<p>The CollegeBoard just released UChicago's 2012 transfer admissions figures, confirming what we suspected; UChicago had a 2.1% transfer admit rate:</p>
<p>Here is a list of the transfer admit rates at various schools. UChicago, Harvard, and Stanford have been updated for 2012; the figures for other schools are from 2011.</p>
<p>Harvard University: 1.0% (15/1448)
University of Chicago: 2.1% (21/990) (of those 16 enrolled, 76% yield)
Stanford University: 2.2% (33/1500)
Yale University: 2.7% (29/1072)
Duke University: 2.8% (26/920)
Dartmouth College: 3.3% (28/861)
Columbia University: 5.6% (149/2660)
California Institute of Technology: 6% (9/150)
Washington University in St. Louis: 7.3% (105/1435)
Northwestern University: 8.6% (130/1521)
University of Pennsylvania: 9.7% (203/2099)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 9.9% (44/443)
Georgetown: 11.1% (222/1986)
Brown University: 11.2% (214/1904)
Johns Hopkins University: 11.4% (116/1018)
Carnegie Mellon University: 12%
Rice University: 20%
Cornell University: 21% (Skewed due to guaranteed transfers)
University of California - Berkeley: 22%
University of Southern California: 25%
University of California - Los Angeles: 26%
Wake Forest University: 26%
Emory University: 28%
Vanderbilt University: 31%
University of Virginia: 35%
University of Notre Dame: 40%</p>
<p>As with the overall admissions rate, the transfer admission rate has been plummeting in recent years. Approximate figures for the past few years off the top of my head:</p>
<p>14%–2009
7.8%–2010
4%–2011
2.1%–2012</p>
<p>Why is the transfer admit rate dropping? More applications overall and the University is accepting fewer students, for a few reasons–a lot of it is because the freshman retention rate has increased to 99%; since few students leave the University, UChicago doesn’t need to ‘replace’ them with transfer students. In addition, the University has over-enrolled recent classes because of rises in the yield rate, so again less room or need for transfer students.</p>
<p>Transfer acceptance rate to Chicago is now extremely low approaching Harvard’s rate which is even more compelling evidence that more and more students are becoming more savvy and realistic (especially those who are actually in college) about getting a great undergraduate education at Chicago by trying to get in through the “back door”…</p>
<p>…Chicago has been an undervalued stock for many years…students and now the general public to a certain extent have recognized the value of this “stock” that has been overlooked since the 90s…</p>
<p>…I must say the administration’s HUBRIS was partly to blame over the past twenty somewhat years where they ignored the recommendations of alumni, students, and even the employers on how to improve the school so that students can truly enjoy the “life of the mind” without feeling like being in a monastery…and for the most part, they have…</p>
<p>…with the overall acceptance rate becoming lower and lower, transfer acceptance rate extremely low already, high retention rate, high graduation rate, and continued upward matriculation rate…the College will continue becoming even more “popular” not only to the academics but also to the “general public”…</p>
<p>@hauteStandard The CollegeBoard said the deadline for schools to submit info is in January. After that it begins updating its website; throughout January and February some schools will have 2011 info and others will have 2012 info. I’m guessing probably by about March most schools will be updated. UChicago’s info was updated a bit earlier this year (Feb. 3) than last year (about Feb. 17).</p>
<p>It is a sad commentary about human nature…that we tend to overlook a school because its acceptance rate was “not low enough” to feel “exclusive”…it is like that old saying, “I would never join a club that would have me as a member,” that explains to a large part what has happened to elite American college admissions and to Chicago in particular…</p>
<p>…it is a vicious cycle…those “same” students who would not have applied to Chicago in the past because it was not “exclusive enough” now are applying in droves because of its “lower acceptance rate” driving down the acceptance rate even further…it is rather contrarian in nature… </p>
<p>…it is the same sort of individuals who apply to Harvard, Stanford, etc because of their extremely low acceptance rates…thus “exclusivity”…</p>
<p>I have a feeling (no real basis other than that) that the reason might have something to do with UChicago’s core curriculum. Having someone transfer there from a school that doesn’t use that might simply cause a serious adjustment in terms of adjusting to the quarter system & the rigor of the core. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>It’s true that the Chicago Core Curriculum poses a real challenge for transfer students, since almost no one transfers in with anything that would count as credit toward the Hum-Sosc-Civ “core of the Core”. As a practical matter, it’s nearly impossible to transfer in as a third-year and finish in six quarters (two normal-length academic years). Everyone who transfers in essentially has to come in as a first-year with a lot of AP credits trying to graduate in three years.</p>
<p>But the rigor of the Core would deter potential applicants. A remarkably low transfer rate suggests the opposite. The downward trend probably reflects a mix of rising retention rates and expanding incoming class sizes, though I’m surprised the Core doesn’t affect the rate more (if it does at all).</p>
<p>As a 2013 transfer applicant, I can’t help but wonder how UChicago will handle transfer admissions this year. With an overenrolled freshman class, 99% retention rate, and influx of applications that will continue to rise, will the number of this year’s transfer admits hit a new record low?<br>
Similar factors caused Princeton and, temporarily, Harvard, to end their transfer programs altogether. Is UChicago approaching this fate?</p>
<p>@Passagio. I have read what you wrote on the other thread. You seem like the kind of student who can truly benefit from a Chicago “education”…I hope you were able to convey this PASSION in your transfer application…</p>
<p>…one can’t do much about the transfer acceptance rates which is ridiculously LOW…all you can do is do your best…and hope for the best! At these rates the “intangibles” come into play more than anything…and those “intangibles” may change day to day depending on who is reading your application…this is where “throwing up a prayer” comes in handy. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Harvard University: 1.04% (15/1448) 2012
University of Chicago: 2.12% (21/990) (of those 16 enrolled, 76% yield) 2012
Stanford University: 2.25% (34/15012) 2012
Duke University: 2.83% (26/920) 2011
Yale University: 2.87% (28/974) 2012
Dartmouth College: 3.75% (30/799) 2012
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 5.51% (25/454) 2012
Washington University in St. Louis: 5.83% (81/1389) 2012
California Institute of Technology: 6% (9/150) 2011
Columbia University: 6.22% (147/2365) 2012
Johns Hopkins University: 8.31% (89/1071) 2012
Northwestern University: 8.55% (130/1521) 2011
University of Pennsylvania: 9.4% (197/2096) 2012
Brown University: 11.24% (214/1904) 2011
Carnegie Mellon University: 10.29% (79/768) 2012
Georgetown: 13.67% (282/2063) 2012
Rice University: 20% 2011
Cornell University: 21% 2011
University of California - Berkeley: 22% 2011
University of Southern California: 25% 2011
University of California - Los Angeles: 27.96% (5290/18923) 2012
Wake Forest University: 26% 2011
Vanderbilt University: 26.14% (362/1385) 2012
Emory University: 28% 2011
University of Virginia: 37.26% (895/2402) 2012
University of Notre Dame: 40% 2011</p>
<p>P.S. UChicago’s admit rates–whether for overall admission, early admission, and transfer admission–have fallen so quickly in recent years, you will be greatly misled about the current situation by looking at information even a year or two old.</p>
<p>More schools have now reported their 2012 figures, so I have updated this. All figures from College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool</p>
<p>Harvard University: 1.04% (15/1448) 2012
University of Chicago: 2.12% (21/990) (of those 16 enrolled, 76% yield) 2012
Stanford University: 2.25% (34/1512) 2012
California Institute of Technology: 2.34% (5/214) 2012
Duke University: 2.83% (26/920) 2011
Yale University: 2.87% (28/974) 2012
Dartmouth College: 3.75% (30/799) 2012
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 5.51% (25/454) 2012
Washington University in St. Louis: 5.83% (81/1389) 2012
Columbia University: 6.22% (147/2365) 2012
Johns Hopkins University: 8.31% (89/1071) 2012
Northwestern University: 8.55% (130/1521) 2011
University of Pennsylvania: 9.4% (197/2096) 2012
Brown University: 11.24% (214/1904) 2011
Carnegie Mellon University: 10.29% (79/768) 2012
Georgetown: 13.67% (282/2063) 2012
Rice University: 20% 2011
Cornell University: 21% 2011
University of California - Berkeley: 22% 2011
University of Southern California: 25% 2011
Wake Forest University: 26% 2011
University of California - Los Angeles: 27.96% (5290/18923) 2012
Vanderbilt University: 26.14% (362/1385) 2012
Emory University: 28% 2011
University of Virginia: 37.26% (895/2402) 2012
University of Notre Dame: 40% 2011</p>