“The news last week that Princeton University had admitted its first transfer students since 1990 was something of a Rorschach test in the world of admissions. Some were thrilled to hear that one of the nation’s most elite universities had ended its ban on transfer admissions. And the 13 students admitted illustrated why many colleges have long valued transfer programs for bringing all kinds of student experience and diversity into four-year campuses.” …
13 out of 1,429 is under 1%.
Note Princeton’s non traditional emphasis (similar to Stanford), with 8 from community colleges and 8 military veterans or service members.
But for all of the attention, the 13 transfer students to Princeton are very few compared to the total number.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting the some of the others in the transfer cohort, one of them a veteran and another a fellow JKC scholar. It’s totally anecdotal, but I felt that each one of us had a specific (and even unique) purpose for choosing to apply to Princeton. It wasn’t just on a whim, “oh they started admitting transfers? lets give it a shot lol”. I’m sure there were more than 13 applicants who shared this, but they chose the strongest applicants who they were confident would attend, I imagine. FWIW, the accepted transfer students I’ve spoken to have all committed already and I’m excited to meet the others!
About the number of accepted students… Yeah, pretty low, comparable to Harvard’s typical 12, but probably very different in composition, which should be most noteworthy.
I’ve had the chance of speaking with admissions representatives and they’re working very hard to making the transfer transition as smooth as possible (e.g. inviting us to customized FSI program, pre-orientations, etc). I feel very much welcomed, and beyond honored.
Congratulations, @AGoodFloridian !
@AGoodFloridian I am planning on applying to the Princeton transfer program among other schools about 2 years from now. I am looking for some advice on how to structure and make the most of these next two years before I apply. I am a non-traditional homeschooled student that began taking community college courses. I also am a first generation college student from a low-income background. I am going to be straightforward regarding my grades and GPA. Some courses I have done well in while some I have failed over a 4-year span and my current GPA is a 2.4. Even so, I still aim and am planning to improve and begin to take my academics seriously. Being in the same community college for 4 years has become extremely depressing for me, so I am planning on going to a different community college nearby. I know that things take time so I want to give myself 2 years to raise my GPA and improve my writing skills before I apply. However, I’m not really sure how to stand out in other ways. I know that you said to make sure that your decision to apply to schools was very well thought out. How do I show that in my application and what else is important? Also, how do I focus and highlight the “important things” besides test scores and grades in the next 2 years?
Thank you very much and good luck and congratulations! I’m not sure how to PM but if its easier feel free to PM me!