@Meander where? and how? Is it spposed to be the link next to the acceptance letter that says “Housing Information”? That jut takes me to the PRS info page
I can’t access it 
Did you do the Reply Form first?
@VaishS Sorry I should’ve mentioned that I did reply first. From the Penn Residential Services Website:
@Meander okay, thank you!!!
@deller123 there is not really much tension between CAS and Wharton at Penn and there is not a divide. I have heard at NYU the tension is rather bad and the divide is big, so not surprised.
That said u should go where you feel most comfortable.
wondering the same thing as @Lauren1998. anyone know the answer to this?
No, the decision of rejected is final. They will not transfer you to the Waiting list.
whens the waitlist letter due?
@penn95 do you mean the divide from stern and CAS is big?
@EconDon23 Yes that is what i have heard from many people i know at NYU. The Stern vs CAS divide is rather big.
Hello everyone,
While I made this new account for privacy purposes, I have been on college confidential for quite a long time. During the earlier phases of my transfer process, I took up a lot of valuable information from CC members and now that I am done, I wanted to give back to this community.
After being rejected from every college or waitlisted by every college I wanted to go to and attending my state school for a year, I was accepted to both Cornell and UPenn as a transfer sophomore this year; I will be attending Penn as part of the Class of 2020. I do want to emphasize that this process was NOT easy but it was so so so worth it looking back.
From my experience, it is QUINTESSENTIAL to not just get good, but SHINING, OUTSTANDING recommendations from your professors. Applying to transfer during your freshmen year makes this all the more harder – you only have one semester to hustle and get your name known to your professors. But there IS a way to do it. It’s to go to office hours frequently, show a GENUINE appreciation and interest in the subject (reflected in your thoughtful questions), and to SUCCEED in the course, as in try your best to get to the top of the class. After my transfer process was over, my chemistry professor later sent me the rec he submitted so I could use it for a scholarship. He clearly mentioned that I was a frequenter of his office hours and that I was in the top 3% of his general chemistry course. I believe this had a very strong sway in my acceptance to Penn.
After looking through previous successful transfer stats, I noticed that many of the accepted students had 4.0 GPAs their first semester/year. So I tried my absolute best to get a 4.0 my first semester of college and I did. Of course you don’t HAVE to get a 4.0, and MANY students have been successful with transfer without one. But I do think having that pristine 4.0, especially from a more rigorous state or peer institution, helps an application a lot.
Your essay is also very important in my opinion. I noticed that a common theme amongst successful transfer students was that they emphasized WHY their current school is NOT a good fit for them, whether it is academic, social, extracurricular, or some other factor. I don’t think it matters as much what this particular reason is, but rather that you JUSTIFY it extremely well. I emphasized that staying at my current institution was NOT conducive to my current and future success. I simply could not expand my mind globally and academically with the students and resources at my current school.
Also it is very important to show that you GREW intellectually after spending a year or two at another institution. THIS is why colleges want transfer and international students in the first place. They want to diversify their student body by drawing in the best from other institutions; these students are bringing in their experiences, their wisdom, and their goals from different schools all over the country and world. Therefore it is important to show the colleges what YOU can bring to the table after spending time somewhere else. I personally found that I learned so much about myself and my goals after spending a year at my state school. So I specifically mentioned in my essays why these personal lessons made me a more motivated and goal-oriented person and therefore a better applicant. Try asking yourself, what has changed since you applied to college as a senior?
(For writing the essay, I would also suggest checking out the Transfer Book (online) as well as you write your essay. Although it’s a bit expensive, I found that it was very helpful for viewing real sample essays and understanding what makes a compelling transfer applicant.)
I hope that future transfer applicants will see this post and be able to take away something, just as I have with CC posts from the past. Best of luck, and know that your rejection now is not necessarily final. You HAVE THE POWER to turn things around. Don’t lose hope and keep on running.
Hello bangtan159,
I hope you are having an enjoyable first semester at UPenn.
I am currently a freshman at my state school (University of Connecticut) and will be applying to UPenn for sophomore entry.
First, I would like to say that I found your post relatable and encouraging. I have also taken your advice and purchased the Transfer Book.
I have a few questions listed below:
1.) What types of extracurriculars did you participate in during your freshmen year before being accepted?
2.) Did you hold any leadership positions?
3.) Had you been rejected by UPenn in high school before being accepted as a transfer?
4.) If you did apply in high school, do you know if that had any effect on your chances for transfer acceptance?
Any response is appreciated.
Thank you.