<p>Ok, in the "Writing" tab on the Common Application, there's a prompt that says "Please provide a statement (250 words minimum) that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.
Your essay will appear on a separate sheet at the end of the application."</p>
<p>I'm applying to a few universities for transfer, so is the essay I post on this going to be read by any university I apply to, or is this essay specific to the university that this applications for? Should I write this essay with specific reasons of why I want to apply to this exact university, or just reasons I want to transfer in general?</p>
<p>This is a general statement intended to address why you are transferring out of your school and what you want to achieve elsewhere. Each school will have specific supplements.</p>
<p>However, if a school doesn't have a specific supplement that asks why you want to go to that school specifically, then you may want to change your CA main essay to discuss this. I know that my D had to do this last year, she tailored the essay to each school depending on what they asked/or didn't ask in their supplement. </p>
<p>By the way, there is a way in the CA to send out a version to a school(s), make changes, and send it out to other schools.</p>
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However, if a school doesn't have a specific supplement that asks why you want to go to that school specifically, then you may want to change your CA main essay to discuss this.
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<p>Each school is different. For example in Yale's transfer supplement, they ask Why Yale? and you can submit an additional personal statement. In contrast, Dartmouth (as chjon alluded to) has no additional questions in it's supplement.</p>
<p>So I COULD tailor that essay towards a specific school? As in, it's possible to do it, and not every school's going to see the same exact essay?</p>
<p>Wow I did not know that you could change the main CA essay for each college. I was thinking of writing slightly different CA essays for different colleges, but planned on making 2 CA accounts. How do you tweak the essays for individual schools?</p>
<p>I think the way it works is that you upload one essay, send it, then delete that essay, make changes to your word doc, upload the new essay, send it, delete that essay, and so on. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.</p>
<p>That is not how you do it. There is a way to make up to like 10 seperate versions of your app on one account, but it will save all your non essay info so you do not have to reinput it. Commonapp's website has the instructions.</p>
<p>edit: here are the directions straight off of commonapp.org</p>
<p>"Application Versions</p>
<p>Alternate application versions can be used in the event an applicant chooses to provide slightly different information to one institution from another institution. Below are the steps necessary to create an alternate version.</p>
<p>Step1: You must submit the Common Application to at least one institution first. You cannot create an alternate version until this has occurred.</p>
<p>Step 3: Upon login you will be taken to the 'Common Application' page, where you will see information about the application you have already submitted. The ability to create an alternate version of your submitted Common Application is now activated, and you should click on the ‘Replicate’ link to make an alternate version of your submitted application. When this is complete, a second version will be visible on your screen and a special drop down list that will appear in the upper right corner of your application. You can use this drop down to move between application versions.</p>
<p>All data from your original version of your Common Application will be transferred to your alternate version, with the exception of any documents that you uploaded. You may edit any of this information before you submit it to another institution.</p>
<p>You only need to go to the special URL the first time you create an alternative version. Thereafter, additional application versions can be made by going to the ‘Common Application’ section within your original Common Application and using the ‘Replicate’ link. You may make up to 10 versions, including the original version. You only need your original User Name and Password to access all versions.</p>
<p>You will have a separate My Colleges page for each application version. Each institution can only be on the My Colleges list of one application version. You can move an institution from one version to a different version at any time prior to submitting the Common App to that institution."</p>