Transfer into Stanford

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Just how hard is it to transfer into Stanford?
Lets say I get a 4.0 my freshman year at college and bring my test scores up to near perfect and write a better essay, will I have a chance of being admitted to Stanford as a tranfer student?
I was rejected for freshman admission this year. :(</p>

2

<p>not to burst your bubble, but having qualifications of that sort is most common in the transfer applicant pool. The Undergraduate Admissions webpage at Stanford indicates that even applicants who fall in the range of 3.5 - 4.0 and a SAT score of 1500 or above will still face STIFF competition in their selection process. Just remember, that when you apply for transfer admission, you are competiting with students who generally have a lot more experience in life (i.e. working many years, involved in research, attending school for many years or students who want to transfer from an Ivy into Stanford). Also, the admit rate for transfer student if about 8%.</p>

3

<p>In other words, thank you for your $70 donation.</p>

4

<p>Basically, sabnetwork summed it all up.</p>

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<p>Transfer admissions criteria are vastly dissimilar from those typically considered for freshman candidacy. SAT scores usually mean little to nothing in the transfer review process -- especially if you have two years of college work behind you. Glowing recommendations from professors (PhDs) and a strong college GPA outweighs any SAT score that you received in high school. For this reason, DO NOT RETAKE THE SAT AS A TRANSFER APPLICANT! It is simply a waste of your time and money and looks rather foolish to the admissions committee: as a successful college student, you should be beyond the SAT and be focusing on your studies.</p>

<p>The aspect of your application that needs to be made most compelling is the REASON FOR TRANSFER. Stanford is very committed to its students receiving the complete four-year undergraduate experience and the admissions committee reviews transfer applications with an initial skepticism of sorts. Transfer admissions are extremely competitive wherever you go; Stanford's yearly 6-10% admit rate is low because its admissions committee wants to find students that match perfectly with its program. Enrollment rates for admitted transfers are generally upwards of 80% because the students they admit show a compelling desire to attend Stanford in particular. Simply, admission criteria for transfers go far beyond simple grades and scores -- your personal story is much more in focus (even moreso than freshmen admissions which are based so much on "stats").</p>

6

<p>What about transfer from Cornell physics/engineering with 1550, legacy, and a prestigious scholarship (4% of Cornell class) being given up from Cornell? (I was waitlisted...)</p>

7

<p>jerew-</p>

<p>The post above yours made it abundantly clear that in order to meet with success in applying to Stanford as a transfer, you need to exhibit COMPELLING MOTIVATIONS behind your transfer application. What compelling motivation are you going to convey? Simply stating "I applied as a freshman and was rejected/waitlisted" isn't going to cut it; the transfer application, in fact, asks whether or not you have applied to Stanford previously. Simply, Stanford does not view its transfer process as a "round two" for freshmen rejects of the past.</p>

<p>Additionaly, the reason that the admitted transfer class's "stats" are actually less impressive than those of the freshman class is because Stanford reviews entirely different criteria from transfer applicants. The SAT, for example, means next to nothing for transfer applicants who have demonstrated ability at another institution.</p>

8

<p>You think that's bad? I heard MIT lets in about 4 or 5 transfer students a year.</p>

<p>There's something to be said about spending all four years at one school. My brother formed his best friends his freshman year. Cornell is a very, very good school. You cannot go wrong with it. Some people have the same amazing visions of Cornell- I'm sure Stanford and Cornell have relatively the same to offer.</p>

9

<p>Hey, thanks again Uncle Feezus. I think I will let it go at that. If I get in off the waiting list, I will consider, but until then, I am ecstatic with Cornell!</p>

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<p><a href="http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2005/marapr/features/transfers.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2005/marapr/features/transfers.html&lt;/a>
-alumni mag, good info on transfer students</p>

<p>I wouldnt try to transfer, focus on cornell and plan to stay all four years. Only at the end of the year if you aren't satisfied then think about transferring. </p>

<p>Also, come visit the transfer thread here around may 20th and you can see the stats of people who are accepted (including hopefully myself).</p>

11

<p>I was admitted to Stanford as a transfer in 1997, and it hasn't gotten any easier since then. Try to include a range of schools among your transfer goals, even with a 4.0.</p>

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<p>I don't agree with this. While the SAT is LESS of an issue for transfers (especially junior transfers) than for freshmen, it still matters. If you know you can bring your score up materially (more than 100 points), you're foolish not to do it. I retook the SAT during freshman year for the sake of my transfer apps (this was after the last recentering), and it clearly didn't hurt me at all. If anything, I think that it shows your dedication to the transfer process and your ability to handle a lot of extra pressure while keeping up a college GPA.</p>

12

<p>Do you work for the College Board? No, seriously... the SAT is completely obsolete if you come from an accredited institution with an A.A. degree/junior standing. I would not look favorably on a student score-conscious enough to take the SAT again as a degree holder.</p>

13

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<p>No, I'm just someone who was admitted as a junior transfer to Stanford, Harvard, and Penn after retaking the SATs. So it worries me to see you advising students that something that worked well for me in actual experience is going to hurt them.</p>

14

<p>KupMup, I'm in almost the same position as you - a full ride to Berkeley but really want an ivy... I'm seriously considering transfering too. Dammit, I can never be the best. Good, but not one of the best. It really disheartens me...Ugh... I'm stepping it up so much now because, after applications, I feel like a pile of crap.</p>

<p>Maybe we can hook up together at Berkeley and help eachother out because everyone is telling me that Berkeley is still a good school. But yea... you're the only one that I've met that seems to be in the same dilemma.</p>

15

<p>Stanford isn't an ivy, sleepisabliss (if that's what you meant).</p>

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<p>" Dammit, I can never be the best"</p>

<p>what is the point of this statement?? Do you think that Berkeley is not up to your standards? You got a full ride to Berkeley and that is something to commend about. If I am not mistaken, I think this is somewhat of an ego problem. If you think that Berkeley is not up to your standards, then why don't you prove it to us unfortunate ppl......</p>

<p>i did not mean to sound harsh but it bugs me when ppl think that Berkeley is just another school while other ppl would be more than happy to attend that school.</p>

17

<p>Sleepy, please don't come to Cal. Let someone else take that full ride. You would have a better chance going to a community college and then trying to tranfer to an ivy. Plus, you're too much of a complainer to be Cal material. You'd be eaten alive.</p>

18

<p>if you think that Cal isn't for you....then seriously transfer the ****out. Go to the grade inflated Stanfurd and have someone hold your hand until graduation.</p>

<p>and btw....enjoy being in debt at whatever school that you plan to transfer into</p>

19

<p>mosharma: it's Stanford, not Stanfurd.</p>

20

<p>yea i know....but writing Stanford as "Stanfurd" is popular at Cal</p>