<p>I read on here that in a recent year they received 1600 apps for transfers and accepted 32. I figure I have to be amazing to be accepted so the question is, how amazing?</p>
<p>I’m interested in this as well. I looked at the previous official transfer threads and the people who got in didn’t post their stats except for maybe college gpa which was usually 3.9+. Nobody really went in detail with what they did.</p>
<p>You’ve gotta have amazing stats to get accepted to Stanford even as a freshmen. </p>
<p>For transfers though, there are a lot of other factors. For instance, if you’re applying as a transfer into the chemistry program, but they aren’t short on students for the chemistry program, the odds of getting accepted aren’t good. If they’ve had a few students from their chemistry program drop out, or transfer to different schools though, they’re going to be looking to fill those positions, thus making it more likely that you will get accepted.</p>
<p>A high GPA is obviously important. Research/internship experience is a huge bonus. They also want to see that you’ve progressed sufficiently far in your classes, so that you won’t have a bunch of lower level courses to make up.</p>
<p>As a personal rule of thumb, I view that “amazing” something as being able to effectively show Stanford that you took full advantage/opportunity of the resources your current school provides (meaningful club involvement, research exp, outside related employment, etc), but that there is still something Stanford has that your current school does not that you feel would greatly benefit you and benefit Stanford for your involvement.</p>
<p>Of course you should also have a high GPA (I imagine at least a 3.8) in enough classes (and variety of classes) to demonstrate that you are prepared academically.</p>
<p>Being somewhat original helps too - if you say you like to watch basketball, but if admissions officials feel so do 95% of the rest of the students and transfer applications, then that’s not doing anything to help you stand out from the bunch. Try to convey your unique interests and accomplishments.</p>
<p>Your intended major could have something to do with it too (they do need to find the room in the programs to fit more students), but at that point it’s a lottery - I don’t suggest trying to shape your major based on what Stanford “needs” just to get into Stanford.</p>
<p>I plan to follow those guidelines when I apply for transfer this coming year, so I’ll post somewhere (here or Stanford sub-forum) how it goes, stats, life story, etc.</p>
<p>Best of luck to the rest.</p>
<p>32/1600 = 2%</p>
<p>Its almost like a lottery lol. I think turtlerock sums up the process.</p>
<p>W/Stanford your intended major doesn’t matter at all, can’t even declare a major until orientation, so that has zero bearing on their decision…I was one of the lucky 32 this year. Maximize all your opportunities at your current institution, get great LOR’s, and have a 3.9+ GPA, have a strong reason to transfer. Random unique EC’s are also ideal…One other person that’s transferring in: grew up in Cuba, came to the US 3 years ago, got a 4.0 @ a CC, self teaching English during this time, and has research. If you comb through the old transfer threads and read them carefully you’ll get a sense of the people they take in…in the end it really is a lottery…of the 1600+ applicants I would imagine 1k+ have a 3.8+ GPA, many of whom are at top schools already.</p>
<p>Realistically aim for schools w/transfer acceptance rates ~10% and with a 3.9/4.0 and strong EC’s/LOR’s you can feel more comfortable you’ll get an acceptance somewhere if you apply to 4-5 such schools. Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Duke - a 4.0 and amazing EC’s gives you a chance to win the admissions lottery.</p>
<p>Also likely ~5-10 of the transfers are recruited athletes…I know of a few this year in the group of 32.</p>
<p>Thanks yolocholo and congratulations on getting in! I did go through the old threads and although many exceptional people were accepted, many were rejected so I guess it is a lottery. Also would you say that most of the people accepted had research, volunteer work, and a job as their ECs?</p>
<p>Yolocholo, can you give us any stats on the number of CC and NT candidates that were part of the 32 acceptances this year? In the past S has accepted a significant number of these transfer students in comparison to H&Y.</p>
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<p>FYI, Stanford’s Commonapp supplement asks to rank which programs you are interested in (i.e. academic subjects by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranking). I take that as “intended major” or at the very least “intended academic pursuits”, which can be taken into consideration when determining admissions, especially transfers. I don’t get the feeling that Stanford takes the risk of taking on 30 Physics transfers each year, for example.</p>
<p>Have you guys noticed that the Common App for Stanford supplement gives us a 250 word MAXIMUM for the long essays? However, Stanford’s official website states,“Candidates respond to all three essay topics using at LEAST 250 words, but not exceeding the space provided.”</p>
<p>happy to follow up on the exact breakdown in a month or so re: NT & CC transfers…orientation is mid way through sept. so will meet the full transfer class then. I believe 30 of 32 accepted the offer</p>
<p>^Thanks and best of luck to you at S!</p>
<p>followup as promised: 32 accepted - 28 attending 1.9% admit rate
14-come from community college
9-non-traditional/older however a handful of the younger group took time off pursuing their interests
6-veterans
2-athletes
17-CA residents</p>
<p>GPA’s seem to range from 3.8 (@CC-veteran) and up so you don’t need a perfect 4.0 </p>
<p>good luck to people applying this cycle!</p>
<p>Thanks yolo, really appreciate the data!</p>
<p>Hope all is going well at S (no small thing from a Cal alum ;)).</p>
<p>Thanks yolocholo! That information was really helpful. Just a small followup question to that, how many admits were from 4 year, out of state (and not non-traditional, veterans, athletes, etc.)?</p>
<p>Hope everything is going well!</p>
@yolocholo
Do you know how many of them came from other prestigious institutions like hypsm? Or slightly less prestigious ones like columbia, penn, or CMU?