Thinking of transferring colleges? Perhaps the initial admissions cycle didn’t produce the results you were hoping for, and you’d like to take a shot at getting into an even better school. Perhaps you have a personal reason for wanting a fresh campus to sink your teeth into. Or maybe you simply heard that transfer students often fare better than first-year applicants when it comes to highly selective colleges.

No matter where you’re coming to this blog from, you’ve come to the right place to dissect and unpack everything there is to know about assembling a transfer application to an elite college. Feel free to peruse the blogs linked below to build an arsenal of strategic information to help you through your transfer process.

Ivy Coach’s Writing and Resources for College Transfer Applicants

• Let’s start with the tidbit you’re probably most interested in. Is it true that some colleges have higher transfer acceptance rates than first-year acceptance rates? You bet! As we unpack in this blog on the subject, many of the top colleges in the country actually admit a higher percentage of their  transfer applicants than they do first-years! From Ivies (like Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Brown) to UChicago, Northwestern, and UCLA, you may be surprised to learn that you might stand a better shot of earning admission as a sophomore to these highly selective schools.
• And why are transfer applicants so prized by admissions officers? Because they help round out the student body’s diversity. America’s elite colleges seek to admit students with diverse profiles, not the standard cookie-cutter high schooler. Transfers tend to take a unique path towards their degrees. They could be the non-traditional student with several years of work experience, or a veteran of America’s military. The applicant may be a first-generation college student from a low-income family. These students all boost the diversity of the student body.
• Another aspect of the transfer admissions boost? Transfer applicants are data ghosts, meaning they don’t adversely affect any given college’s standing on rankings that take into account student academic performance. Hence, the potential for colleges to kill two birds with one stone: admit interesting and unorthodox applicants (particularly those who have served the country in uniform) without compromising their academic profile.
• So how does one actually go about the transfer admissions process with an eye to strategy? We unpack every single step you should take (and when — think: as soon as possible!) in this post on how to transfer. From touring your prospective school to preparing anecdotes for recommenders, there are lots of steps many families and students forget to take while striving for a transfer. After all, it’s not all that different from the first-year admissions process. It’s just on a slightly different timeline.
• Looking to transfer after your first semester of college? You’re in luck: we also have a blog on that very subject. And for those among us who are community college students and dare to seek Ivy League admission? We have a community college transfer blog for you, too! You get a blog, you get a blog, everyone gets a blog!
• Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers is well-versed in the art of assembling a highly competitive transfer application. By harnessing the admissions magic of the singular hook, we set up our students (including veterans who receive pro bono admissions counseling) with the best shot at earning admission. And no, we don’t believe in framing transfer applicants as well-rounded.
• If transferring is on your horizon, act quickly before fast-approaching deadlines come to pass!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Transfers to Top Universities

If you seek assistance transferring to a top university, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you with an outline of our services. If you’re a veteran of America’s military, note that Ivy Coach’s transfer admissions services are pro bono — a perk reserved for veterans. We look forward to hearing from you!