What is your secret? I know how impossible it is to get accepted as a transfer so what made you stand out in your application besides grades, test scores, and extra curricular activities?
I think you will find a well articulated academic fit will be the secret. They take maybe 12-15 a year (1%) and sometimes they don’t take any So unlikely you will run into them. I read an article on a student from Brown who transferred because she had an academic fit with her major and wanted access to Harvard special Library collection. But she transferred back the next semester. If there isn’t a compelling academic reason then likely they are an athlete for the team.
@Hanna did.
Here are a few of her posts:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/11596177#Comment_11596177
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/1497026#Comment_1497026
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/4126886#Comment_4126886
You can search the Harvard Crimson for articles about transfer students. But I don’t think you are going to get admitted by copying anyone.
I think a high percentage of successful transfers will have unconventional personal histories; they are far less likely to be your run-of-the-mill high-stats student who was rejected the first time around. They are likely to have overcome personal hardships, have served in the military, or taken another bumpier path to academic achievement.
Note: I’m a military medic, attending CC part-time and planning to transfer once finish my military contract.
I’ve poured hours researching college statistics, reading admissions essays and understanding the cultures in colleges.
Top ranking colleges want personal essays. Some calls it sob stories, epiphanies or lessons. Regardless, the essay is a creak into a defined moment in your life. In that moment, scenario or event, what changed? Your perspective? Your persona? Your feelings? How? Why? And why does it matter today to you? What has that lesson pushed you to do? Basically, colleges want a “true story” of you.
You don’t need to narrate a story of you chasing after your abducted girlfriend for years, and how she was involved in a multinational conspiracy and you meddled into it. In other words, keep it simple and deep. Narrate a lesson in your life.
One of my biggest achivements in life was defeating anxiety. My father mistreated me, I became homeless while in school, and like a nobody. My biggest downfall: since my teens, I couldn’t cope with panic attacks and severe anxiety. The years of my father berating me, screaming at me and beating me took a toll on my body and mind. I didn’t understand how to cope with it 'til I joined the military. It wasn’t until last year, at age 22, that I finally and truly understood my body and mind to cope with it. How did I learn to cope? In the military, I must be confident in my medical skills. I must, there is no question. If a soldier is bleeding, screaming and the bullets are flying, I must perform. The tourniquet will stop the bleeding, but only if I wrap and twist it.
Most of my panic attacks are from PTSD (non-military), but understanding that I must value me, my skills and my persona taught me to learn to be stable. In other words, I learned to control myself and project myself well. Plus, I can spot a panic attack a mile away in a soldier today, a skill not taught in medic school 
^^^^See what I just shared of myself here? This is minor example, but this is what admissions want to see. A picture of you. To add more, my high school GPA 2.3 and college GPA is 3.83. Imagine my little short story above added to my GPA, do you think it will make stand out? Possibly, but that’s what the essay is for. Many students aim to simply answer the essay. It’s really a portion to narrate yourself.
TLDR;
In essays, narrate an influential lesson.
Hope this helps. Cheers.
OP, you will get into highly selective universities.
In fact, given your military background, I’d suggest applying to Stanford. They highly respect war veterans.
My roommate at Harvard transferred in from Bowdoin College. That was some time ago, but it does happen.
@Fredjan OP has not stated he/she is a veteran. That was reply #5 that mentioned that.
@T26E4
Ah, my bad.