<p>I'm sure it's been asked, but I searched and didn't find anything.</p>
<p>On the common app's why do you want to transfer (NOT why do you want to transfer to this particular school), I know it's important to not completely rip your current school to shreds (though I would love to). </p>
<p>Still, you have to show that you are unhappy with some elements of it otherwise you wouldn't want to be transferring.</p>
<p>How do you go about finding this balance? Is it okay to say negative things about the school as well as its worded well/tactfully? </p>
<p>I am really struggling with this, because I think I have very good reasons for transferring (some personal, that I'm not really going to delve too much into the personal essay, but then some really convincing academic reasons that highlight what is lacking at USC...but I'm just having difficulty saying these things without coming across as dissing USC.)</p>
<p>maybe think about how you would how you would tell someone that that (horendous) jacket they are about to buy is horrible... you wouldnt say, wow that jacket makes you look horrible, you would say there are better jackets out there for you... kind of give it a good spin... instead of saying the teachers suck at challenging you (or whatever) you could say you seek more of a challenge...
i am working on this essay as well, except i came from a comm college, so i am a different type of transfer. good luck.</p>
<p>As has been already said, try showing what you want rather than what you currently do not have (therefore, you may imply what your school currently lacks, without having to directly berate them).</p>
<p>So if one of my reasons is that so much effort is focused in developing the business school that little attention is paid elsewhere, I could talk about it as long as I do so with being too critical. Something saying that it's not inherently bad that usc focuses on the business school if that's what they choose to do, but as a student not majoring in business it is not the best place to be.</p>