Access 20+ Transfer Essay Examples Here
Before we even get to the critique of David's essay, it's important to put his transfer into context. David is attempting to transfer into an school. Penn is not the most selective of the country's top universities, but the transfer acceptance rate is still around 6% (at Harvard and Stanford, that number is closer to 1%). David needs to approach this effort at transfer realistically — even with excellent grades and a stellar essay, his chances of success are far from guaranteed.
Transferring to Columbia University necessitates a strategic approach, and addressing the transfer essay prompts is a crucial step in the process. Craft thoughtful and well-researched responses that demonstrate your genuine interest in Columbia’s academic and extracurricular offerings. Showcase how you plan to take advantage of the opportunities available, contribute to the community, and overcome challenges. The key is to present a compelling narrative that aligns your current experiences with what Columbia has to offer, making a strong case for why you are an ideal fit for this prestigious institution. Best of luck!
Your transfer college application essay is just as important as it was the first time around. Learn how to write a winning essay with this expert advice.
Access 20+ Transfer Essay Examples Here
The strongest feature of David's essay is the focus. David is pleasingly specific in presenting his reasons for transferring. He knows exactly what he wants to study, and he has a clear understanding of what both Penn and Amherst have to offer him. David's description of his experience in Israel defines the focus of his essay, and he then connects that experience to his reasons for wanting to transfer. There are lots of bad reasons to transfer, but David's clear interest in studying anthropology and archaeology makes his motives seem both well thought-out and reasonable.
The following sample essay was written by a student named David. He wrote the transfer essay below for the Common Transfer Application in response to the prompt, "Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve" (250 to 650 words). David is attempting to transfer from to the . As far as admissions standards go, this is a lateral move—both schools are extremely selective. His letter will need to be extremely strong for his transfer application to be successful.
This is an excellent question. In general, most students write one essay for the Common App to use for all their target schools. My understanding, however, is that you are allowed to write different essays for different schools. (Please confirm that on your own by reading The Common Application instructions. I would so hate to steer you wrong.) Most admissions professional I have talked to say to just write one essay to send to all your schools because it is so much extra work, and that you can get more specific with each school’s supplemental requirements. Most supplemental essays for transfer students will ask about things like why you want to study at their school and/or to describe your major or field of choice. This is where you can talk about specific programs, course, professors, facilities, etc., about that target school. In your main Common App essay for transferring you can still talk about your field of choice, but will need to keep the details generic. I hope this helps and answers your questions. Best, Janine Robinson
Your essay should show who you are beyond your grades, transcripts, and test scores. Consider your best traits and characteristics, not your accomplishments and experiences. Colleges want to know who you are, not what you did. They want genuine stories that illustrate a positive trait or characteristic. When applying as a transfer student, they also want to know why this school is a better fit for you. What do you want to do there? The transfer essay is a variation of the “Why College X?” essay supplement. It can be challenging for freshman applicants as well as transfer students. A prompt from the new Common App transfer application reads: “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve” in 250–600 words. Most transfer essay prompts will be a variation of this question. For example:
Bonus: Two example college transfer essays with analysis
This essay prompt aims to assess your resilience, problem-solving skills, and self-awareness. Select a challenging situation that had a profound impact on your academic or personal life. Be transparent about the obstacles you faced and focus on how you overcame them.
How to write a successful college transfer essay.
Many transfer applicants are trying to move to a new college because they are running away from some kind of bad experience, sometimes something academic, sometimes something more personal. David, however, clearly likes Amherst and is running towards something—an opportunity at Penn that better matches his newly discovered professional goals. This is a big positive factor for his application.
How to write a winning college transfer essay.
And whatever you do, make sure you take accountability. Instead of saying you were pressured into attending a lower-tiered school, rephrase that loaded language a tad more sensitively. What kind of high school did you go to? Was it a large public school with few guidance resources? Why were you discouraged from applying to other schools? Who specifically discouraged you? Why and how exactly were you pressured to choose this school? Saying you were pressured to go deprives you of agency, and does not make you look good because you are blaming people and finding excuses instead of taking responsibility, which is a major red flag to admissions officers. How honestly you phrase this situation is key to your transfer success.
Great on how to write the college application essay:
The Common Transfer Application instructions state that the essay needs to be at least 250 words. The maximum length is 650 words. David's essay comes in at around 380 words. It is tight and concise. He doesn't waste time talking about his disappointments with Amherst, nor does he put much effort into explaining the things that other parts of his application will cover such as grades and extracurricular involvement. He does have a lot more space left to elaborate, but in this case the letter gets the job done well with few words.
Example of a Full College Transfer Essay
The possible questions are numerous, and they are not always easy to answer. However, engaging with them meaningfully, including having intimate conversations with the people who know you best, can yield huge dividends when writing your transfer essay. Regardless of the prompt, transfer essays want to get a sense of who you are and how you will add value to a school so just focus on ways to communicate who you are, using personal stories that will be memorable to a reader.