like I've had so many more experiences that didn't fit into my application that I would have liked to include in my essays, but my essays were overflowing full as it was. But now, I have the feeling that the application doesn't really fully represent me. I've been working toward the goal of transferring in order to finish a degree in this major for... five years now, and along the way, I've run into a mountain of experiences and subsequent self reflection... but it didn't seem to fit, while the parts of my application about SAT test scores, etc, were pretty blank.</p>

<p>*Ultimately, I just decided to fill out the application in my own "making it up as I go along" way. It turned out very honest, but probably strangely quirky. I don't know if I came across as a crazy 20-something or what. I wanted a standard to compare my application too, but due to my not being a 19 year old who had a "writing" (or recent) SAT score (HA. They were 610 and 550! I did not care then! I had no reason to care yet!), and with a two-year vocational program and two years of part-time school and somewhat of a career under the belt... I did not feel like I had much of a way objectively assess my application or versions of it. </p>

<p>So... I don't know. Does anyone have anything to say that might enlighten me a bit? Or other things to discuss RE applying to selective schools as a non-traditional student? I understand that lots of the advice given to freshman and traditional transfer applicants still applies to us... but lets talk about what is different!</p>

2

<p>Bump, I guess.</p>

3

<p>I actually contacted admissions officers at several of the schools I wanted to apply to about a year ago.. and despite the fact that I have good grades, decent ec's for an "older" student, would have good letters of recommendation, etc.. the recurring theme was "We don't typically admit non-traditionals as transfer students, but our school is often near the top of lists for graduate school.. so you may want think about that."</p>

<p>It's really frustrating, because I want to complete my undergraduate education. I want to go to a school that has the major I want and wont treat me like some kind of pariah because I haven't followed the traditional path.. but such schools are few and far between.</p>

<p>I feel where you're coming from on the Common App. I'm worried that my application(s) didn't exactly come across the way I would have liked and didn't really give adcoms a good picture of who I am.. I guess we'll see in a month or so.</p>

4

<p>Uuu, there is actually a subforum for nontrads under the specialty admissions forum.</p>

<p>I'm also a non-traditional student (high school dropout, went back to school in 2007 at 31). I'm hoping to transfer for fall 2009. I ended up only applying to two schools because they were the only ones that really matched what I am looking for.</p>

<p>I struggled a lot on my essays. Everyone seemed to think I should do something different: don't mention my age, mention my age, make my age the theme, etc. I finally decided to just write what I felt. My essay was about the events that inspired me to go back to school in 2007 and how going back to school has affected me. I don't know if it is what they are looking for, but it is what they got.</p>

<p>One thing I've noticed at my community college is that it is assumed everyone will eventually end up at the crappy state school that just lost half its budget. When I started getting the supporting materials for my application people seemed really confused. The state school doesn't require things like recommendations and college official reports. I had a heck of a time finding someone who could fill out my paperwork because no one knew what it was.</p>

<p>_ken, what schools said they don't admit nontrads? I'm pretty sure that is illegal.</p>

5

<p>They didn't explicitly say they didn't admit them.. just that typically, they don't find non-traditionals a good match for their school because of the various requirements they have for admission</p>

<p>I have also found that many schools still place a large emphasis on high school transcripts, SAT scores, etc.. even if they don't really represent who you are now compared to the work you've done recently at a community college, etc.</p>

<p>Where did you apply this time around?</p>

6

<p>I applied to Occidental and University of the Pacific. Pacific doesn't require high school transcripts and Oxy accepted my CHSPE certificate in lieu of a high school transcript. Also, neither required SATs, so I do feel that both will be evaluating me based on who I am now.</p>

7

<p>One option for women, is to check out the women's colleges. The</a> Women's College Coalition For example, Bryn Mawr admits a certain number of McBride Scholars every year. This group of non-trads includes some who are transfers, and some who enter as freshman. My other quick suggestion would be to take a look at Guilford College. Happyniece is a traditional-age student there, and reports a sizeable non-trad population on campus. Most of those students are from the local community, and most study in the evening and weekend program, but she has encountered non-trads in almost all of her regular day-time classes.</p>

<p>Good luck to all of you!</p>

8

<p>^^^</p>

<p>I want to second women's colleges. I applied to only one coed institution. I just turned 28 and am now going back to school to finish my bachelors. I applied to both Mt Holyoke and Smith, both have very supportive programs for returning students. I went to Hampshire at traditional age for a year, and my cousin went to Smith graduating '06 so I am very familiar with both. I honestly think if you don't need to be in or adjacent to a big city they are excellent options. Also Wellesley has a great program and caps student loans; I didn't apply there because you needed a year of foreign language classes to apply, so make sure and check all the requirements too.</p>

<p>Columbia has a good program. I have a friend that did the RUE at Brown, and felt once they had you in there it was not all that supportive of meeting an adults needs, though his education was great.</p>

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<p>What were your friends stats who got into Brown through RUE?</p>

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<p>Less schools require high school transcripts and SAT scores if you are applying as a junior. I'm not even going to mention my experience in high school on my transfer essays since it's completely irrelevant to who I am now.</p>

<p>Find out what didn't universities require. There are a lot of good schools that don't take high school into consideration for transfer students.</p>

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<p>Ken, I don't really recall. He graduated Brown 2 years ago. Sorry.</p>