<p>I am writing an essay for transfer admissions, I do not know how to explain the reasons that I dislike my current college, because it is a bad idea to say negative aspects of it and the reasons have to be con vincible. it is kinda hard. Anyone give me advice?</p>
<p>"Good fit" is something that is often spoken of during the making of decisions on where to apply or where to accept an offer of admission. Sometimes achieving a good fit doesn't happen because the student:</p>
<p>1) underestimated the need for a "good fit"
2) chose a better financial deal and sacraficed the "good fit"
3) didn't determine the fit (perhaps couldn't visit the school and just went on reputation or input from others)
4) tried to assess the fit, but was unable to get a true feel for it</p>
<p>You probably fall into one of these catagories. "Good fit" is a very neutral thing. It's not a criticism. It basically acknowledges that each person has his/her unique needs and the best college for them is not the best for someone else. If you can identify why your current school is not a "good fit" (e.g. too large) and why the schools you're wishing to tranfer to would be a "better fit" (e.g. residential LAC focused on relationships) then you could certainly highlight that. It would essentially say to the Ad Cons that you made a mistake, you now know what you want/need, and you've correctly identified that their school can meet your want/need.</p>
<p>I'd focus on the positives: if you are trying to transfer to a better film program, for example, emphasize what aspects of the program at the target school would be particularly helpful. You can make the point that your current school lacks some of these, but I would do that in a subtle and overall positive manner. Don't trash your current school.</p>
<p>I've done a lot of hiring interviews, and I've found that whenever someone wants to talk about how bad their current company is, that's a red flag for someone who will probably be trashing their new company a year later. I'd prefer to hire someone who has had a positive experience at their current firm but has now reached the point where there isn't much opportunity to learn more or advance farther. I have to imagine that if a transfer applicant makes the case for why School X sucks, the admissions officer has to be wondering why so many other people he knows have a great experience at that same school.</p>
<p>I definently would not bang around on your current school. Instead, focus on what the new school would have that your current school does not. I know that in my essays, i'm concentrating on the liberal arts aspect of engineering that my current school lacks, and the availability of liberal arts type classes and extensive electives that the new school would provide me. If you slam around your current school, they a) might wonder what type of education you're getting or b) wonder if you'll do the same to the new school. You just need to focus on why the new school fits you better, and it is because your current school lacks what you need to have that fit.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I had to do this very thing, and also was confused about it. It didn't feel right to say bad things about my school. Basically I talked first about academics. I looked at how my current school was different from the school I wanted to apply to, and which of those differences I liked. For example, my transfer school had more of a core curriculum, whereas my current school had an open curriculum. So, I talked about howI felt I would be receiving a broader education in many areas at my transfer school, and that I thought this would help in a future career. I also talked about how my school was more arts oriented, whereas my transfer school was more balanced between arts and sciences, which I also wanted and felt would be better for me. I also talked about location, and wanting to be closer to home and wanting more of a community.</p>
<p>Basically, my advice is to place the most emphasis on academic matters. Also, like others have said, talk about your schools in terms of fit. You can say school A is like this, which does not fit me, school B has this, which does.</p>
<p>I had to write some of these as well. I talked a lot about the need for a good fit, but I also felt it was important to let them know that I wanted, and thought I deserved, something better. I mentioned that my current school is going through a big plagiarism scandal and I was worried about the quality of my education, and then I really talked up the transfer school's tough honor code. I also mentioned that I was completely mislead (in reality, completely lied to!) about certain aspects of my honors program, and I wanted a truly academic setting. I think if you have legitimate reasons that aren't "Everyone here is stupid and I want a more prestigious name," it is worth mentioning those, and if it's done in a tasteful manner, I don't think it should hurt you.</p>
<p>You might consider writing about the distance from home if that's an issue, possible family circumstances including financial concerns, the opportunity to explore a wider selection of majors/courses if that's the reason... You have to think about the differences between your current school and the school to which you want to transfer and how this school is a better choice for you....Keep the criticisms of your current school to yourself.</p>
<p>I recall a comment by an experienced admissions dean a few years ago who said the top reason he saw for transfers was "there is no social life at my current school." It didn't matter if the current school was a giant party school, a rural LAC, or an urban Ivy... it had no social life. :)</p>
<p>I transferred from Emory to WashU. In my essay, I discussed the negatives of Emory, but did it very tactfully. </p>
<p>Additionally, I talked a lot about the positives of WashU through a personal anecdote.</p>
<p>If you want, I can send you the essay.</p>
<p>I'd be interested in it vtoodler. I am not terribly excited about either of the two schools I will be at next year, and I am already looking into the transfer admissions process at various schools. I'd be interested to see how you did it.</p>
<p>Also on an odd note, the Dean of Students at my school also transferred out of Emory. He went to UNC though.</p>
<p>For my transfer essay, I tried not to talk about too many things at once. There were many things I disliked about my former school, but I focused on one aspect (I wanted a smaller school with a greater sense of community) that I really wanted in a college that I was not getting at my previous school. I let them know that I actually thought I was getting a good education but that the size of the school made me feel like a small fish in a huge pond (or something like that). I found that focusing on one or two things really helped me avoid flat out bashing my previous school and really let the adcoms know why that school was the best fit.</p>
<p>I said I wasn't being challenged enough where I was. It was true.</p>
<p>I'll second what others have said: frame things in positive terms, praising the qualities of the target school. </p>
<p>If you don't like the fact that you're surrounded by vomiting peers every Saturday night, write: "I'm looking for a college with an appropriate balance between academic and social life."</p>
<p>If your current school has classes that are like high school all over, write, "I'm attracted by the academic rigor of University X." Adcoms will be able to read between the lines, and you'll come off much better.</p>
<p>Because your transfer essay is one of the top two criteria on which the adcom will base your admission, it had better be good; the other is your transcript which I hope your GPA is 3.5, especially in your intended major.</p>
<p>The content of your essay should stress how much you appreciated the opportunity to attend your current school, but that your goals have changed due to your exposure to that school. The best way to attain your new goals is by transferring to the new campus. In addition, mention how you will contribute to the spirit and traditions of the new campus, citing your contributions to clubs and organizations at your current school. Also, if your college ECs are a continuation of your ones in high school, all the better; it shows committment and dedication to a particular activity. Also, your SAT scores are worth about half in the equation than they did the first time around, but guess you already know that.</p>
<p>In short, your essay had better be excellent. But in no case whatsoever criticize your current college; you've changed and evolved, not the school.</p>
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[quote="collegeparent"Because your transfer essay is one of the top two criteria on which the adcom will base your admission, it had better be good; the other is your transcript which I hope your GPA is 3.5, especially in your intended major.
[/quote]
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<p>So if a student doesn't like his current school, and his dissatisfaction affects his grades, then his chances of transferring to a school of the same academic caliber are zero?</p>
<p>I had a hard time working up to my full potential in the environment at my college first semester, and though I am doing quite well now, 2nd semester grades won’t be part of a transfer app. Am I screwed?</p>
<p>I have a question regarding formatting:
Would it be better to do a paragraph on why you dont like your current college, and then make a seperate paragraph on why the new college fits better? Or would it make more sense to say "Current college doesn't fit me because ______ yet your college fits me because it has __<strong><em>" and say something along the line "My current schools lacks diversity in the types of classes one can enroll in, whereas _</em></strong> has a wide variety"?<br>
Also, is it a good idea to summerize all of the programs/classes/extras the new school offers and say how you would want to take advantage of them, or should you stick to how the new school would benfit you and from you?</p>
<p>maybe if you didn't mention the shortcomings of your present college directly, it would work better. For example, let's say you want to go to a school with a better program in your major. You might write something like, "I want to attend an excellent university with a high-profile Department of (name)." This establishes that you're looking for what your potential college has to offer without badmouthing your old one.</p>
<p>Well the question asks "Why are you leaving your current institution? Why do you want to attend _____?" So I cant really leave out why I don't like my current school
However, I have praised my school in my reasons why I want to leave it, because it is a good school. It just doesnt fit me.</p>
<p>Collegeparent is a little off the mark. </p>
<p>It's okay to criticize your current school -- in a constructive way. </p>
<p>It's not always the case that the school is great and you've simply evolved away from it. So it's not always the case that you can represent that. </p>
<p>In other words, stress that you are looking for things available at x new school that aren't available at y old school. This demonstrates that the new school is right for you and your current school is not right for you without resorting to childish bashing of your old school. Stress that your college experience, though possibly not optimal so far, has enriched you.</p>
<p>Btw where are you now and where would you like to transfer to? I'm a transfer myself.</p>
<p>If you are transferring schools ... by definition, you are not happy with your current school. If everything was fine at your current school, then you would not be leaving. Providing information about what is missing at your current school, as well as information about why the college to which you are applying is a more appropriate choice for you, makes your application stronger. It allows the admissions counselor reading your application to make a judgment about your "fit" with the school to which you are applying. The bottom line in all of this is, of course, to be civil in your discussion. Complaining does not make for a strong application, but a well-reasoned discussion is actually helpful to your application.</p>