<p>This goes to everyone who has transferred schools and can discuss that transition retrospectively.
Is there any generic advice that you would be able to prospective transfers (especially sophomore ones)? </p>
<p>This is just out of interest...</p>
<p>something like this?: </p>
<p>Background:</p>
<p>Attended a top prep school and ended up middle of my class with 2250 SATs and some good extracurriculars. I applied to Cornell, Brown, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, and a few safeties. I went 1/9 and attended Hamilton in the fall. I worked the hardest I've ever worked, ran a 4.0, made very good relationships with two of my professors, talked to coaches at other schools, and reapplied this past year to the following:</p>
<p>Penn, Brown, Cornell, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, Yale, and Dartmouth</p>
<p>I was accepted at Penn, Brown, Cornell, and Tufts and rejected at the other four.</p>
<p>What I've learned:</p>
<p>1) Chances threads are a good form of amusement but don't put too much stock in them. They usually end up causing unnecessary stress; the people you're asking about your chances are applying along-side you. While they may have more information about admission rates and talked to a couple people at schools, many people write as if they're authorities on transfer admissions. Simply put, take their opinions with a grain of salt. I was told to take Brown off my list because I had no shot. Not only was I admitted, but I may end up going to Penn instead of it. This brings me to my next point.</p>
<p>2) If money is not an object, put in the work and apply to any school you really want to attend. I applied to Yale and was rejected but I didn't think I was terribly competitive at Brown or Penn and was admitted. I can't imagine how ****ed off I'd be if I had only applied to Cornell and was admitted. I'd be kicking myself for not reaching higher (yeah, I know it's Cornell and that it's an Ivy, but you know what I mean.) Even if you're denied, at least you won't be asking yourself "what if..."</p>
<p>3) Decide how intent you are on leaving before you apply and, if you're on the fence about applying at all, apply. The last thing you want is to finish your freshman or sophomore year and think, "Damn, I really wish I'd put in the time in the fall to transfer because I'd love the option." You won't be mad about having the option to transfer but you might be about not having it.</p>
<p>4) Make it a priority. All fall term I obsessed over grades and application materials, essays, etc. Where you end up getting your diploma does matter, despite what people say. It'll be a major factor for employment and, more importantly, how you think. Quality of education matters.</p>
<p>5) Decisions aren't value judgments. I was denied as a senior in high school to 8/9 places to which I applied but still knew that I was a smart, capable student. With many college transfer rates dipping below 20%, you must go into the process knowing that a) the odds are against you and b) getting denied is not a judgment of your human worth. This is probably the most important thing I learned in the process. I read about a kid applying to Wharton from a school that didn't have a specific business field that Wharton excelled at. The kid had a 4.0 at a good school and 2350 SATs and two 800s for his SAT 2s. And guess what? He got rejected. He's probably in the top percent for competence of all college students and still didn't get in. You have to recognize the nature of the game and accept it.</p>
<p>6) Get to know professors. If you're dead set on getting into a top school, this is crucial. I went to office hours constantly, not only to get my work done but to show professors that I cared about their subject and was putting in the effort. Any problem set you do, go to office hours or meet with the professor. Any paper you write, submit a draft well before the deadline to get comments. Early drafts are key for writing intensive courses. You get direct feedback from the teacher, which is good for a number of reasons. You start developing a relationship with the teacher, you shower him/her that you're putting the work, that you're interested in the subject, and (esp. with papers) you find out what the teacher wants to see both in terms of format and content. The last thing you want to do is find out what the teacher wanted when you get your C+ paper back that counts for 1/4 of your grade. If you can find out before hand (which you can!), do it. Additionally, you're going to ask two professors to write on your behalf and having more than a strictly academic perspective will only help their rec and your application. I guarantee schools would much rather have Joe, the outgoing, gregarious scholar than Charles, the introverted, socially distant straight A drone.</p>
<p>7) Write stellar "Why X school?" essays. This one seems obvious but there are tons of students who simply don't put the time in, or worse yet, copy paste their "Why Cornell?" essay and use it for Brown by switching the name. Don't do this! Research the school. Talk about specific programs. Admissions spends all day reading "Why X" essays. The last thing you want to do is give them another "Penn is an ivy-league school. I want to go to an ivy-league school" essay. Say they read that essay and then yours, where you list in great detail, just why you want to attend Penn. Something like:</p>
<p>-top notch research facilities (best in the ivies)
-competitive track team
-submatriculation program (can get b.a. and m.a. in four years)
-dual-degree program (can get b.a. from school of arts and sciences in addition to b.s. from wharton)
-philly=most livable city in america
etc...</p>
<p>You need concrete researched reasons for wanting to attend. After all, if you don't have those, why are you applying? Frankly, that's exactly what the admissions committee will think if you submit a generic essay.</p>
<p>8) Proofread! Not doing so, in addition to being unprofessional, shows a serious lack of interest in a school, like saying, "I don't care enough about this school to properly edit my essay for them." Penn's website explicitly says "Proofread your essays. No really. Seriously." That was their admissions tip of the week today and I'm sure that applies across the board for other competitive schools.</p>
<p>9) A mediocre high school record doesn't spell doom. I was in the middle of my class and none of these schools would have given me a glance out of high school. My application would have been instant kindling. But showing serious growth and being able to tell a story about it seriously bolsters your application.</p>
<p>Lastly, I wanted to thank the contributors to the forums. It's been a long 12 months since I got my rejection letters in high school. Thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement. Best of luck to all future applicants.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Claymangs</p>
<p>Congrats man. Those are great schools. You must have worked very hard.</p>
<p>(As a former transfer myself - from the Dark Ages - and parent of recent transfer, I would add:</p>
<p>Be aware that the transition year can be a rough one. Not saying it will, but it could be, especially if there are not a lot of transfers into your new school and/or there are not a lot of transfer orientation activities. It can take longer than you expect to make friends and this can be a downer. Sometimes a serious downer.</p>
<p>So, being aware of that, you can (1) realize you are not alone if your transfer first couple of terms are rough socially and (2) make sure your transfer motivation is strong, because if it is not, you may not find the transition worth it.</p>
<p>Alot of schools try to make it as easy for you as possible. Wesleyan had a former transfer call me to talk about it (we talked for almost an hour), and I got an email from another that listed 6 or 7 more former transfers in different activities and majors that I could talk to. </p>
<p>Wesleyan also is having a combined transfer/freshmen orientation, which is cool. Atleast I'll know a few people going in, even if they're freshmen. Also, if you are transfering within certain groups of schools, your friends at your current school might have friends at your transfer school. I went to Bard this year and alot of my good friends know people at Wesleyan, and are going to be able to introduce me to them.</p>
<p>That is good transfer transition help by Wesleyan, imo. And definitely, meeting people across classes can be just as productive as to friendships as meeting them from your own class.</p>
<p>Sounds like you have a great start.</p>
<p>thanks for all the good tips. any more from people just finishing the process would be appreciated!</p>
<p>I was also a transfer student (from Smith College to Colgate). I did it after my freshman year.</p>
<p>In retrospective, know that you will ALWAYS be on the fence until you finally get your diploma as to "oh my god, was that a good idea or not to leave? Maybe I should go back to my friends, etc." Yes, it was very annoying listening to that little voice but look at the bigger picture and remind yourself WHY you transferred and all the good things your new school has given you. I almost wanted to transfer for my senior year because I felt it would be so weird to graduate with a different class that I didn't experience my pre-orientation and first year with.</p>
<p>Fortunately, I bonded with several professors and friends at Colgate who would make me think twice about going back to Smith. So develop relationships with professors and few students early on when you transfer in is crucial to keeping you there and happy as you finish up college. Basically, it's like freshman year all over again where you need to start making connections so you can settle in.</p>
<p>Know that transferring doesn't ruin your chances of getting in graduate school or anything. It's just another thing on the to-do list- remember to order transcripts from your old school! There were times I almost forgot to call Smith and the deadline would be in less than a week. By maintaining your standards from one place to another demonstrates that you CAN handle transitions well.</p>
<p>If you're a sophomore transfer, start checking out your study abroad options early, especially in terms of credits. I had to petition to two committees to be granted a leave of absence for a semester so that I could graduate on time.</p>
<p>Try to get involved as you can- again, it'll be like freshman year. Maybe that debate club at your old school was great but the one at your new school might not be so great. So approach everything as if you're a freshman, experiment.</p>
<p>Just know... that the transfer status will never go away. People do eventually find out because.. obivously, you missed out on the earlier semesters. You will be in constant indecisive state of mind about your path. You will be dealing with the registrar more often than you'd like to. You have to put down your old school on your CVs, resumes, and job applications.</p>
<p>Most importantly, don't get started on bashing the old school. You will soon realize that it wasn't all that terrible. It was just a poor fit and that's exactly the answer you should only give to others unless they probe more- "It was just a poor fit." There isn't one god-awful college out there- there's something for everybody. It's like shoes, no matter how uncomfortable, ugly, high the heel, heavy, etc the pair of shoes are, someone's bound to like them in their own perspective. Your friends at your old school will thank you very much for it. Because you will step out of the box, you will realize that the school wasn't all THAT bad, just a bad fit that's all.</p>
<p>Great response. Thank you!
You remind me of how focused I will need to be next year, especially since I am a junior transfer.</p>
<p>In suggest using social networks like Facebook or MySpace to try and connect with other transfers or students at your new school.</p>
<p>I am a transfer from a community college. All I can say is it is never too early to start planning for things such as study abroad, scholarships, housing, financial aid, etc. At least start looking into these things as early as possible. Some things, such as study abroad or some types of housing (such as the Berkeley co-ops), can be applied for before you are accepted by the transfer school. Don't wait until that acceptance letter comes in, because by then it might be too late.</p>
<p>I can't say how it will be once I transfer, but so far it has been great. I've already met a lot of other transfer students, some through Facebook, and others at the univ orientation I attended. UC Berkeley has a transfer center that is hosting weekly workshops this summer to help us transition to our new school. It also gives ongoing support throughout the school year. If your new school has a similar center, I suggest visiting it and utilizing their resources.</p>
<p>Don't sweat it if you can't afford to go visit for what seems like a "mandatory" interview. Schools understand money issues and that, as a transfer student, keeping your grades up at your current school is a priority. You don't need to skip class or extracurricular commitments to jet off to multiple schools. I couldn't afford to visit any of the eight LACs I applied to until after I was accepted -- and I got into seven of the eight. Even though their websites made it seem like in-person interviews were a big deal, what they were really looking for was genuine interest and a good grasp of why I wanted to go to that school. For example, the school I chose to attend (Sarah Lawrence) has a very unique educational system, and they needed to know that I understood it, which can be expressed without a visit. Instead of visiting in person, I did as many phone interviews as possible, contacted professors, and emailed the admissions office with any questions I had. After I was accepted, I visited my top three, and then made my decision. Good luck!</p>
<p>to ticklemepink,
Thanks for your GREAT response! I'm interested in transfer to Smith College in fall 2009.(btw,I'm an incoming freshman.)Could you share something about Smith, such as social activity,academic quality? If you dont mind, could you tell me why you transfer out of Smith? Please send me a message if you think it's private and not convenient to talk in this thread. Thank you for your time!
:)
To pretzelbreaker,
Thank you for sharing tips about interviews.I'm interested in transfer to LACs,too. I have a question. Is that enough to grasp the colleges' unique points through browsing their website without contact with a person?Thanks again!:)</p>
<p>Based on my experience, I'd say:</p>
<p>Schools that want demonstrated interest expect less in that regard from transfers. They realize you can't miss a week of class to drive down and take a student tour. Just the application will suffice, because the strain involved in transferring signifies interest pretty strongly on its own. At most, get the application in a bit early, or inquire about something simple like credit transferring.</p>
<p>Since most of the application variables, such as old SAT scores or cumulative GPA up until the time you apply is essentially beyond your control, focus on what you can do. In practical terms, this means spending additional time constructing a strong essay that outlines a solid reason for transferring to the specific institution, without insulting your current college, or coming off as a brown-noser. Obviously, this is not an issue for schools that lack supplemental essays, such as WashU, but is helpful elsewhere.</p>