<p>I read Bauld's "On Writing a College Application Essay," and loved it. It gave me so many great ideas for how to write a creative essay.</p>
<p>However, I feel that the transfer essays do not give much opportunity for creativity. The CommonApp essay asks for your reason for transfer, while the Cornell and Penn essays ask for your reason for applying to their school. How creative can you be with that?</p>
<p>bump bump?</p>
<p>hi im also applying for transfer
i think creativity in a transfer essay is very minimal because you are best trying to persuade to accept a transfer, basically saying why shouldn't we just leave you where your at, where as freshmen are more supposed to be asked how come you would choose use over other schools</p>
<p>i think most emphasis should be put in how strong your reasons for transfer are, and since transfer students aren't by any means necessary you have to show how much you will give back to their community.</p>
<p>I too have the same problem (other than trying to find the difference between the common app essay and the supplement).</p>
<p>Would creating a first-person reacton be considered creative transfer essay. However, I feel that if I were to write an essay like that, it would be too negative. Any other opinions?</p>
<p>well i was just straightforward with them.</p>
<p>-here is why i want to go to your school: what your school has that mine does not. why i fit in there, how i can be a great addition to the student body - explain any blemishes on my record (bad grades - hs was bad for me, 3.0) and just persuasion as to why i should go there. - got into UM for transfer but really want to go to ND and wont know till 12/1 at the soonest. </p>
<p>so, i was creative in some respects, mostly just a very educated letter but not so much as metaphors and such like that... i think they just want to see our reasons to go to their school as oppose to where we presently attend</p>
<p>Ok, I know they hate it when you "bash your school" but to a certain extent, I have to talk about why NYU doesn't have what I want - how far can I go? Will they think I'm bashing NYU if I complain? I need to talk about why I hate LSP. </p>
<p>And should I really explain blemishes on my transcipt - like I have a D on my HS transcript, but I don't want to focus on it in my essay! I was thinking of explaining it in my additional info.</p>
<p>well i was very athletic in HS - like 5 Varsity sports, state champs in 3 of them- lost of EC and just lived the life w/o lots of academic focus - i was recruited for one sport but i really wanted to go to ND which didnt have recruitment in my sport. Unfortunately my gpa was too low - 3.0 - so i explained that (what caused it) and then went into how i busted my ass last year to get my academic record to pristine content and how i wanted to go to law school and such</p>
<p>then went into how my school is good in many regards but it cannot offer any comparison as to what ND can offer. so i bashed my school yes - but i backed it up with why it is not a great place and why ND has what i want. </p>
<p>so where ever you are applying to, bash your school within means and appropriateness since NYU is a very good school, but link that to your perspective school and turn it into a reason fr wanting to transfer - if you are all negative you will get nowhere - just state how you can't get the things that you want until you are at that school and have the reasons to back it up.</p>
<p>thanks that's great advice
NYU is a great school and I don't wanna sound like I'm bashing it! will have to be very specific in my essay.</p>
<p>making it funny would be a good element of a good writer
sincerity would be a good element of a genuine student
put both together... still trying to find the answer</p>
<p>Are generalizations valid points to make in a transfer essay? I have a (rather negative) generalization about the student body at my current school based on the class I have, but since I have to send my application by March doesn't give me an ample amount of time to make a better assumption on the student body.</p>
<p>look, I don't know much about this, but IMO making generalizations about the student body is a bad idea, it makes you seem ignorant, even if what you're saying is true. I'd focus on criticizing academic aspects, like talking about how the Bio program at your prospective school is stronger than your current school. I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to say that the student body at the new school is more well-rounded, competitve, passionate or even intelligent...but I think it would sound bad if you started stereotyping the kids at your old school. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>I would actually not focus on anything negative at all, but concentrate on making it clear why the school you want to transfer to would suit you better. Either focus only on the good aspects of your new school or explain why your current school has great aspects but those aspects aren't important to you.</p>
<p>do NOT bash your current school...i repeat do NOT bash your current school</p>
<p>if you are trying to convince an AdComm at another university, you do not want it to appear that the desirability of the school you are applying to is of secondary importance to how much you disdain your current school...my sister did this (was rejected)...she attacked her current school with such virulence that it appeared that the school she wanted to transfer to was of very marginal importance...a better approach is to be more conservative in your approach, talk about the positive aspects and of your current education, but how your current school is perhaps deficient in a way that the transfer school is not (offers an interesting program you cant get at your current school, etc.)</p>
<p>as for being creative in your essay</p>
<p>its very hard to do, and quite frankly, i would not attempt to go too far with it...if you are going into the essay with some off the wall approach you are setting yourself for a confusing and unconvincing essay. I found small crevaces for creativity in my essay by using distinctive language and interesting phrases/constructions, not by a wierd construction</p>
<p>gl</p>
<p>So I can talk about what I expect from a prospective student body and not talk about my current student body?</p>
<p>what they really want to see is how you managed all the opportunities at your current school and how that has prepared you to transfer into the prospective school where you will continue to benefit</p>
<p>javous-</p>
<p>you may certainly talk about your current student body if you find it lacking, it would be orwellian not to, but your focus should not be on how much you hate your current student body but why the one at your transfer is uniquely suited to you</p>
<p>gl</p>
<p>So how about "I enjoyed all the opportunities at my current school and challenged myself in every available way, but still feel that I am better fit socially and academically at [Cornell/Penn/Brown/Columbia, etc..]" I could then go on to talk about the specific things that attract me to the school.</p>
<p>Good?</p>
<p>Wait! This still doesn't solve the creativity issue =\ Our conversation has shifted somewhat.</p>
<p>viola-</p>
<p>yes, that is exactly the attitude to take</p>
<p>Thank for all the advice!!</p>
<p>Also, has anyone applied to georgetown since their transfer essay has to be autobiographical or creative with reasons to transfer and I have no idea how to do that. Should I just focus on why transfer for GT or follow the directions and make a auto/creative essay?</p>
<p>There's always room for creativity. I figure if I'm trapped in a room with a bunch of mediocre essays, one that's a bit weird and expressive would be a much enjoyed release.</p>
<p>Something I do with my essays (I have a lot because I keep applying for transfer, get accepted and then change my mind =/) is start the essay with a short (usually, completely unrelated) story I've written and then morph it into answering the prompt.</p>