<p>Should the "why are you transferring?" essay just be what's wrong/doesn't fit with your current institution? then the supplements explain why you want the new school... right?</p>
<p>is it bad to only talk about your current institution in the "why transfer" essay?</p>
<p>do not make the central theme of your essay why you dislike your current school. you will come off as sounding that the reason for your transferring is that you dislike your current school, not that you like the school that you are applying to. you may incorporate the shortcomings of your school as it may relate to how you academic endeavors may better be achieved at the school you are applying to, so long as the school that you are applying to is always the main focus</p>
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so long as the school that you are applying to is always the main focus
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<p>My problem is that I do not want to mention the same topics I will mention in the "Why x school" essay. </p>
<p>For example, I plan to explain how I've joined certain ECs here, but they do not meet my interest, I am looking for a certain business concentration not offered here, and lack of research opportunities. </p>
<p>Would this be too negative to my current school?</p>
<p>that is fine as long as you juxtapose the lack of opportunities at your school with the opportunities offered at the school that you are applying to</p>
<p>My only problem is since I'm applying to Penn, the supplement addresses my reasons and unique opportunities at Penn.</p>
<p>IMO, you can talk about your current school and how it doesn't fit your needs. It's all in how you say it and how much you say it. No, it shouldn't be your whole "Why transfer?" essay, but you can talk about the pros and cons of your current school in a factual and relatively neutral tone, as well as what you are looking for in your new school.</p>
<p>If the Supplement asks for reasons why you want to attend there, then my advice is to not duplicate everything in the "Why transfer?" essay, but rather make it more general, alluding to the things that you like in Penn, but not stating them explicitly. For example, you can say:</p>
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I've joined certain ECs here, but they do not meet my interest, I am looking for a certain business concentration not offered here, and lack of research opportunities.
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<p>in the "Why transfer?" essay and then go on to cite examples and details of the ECs, business concentration and research opportunities offered at Penn in the"Why Penn?" essay.</p>
<p>If you mention how your current school doesn't meet your needs state FACTS. For example, your current institution doesn't have a Greek Classics major. Enough said. Your current institution is a two year school. Enough said.</p>
<p>I think adcoms are really looking for people who love their first schools and really took advantage of what they have to offer. The ideal transfer scenario is one where the student just didn't have the resources to do what they wanted to do at their first school. Not because it had lousy weather, was far from the beach, had a bad vibe, poor female to male ratio, bad faculty/administration, etc.</p>
<p>You know why elite prep schools are getting fewer students into the ivy league? Because the students have every imaginable resource at their finger tips. When this is the case, their own work should be well beyond extraordinary. If it is not, it just proves how average the kids are. Make your time at your first school extraordinary and it will only help your case.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the suggestions. So to wrap-up, be general in the common app essay, i.e. mention my need for other ECs (among other things and then in the Penn supplement specifically state the EC I'm interested in.</p>
<p>Also, how would I go about addressing the cons? Would it be like, "Here is a pro of my current school, however, there are these issues (the cons)" ???</p>
<p>I guess I should also stay away from mentioning student/faculty/academics since these would must likely be subjective issues?</p>
<p>Example: Large state school
pros: large class selection, many resources, EC opportunities
cons: lack of community, large emphasis on athletics</p>
<p>The idea is to not just put down your current college but to show that though it isn't the right place for you, that you have made the most of your time there.</p>
<p>hellojan put it very well and all who are writing their essay should take her/his advice</p>