Transferring out of WashU in the age of COVID?

Hello CC,

I am new here, but have been lurking through these treads for a while during my whole college process. I am currently a freshman at WashU and I am looking to transfer to a different university for the fall of 2021 because I have found that this school just doesn’t seem to be the right fit for me–as far as an academic fit, I think I’ve solidified that I want to study Math/Physics after coming in a bit undecided, but it’s clear that these fields are not the school’s strong suit in their College of Arts and Sciences.

So far, I have a 4.0 GPA taking 18 credits this semester from in-person study, and will also probably be taking 18-19 credits next semester as well. I’m currently taking a required college writing class, general chem, physics, and the rigorous 4-credit honors math sequence (for students who either got a 5 on the AP BC exam or did well on the placement exam), along with 2 credits from some elective-type classes. I currently have an A+ in physics and I think an A+ in math (assigned at the instructor’s discretion). Next semester, I’ll be taking the next course in each sequence, but instead of college writing, I’ll be taking DiffEq.

Additionally, I earned a placement waiver out of Calc 3 and Matrix (equivalent to Linear at other colleges) Algebra, so while I don’t have credits for those classes, I have them ‘completed’ as prerequisites for other classes that require them. I also have a decent number of AP exams (not really encouraged by my HS to take them), a 36C on the ACT, and 3 800 subject tests.

With all of the uncertainty of the college landscape with COVID-19, is it possible for me to look to transfer to another university for the fall of 2021? I am from the east coast, so I would certainly welcome a move a bit closer to home. Is transferring to a place like Cornell, Brown, or Northwestern possible? Are there any other places that I might want to realistically consider given my stats and interest in math/physics? I really wanted to go to Pomona or Rice this fall, but was waitlisted by both and unfortunately never accepted, and it doesn’t seem that either of those places accepts many transfers.

“it doesn’t seem that either of those places accepts many transfers.”

I think that is the issue. There are not many universities that are stronger than WUSTL for math or physics, and in general they do not take many transfer students.

You are clearly a very strong student. You could try for Cornell or Brown and see what happens. Is Northwestern really closer to home? It seems like it is a moderate flight either way. Of course MIT and Harvard are very strong for math but would also be very difficult to transfer into.

McGill or perhaps Toronto would seem more likely to take a strong transfer student, but I do not know how they compare to WUSTL for math and physics.

At Cornell, there’s a good number of transfer students accepted via the Guaranteed Transfer Option program (offered to freshman applicants,) so that inflates the acceptance rates. Do you require FA? Keep in mind that many T20s that are need-blind for freshmen are need-aware for transfers.

Brown DOES have a decent number of transfer students, but the acceptance rate is comparable to that of freshmen applicants (this year was an anomaly due to COVID + '24 being purposefully over-enrolled by 100 students.)

@DadTwoGirls Thanks for the insight. While Northwestern isn’t any closer to home, I have a decent amount of family in the area, and I think it would be worth it since they have a more comprehensive and far more well-regarded STEM offering.

I’m not really looking to leave the US to study. I had a sibling who went to school outside of the country, and while the education may have been good, it just didn’t seem to be worth the logistical hassle when there are many other comparable here in America.

@PikachuRocks15 I’ve always heard that the Cornell transfer figures are quite inflated for exactly that reason. And no, I don’t require any FA.

It’s definitely worth applying to transfer if you’re genuinely unhappy with WashU. However, keep in mind that the transfer admissions is a time-intensive process (essays + letters of recommendation) and that there are no guarantees, just as with first year admissions–if you 110% want to leave WashU no matter what, I’d recommend applying to safeties, matches, and reaches.

Northwestern University is “transfer friendly”.

I don’t know what the situation is currently, but in the past the vast preponderance of the Guaranteed Transfers were issued by “contract colleges”- Agriculture and ILR. The transfer rate into the College of Arts & Sciences was not swelled by guaranteed transfer, and was not materially different than its freshman admit rate, when I was looking into these things. Which admittedly was quite some time ago by now.

I do recall arts & sciences was participating in the program this go-round, but I don’t know how active they have been in using it. Given its historical reticence.

Here’s some old numbers I had linked to. They a quite old but maybe they are illustrative of the relative percent admitted of freshmen applicants vs. transfer applicants by college.

Hopefully there are newer numbers around but I don’t have them linked.
https://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000003.pdf
https://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000156.pdf