Hey guys,
Noticed no one had started one of these (to my knowledge). Decisions by April 15th, and last year, they came on April 3rd!
Any speculation on when we can expect decisions? Good luck and stay well everyone!
Good luck to all, may be closer to April 15 given the later RD release. Transfers are particularly competitive so don’t stress, there is nothing you can do and things will work out.
I also applied for transfer, but I’ll be rejected. I didn’t do the optional supplement like a dumb dumb
Williams seems to signal that it’s not particularly receptive to transfer applicants — last year they accepted 3.9% (16 of 413) of those who applied. Future prospective transfer students should consider this carefully when creating their lists of potential transfer destinations.
@merc81 great advice tbh, future transfers beware; on the other hand, they have no application fee, and I receive a great thrill from the small chance of some serious academic mobility to the top LAC (though I’m sure it will culminate in disappointment once I’m rejected lol-- way more likely to be in the 96% than the 4%).
Good point! Best of luck to you!
@merc81 I disagree with your interpretation of Williams’ low transfer acceptance rate-- the college has made a commitment to recruiting students from community colleges and to expanding their transfer cohort and they are actively investing in CC transfers. They are a selective school, and the numbers do reflect that. Consider the freshman acceptance rates for a college like Stanford, Princeton, or Harvard though: would you advise prospective students not to apply to those schools?
My husband and I are both transfers at Williams, surely the outlook can’t be that bleak considering that we both got in last year?
We lose nothing by applying, and have everything to gain if we do get in. In an article in the NY Times last year the Williams president spoke of her commitment to transfers, saying “there has been a shift in how we think of really talented students from different backgrounds,” said Maud Mandel. Such students, she said, “represent a different kind of diversity on campus.”
Getting in to a college like Williams at a time when they are developing and expanding their transfer program offers students the opportunity to help guide and shape that program, and to demonstrate why we belong in places like this. Sure, the chances of getting in are slim, but the rewards when you do are spectacular.
Best of luck to all of you applying in this cycle, I hope to see you on campus next year!
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/education/learning/community-college-tranfers.html
@RejectionMan What are you interested in studying? Are you transferring from a CC or peer institution?
@RainbowBritey Hey! I’m so happy to hear that both you & your husband got into Williams! What a lovely success story. I hope you’re enjoying your time there to the utmost! Well, I should say that I hope you have enjoyed your time there while you were there, and I hope that you’re both healthy and safe at this time away from campus, and that you will enjoy your time when you return again. Lol. Weird times.
I’m studying philosophy at a liberal arts college in California. My understanding is that Williams is particularly kind to CC students and Veteran students. I think I have as strong an app as possible for a student in my field, but by no means do I think myself above the general rule (which seems to be CC and Vets)–– thought I’d apply anyway, since I like the school, the fact that there’s trails all around, the student population, and the prospects for grad study after Williams.
Unlike in the example of the general rates of the above schools, the transfer rate for Williams seems anomalous. That is, it’s less than a third of its RD rate, and culminated in a slim nine transfer students enrolling last fall. However, I’m glad both you and your husband found success in applying to Williams.
@merc81 I think the acceptance rates for transfers are typically far lower than those for regular admits. A school like Pomona whose rates of admission for freshmen and for transfers are similar at around 7.4% to 6.7% is pretty unusual. Most of the smaller schools/ more prestigious schools have fairly high retention rates which result in less space for transfers who come in as sophomores or juniors. Amherst is widely recognized as one of the friendliest LAC’s for transfers with a long established program and their acceptance rate last year was 7.7% compared to just over 11% for freshman applicants. Princeton boasts a whopping 0.9% transfer acceptance rate compared to their 5.5% for traditional students and Stanford is at just 1% for transfers compared to just over 4% for traditional students. Transferring to a private college is tough, getting into these colleges in general is tough. I hate to discourage students from applying because of that as we are often students who have frequently been told not to bother, that our goals are too lofty, or that our chances are too slim and that trying isn’t worth it.
If anyone applying wants to connect with a current student there is a channel here:
https://www.williams.edu/admission-aid/connect/ask-an-eph/
There are a bunch of lovely transfers (and traditional students too!) on there who will connect with you and answer questions 
Hi guys! Decisions came out today!
I was sadly waitlisted, but I guess it is a better outcome than anticipated, especially coming from a 4-year non-veteran student. Still hopeful I might get off the waitlist, but congratulations to anyone accepted!
@RainbowBritey Can you speak to my chances of conquering the waitlist? Does Williams like students to submit letters of continued interest?
Aside, I’ll take this as a personal victory-- probably would’ve been an outright rejection coming out of HS, and this may mean that I have a competitive application for some of my other top choices (I dunno, maybe not, I don’t know the size of waitlists this year-- it’s possible they extended lots of offers because of coronavirus uncertainties). I’ll continue to check in with this thread :). Congratulations to everyone who got in, and good luck to my fellow waitlisted students!
Waitlisted and it was probably my top choice 
Also waitlisted!
I was also waitlisted. -
ok wow lmao
I have a feeling this admissions cycle is going to be wacky as heck because of COVID-19. Regardless, I’m overjoyed that my first admissions decision was a waitlist and not a rejection.
Same feeling. Congratulations-- hopefully only acceptances from here.
Waitlisted. Not a rejection, so that’s good I guess. I genuinely want to wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors.