Transfer plan

International student from Kazakhstan
Unfortunately, I was not admitted as a member of class of 2022, so I decided to transfer to UPENN. Currently, I am thinking to apply to MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) and then transfer to UPENN Engineering. So, here is the question- is it possible to transfer from Russian University to UPENN and if so what should I do?

While I believe it is possible to transfer to Penn from a Russian university, the chance is extremely low since it is extremely hard to get in as a transfer with so many applicants for just few spots each year regardless of where you transfer from. So, my advice to you is not get fixated on trying to transfer to Penn and enjoy the four years of undergrad and then maybe apply for Penn for grad school if you like Penn that much. Of course you can try for a transfer after your freshman year, but try to get into a school you like now first (and maybe you will find that you didn’t like Penn that much or you really liked the school you are in then).

While I believe it is possible to transfer to Penn from a Russian university, the chance is extremely low since it is extremely hard to get in as a transfer with so many applicants for just few spots each year regardless of where you transfer from. So, my advice to you is to not get fixated on trying to transfer to Penn and enjoy the four years of undergrad and then maybe apply for Penn for grad school if you like Penn that much. Of course you can try for a transfer after your freshman year, but try to get into a school you like now first (and maybe you will find that you didn’t like Penn that much or you really liked the school you are in then).

So, how can I transfer succesfully?

In general I think it is a terrible idea to start one college with the intent of transferring out. This will stand in the way of your making meaningful friendships, developing relationships with professors, and getting involved on campus. Then if your transfer doesn’t work out as planned you will be really stuck. I’d go to the college you enroll in with the intent of staying all four years. Work to excel in every way and enjoy your experience. It is fine to throw in a a transfer application to Penn, but don’t count on it happening – in the common data set I looked at Penn accepted 229 transfer applicants so the chances for a successful transfer to Penn are low.

“Each year about 200 students transfer into Penn’s four undergraduate schools, selected from approximately 2,000 applicants.” from Penn Admission Website

So as you can see, only about 10 percent of the applicants are accepted. Because of the selectivity, I would really advise against going into another school with the intent of transferring to Penn and banging on getting accepted. If you really like Penn, you can consider taking a gap year and reapply next year, or go to a school where you don’t mind being there for four years and attempt for a transfer your sophomore year so that even if you don’t get accepted you will still be happy at that school.

Regarding advice for transfer, I would just say keep your GPA up (preferably 4.0), participate in extracurriculars, and participate in community services. Try to build a relationship with your professors so they can write you good rec.