<p>Hey everyone,
I was wondering about how difficult it is to transfer from an Ivy league school such as Harvard or Princeton to another Ivy, or to an equally top tier school such as MIT or Stanford. This must be rare because people are usually very happy to get into such a great school to begin with. However, I'm just wondering what one would do when they feel like they do not fit in their current Ivy--ideally they'd want to transfer to another school that would bring them more happiness but not at the expense of prestige. They would look great on their application, but would the school that they're applying to feel inclined to reject them since they already attend a wonderful school? Would they rather admit people from less prestigious schools such as community colleges? One of my friends is trying to transfer from and Ivy League school to MIT, which has a ridiculously low transfer rate (usually around 2-6%)--does the fact he already attends a great school somehow diminish his chances of getting in? A few people have said that going to an Ivy League school makes you an excellent transfer applicant given that you have good first year grades and so on, but I was wondering if it could end up backfiring on you. I'd appreciate any thoughts, thanks!</p>
<p>Positives: The applicant had a good HS record and test scores in order to get into a highly selective college, this is particularly important for soph transfers. If they get top grades at a very competitive college, that shows that they can be successful at another competitive college. There is less likelihood that the transfer college will feel that the applicant is simply trying to ‘transfer up’ to a more prestigious college.</p>
<p>Negative: Sometimes it’s difficult for a student from a selective college to demonstrate a strong reason that they want to transfer to another academically strong college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. My friend’s case is sort of unique: he attends a top school and lives very close to his home. Recently, there’s been a family illness and he’s been able to look after the ailing family member since he lives so nearby. However, the family is planning on moving to Boston due to family and financial reasons. He wants to continue staying close to his family, which means he would have to transfer to the Boston area. But at the same time wants to attend a top tier school–namely Harvard or MIT. He has talked to his dean and has considered other options such as taking a year off, but they’re not as practical as transferring altogether.</p>
<p>Pros:
-He has a superb high school background, including ECs, GPA and SAT scores
-Academically he has done very well so far in college</p>
<p>Cons:
-He might not have as strong of a case as other applicants in why Harvard/MIT would be right for him. He has good reasons since those schools would fit him academically and since he could excel at them, but they’re not necessarily better than his current school. The only reason he wants to transfer is because he wants to care for his family without having to sacrifice prestige, which might not be as compelling as the cases of other applicants (academic upgrade, current school doesn’t have desired major, etc.)</p>
<p>I’d appreciate any thoughts–thanks!</p>