<p>I'm a sophomore at a <em>certain</em> top ivy college, looking to transfer to a peer institution. Currently, I'm taking a gap year to do some research and file transfer applications (though, if unsuccessful, I'll be, somewhat grudgingly, at my current college next fall).</p>
<p>Right now, I'm starting to draft essays for transfer apps due in March. Would an essay regarding the sexual assault of a friend, and our long, subsequent dealings with the college administration/potential reform be too risque? </p>
<p>Before you COMPLETELY shoot me down:</p>
<p>-This was something that I really strove for and believed in. The perspective I'll take in the essay will be of change: recently, our college announced radical new reforms toward its sexual assault policy, something we believed we played a part in, due to many parallels in our specific case and the new changes. </p>
<p>-The case itself was complicated by a number of factors, which I won't delve into for the sake of anonymity. However, this will help guide the tone of the essay towards a unique perspective. </p>
<p>-I'm NOT writing this for the sake of bashing our college's inappropriate response to the situation. Rather, I will focus on what I learned from the (albeit nightmarish) ordeal and changes in the future. </p>
<p>I know this sounds like a risky topic (sex and alcohol usually aren't best in college admission essays), but it was something I really believed in. Also, since all the schools I'm applying to have a <5% transfer admit rate, I can't afford to write another mundane essay on my medical research :P</p>
<p>Is the sexual assault that happened to your friend THE reason you want to transfer?? If that is NOT the case, then I would rethink your approach. I think you need to state why you want to transfer INTO the college[s] you are applying to AND what your presence there will add to that college. It rarely helps to talk about why you want to transfer out , unless it is because of some deficiency- such as a suddenly cancelled program or, or a less intellectually stimulating environment than you expected or some other aspect that you now realize lacking. The assault of your friend, and thre universities response to it, is a very risky subject and if it is not the reason you want to leave, is also probably going to be viewed negatively.
[Were you originally accepted at any of the colleges you now wish to transfer to? If so, I would’nt bother reapplying].</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I understand. Of course this is not my main commonapp essay (reasons for transferring are another essay). But some schools, e.g. yale, stanford, require additional supplement essays…</p>
<p>Sorry to stray OT for a second. Three of the colleges (2 Ivy, 1 LAC) that D1 applied to as a transfer were schools where she was accepted as a fr, all accepted her as a transfer as well. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that they prefer candidates accepted as fr applicants, I personally have not seen a pattern either way.</p>
<p>I personally have not seen a pattern either way. </p>
<p>huh. 2 Ivys that had accepted my DS as freshman turned him down for transfe r.I have no idea what his essays looked like. He did get into the one he had be in communication with since his first day at college,[ before their classes actually started] so they did know how much he had regretted his original decision.</p>
<p>What I meant is that I have not seen a preponderance of cases that would cause me to purposefully tell someone that they either should or shouldn’t apply to an Ivy as a transfer if they were accepted as a fr applicant and chose not to attend.</p>