<p>Just curious, when you all applied for transfer admission, did you personalize your "Why Transfer" essay on the CommonApp by creating different versions? Some schools have supplements but others, like Vandy, don't. I created a version for Vandy and personalized my essay for their school. This may be useful for future transfers.</p>
<p>Did it gave you an edge?</p>
<p>I was in a unique situation where I couldn’t use the Common Application to apply to Cornell University since I had applied the semester before. Since I had to use a paper application, I took the time to make a better and different essay that was personalized for Cornell for the “Why Transfer” essay. </p>
<p>The other schools that I applied to (NYU, BU, and UMass Amherst) all received a “generic” “Why Transfer” essay.</p>
<p>I would say it gave me an edge even though I got into all four of these schools because in my experience, schools look for interest in your subject area as well as the specific college/university, and writing separate “Why Transfer” essays gives more of a chance to show an interest in a specific school.</p>
<p>The problem is I’m applying from community college. So…“why transfer”? Because I have to if I want a four year degree. I’m wondering how I can personalize it to the school when it’s designed to be a generic commonapp essay. Any ideas?</p>
<p>It would probably help to think of it as “Why Transfer… to this specific school?” Yes, you want to continue on to a four-year degree but what is it about the specific school that interests you? Not just one thing, but as many things as you are searching for in a four-year school. How will transferring to this specific university help you reach your goals?</p>
<p>^^^Agree, part of your essay covers why transfer in general, the other part covers why a particular school.</p>
<p>@the rippa, for the particular school part, focus on why that school and also what you hope to accomplish/ get involved with their. Maybe they have a student org which you would like to get involved in.</p>
<p>I personalized my Common App essay only for Dartmouth (no supplement other than Peer Rec) and was waitlisted. Out of the other schools that I sent my generic essay to, I was rejected by Amherst (supplement), accepted by Wesleyan (no supplement), accepted by Penn (supplement), waitlisted by Swarthmore (supplement), and waitlisted by Brown (supplement). I don’t really think it’ll hurt you to not personalize, especially with lesser-ranked schools, but I can only imagine that it helped me with Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input guys. I just wasn’t sure whether or not you could personalize it a great deal. I thought it was meant to cover one’s basic inner reasons for transferring, as opposed to the outside factors that come into play at each school. But since it does, I feel better now about the essay.</p>