Hello,
I have lived in the same town since I was born and am now going to an Ivy League school in that town. Most of my life I have been in some ways affiliated with that university. I applied to Columbia and was waitlisted last year. I would like to apply to transfer to Columbia to start as a sophomore in 2019. Is this a good reason to transfer or not?
You need to find an academic reason for the transfer.
Dreams and ambitions should always supersede the school you go to. If your focus is going to school to get into another school, you’re missing the whole point. Either way, it’s a bachelors.
And it’s highly unlikely that the academic reason cannot be fulfilled by your current Ivy League university…
I don’t see any reasoning here, to be honest. Just do a lot of research on Columbia and tell them that you want to go there because of “program, location bla bla bla”
I will disagree that the reason needs to be academic. Speaking as a student who transferred to Stanford, I would say most reasons in my cohort were not academic. In speaking to an admissions counselor, they said that the reason they hated most was “Your program in X is better than what I’m getting at Y University”
You ask if that’s a good enough reason though and I’m confused what “that” is - leaving your hometown?
I would say as a personal choice, it’s a personal choice. If you want to leave badly enough, then sure - it’s reason enough to apply out. As a qualifying factor to get admitted to Columbia, by itself it’s probably not enough. Columbia accepts about 6% of transfer applicants. You will need a solid transcript in addition to solid reasoning for why you wish to transfer (both why you wish to leave as well as what you would then provide to Columbia), and generally most transfer applicants will be able to say, “because your program in X is better than what I’m getting at Y University”
Take a year off and travel the world. Back door into Columbia is via the GS program, only requirement is 1 yr off. MUCH better odds of transferring in if you’re dead set on Columbia.
I think that your reason for wanting to transfer is sufficient & is supported by your demonstrated interest in Columbia. With a high GPA from your current Ivy League school, your abilities to do well at Columbia should be established–especially since ultra selective Columbia waitlisted you last year.
One semester’s grades at #1 may not be enough to get the transfer. You need more pulling for you. And we can’t know if you have that. Waitlist doesn’t tell enough. Sometimes, you’re desirable. Other times, it’s a soft denial for a host of other reasons.
As for OP’s “Is this a good reason?” What reason? You want to go to Columbia instead of hometown Ivy isn’t reason enkught for them. You risk seeming willful and possibly immature.
Thank you, I also do have academic reasons for transferring which I believe are legitimate, however I know they may not seem as significant given this would be an ivy to ivy transfer and the most important reason to me for transferring would be wanting to experience something new and grow in ways that you can’t when you are still in the same town you’ve grown up in.