College undergraduates decide to transfer to another university for a myriad of reasons. Some students seek a more prestigious university or a university with a higher-ranked program in their chosen field of study. Some students struggled in high school then became serious students in college and seek a university that reflects their newfound academic intensity. Other students seek a change in school size or culture that better fits their temperament. Whether it be for academic or for personal reasons, there are many valid reasons for wanting to transfer to another university.
Whether it be for academic or for personal reasons, there are many valid reasons for wanting to transfer to another university. But the difficulty lies in getting accepted as a transfer student, as top universities have far fewer seats for transfer students than they do for incoming freshman, making the competition that much more fierce. The transfer acceptance rate at most top universities is under 10%, with many universities having an acceptance rate for transfer students under 5%.
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Reasons for Transferring
Universities want transfer applicants to have a compelling reason for wanting to transfer. The compelling reason must be academic in nature and cannot be simply a personal reason such as being homesick.
At Bentham Admissions, your consultant will work one-on-one with you to craft and communicate a compelling academic reason for wanting to transfer. Whether it be a change of major or seeking a stronger program within one’s current major, the reason for transferring must be convincing and sound.
College Grades and Coursework
A transfer applicant’s college grades and coursework difficulty are the most important factors taken into consideration during the transfer application process. At Bentham Admissions, our consultants work with applicants to select the right college courses to maximize their transfer chances. Our consultants also work with students on explaining away academic anomalies such as a low grade or a dropped course – there are reasons that admissions committees like and reasons that are not as acceptable in their view.
Lastly, our college admissions consultants work with applicants on the most important step of relating the coursework taken at one’s current university to the course of study the applicant wants to pursue after transferring, a connection that must make sense to the admissions committee and that must be presented as a seamless transition.
Professor Recommendation Letters
Transfer applicants face hurdles when requesting letters of recommendation from professors, which are weighed heavily in the transfer application process. Because students often enroll in large lecture classes where the professor does not even know one’s name even if one aced the course, obtaining a strong letter of recommendation can be daunting.
Our consultants coach students on what goes into a strong recommendation letter for transfer applicants. Our consultants also coach students on how to obtain strong recommendation letters even when interacting with a professor is limited due to classroom size.
College Extra-curricular Activities
Admissions committees value academically-related extra-curricular activities from transfer applicants. Unlike with freshman applicants, where exploring and being well-rounded and having many deep interests can be an asset, admissions committees expect transfer applicants to know exactly what they want to study and to have pursued their academic passions with a singular focus.
At Bentham Admissions, our consultants coach applicants on lining up research opportunities with college professors to maximize their intellectual vitality rating when applying as transfer applicants. Our admission consultants also work with applicants to present themselves as being specialists who are the best at one area in the application itself – important because elite universities are looking to build a well-rounded class composed of specialists and are not looking for well-rounded students.
Articulating Fit
Transfer applicants face a higher burden of proof relative to freshman applicants when it comes to convincing the admissions committee that they belong and would fit in at their transfer institution. Because transfer applicants have already experienced college, admissions committees expect them to have a clear understanding of what they are looking for in an academic institution, both academically and personally. Admissions committees want to know why their institution is the only institution a transfer applicant could see themselves thriving at.
For instance, when applying to the University of Pennsylvania, the admissions committee looks for transfer applicants who seek a more interdisciplinary approach to education as Penn students are encouraged to take interdisciplinary courses outside their school or college.
At Bentham Admissions, our consultants work with transfer applicants to show schools that they are a fit with the mission and values of the school.