<p>I'm a freshman at a school ranked mid-20s (think Wake Forest, USC, Tufts, Emory, etc. in USNWR hoping to transfer to UChicago (among other equally selective schools). I just wanted to know approximately wbat might be the accept rate and yield for the next admissions cycle. It seems that Uchicago's accept rate goes down significantly every year and that its yield goes up noticeably as well. Is 8.8% accept rate and 55% yield roughly where it's going to be next year?</p>
<p>The transfer acceptance rate is separate from the first year acceptance rate of 8.8% last year.</p>
<p>Yeah, but doesn’t the number of transfer students accepted depend on how many students decide to matriculate?</p>
<p>Normally, the number of transfer students accepted depends on how many students drop out. I think colleges generally plan for some (small) level of transfer students, for various reasons, but more will be admitted if an unexpected number of existing students take leave.</p>
<p>What has happened at Chicago the last few years, however, is that so many more prospective first years have decided to enroll, that every extra dorm bed that becomes available has been commandeered for first years.</p>
<p>Are we looking at maybe ~8ish% acceptance rate and maybe 60% yield, you think?</p>
<p>Umm, it’s FRESHMAN admit rate will be 8%-ish.</p>
<p>It’s TRANSFER rate will probably be much lower. Lately, it’s been hanging around 1-2%, like the other elite institutions.</p>
<p>At 1-2% you also need a vastly more compelling case than just academic quality at another four year school. </p>
<p>For example, a decorated military veteran who has bounced between jobs and part-time study post release from the armed forces and would like to put some credits towards a solid, four year degree. Or alternatively, a student who was otherwise admitted to top schools but attended a community college for a year to be close to a dying family member. A person who dropped out half-way though a top tier degree to start a business, is very successful in doing so, and then finds herself barred from returning to her original institution. All three cases were present in my own class at Chicago. </p>
<p>One thing to bear in mind is that Chicago does not have a formal unit to address non-traditional applicants as is the case with Penn (LPS), Northwestern (SCPS), Harvard (Extension), Columbia (GS) or Yale (Eli Whitney). they end up falling into the straight transfer pool.</p>