reasons for transferring schools essay

How to write an effective transfer application essay

After completing a semester or more at one university, you’ve decided to apply elsewhere as a transfer student. Maybe you earned an associate’s degree at a community college, and now you’re ready for more. Or maybe the university you chose for your freshman year didn’t live up to your expectations. Regardless of your motivations, you’ll probably need to write an essay for each of the schools you’re considering.

Let’s explore the elements of a strong transfer application essay!

The essay prompts.

While the wording may differ from school to school, transfer essay prompts are similar in theme. Here are some examples:

Tell us in 500 to 750 words why you wish to transfer from your current or most recent institution. Why are you interested in Yale, and how do you think that being here would be a great next step in your education?
Boston University welcomes hundreds of transfer students to campus each year. We want to learn more about you and your reasons for transferring, in particular what you hope to accomplish at Boston University. (600 words max.)
Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve [at Brandeis]. (650 words max.)

These prompts all ask you to explain why you’re transferring schools (your past and present) and what you hope to accomplish at your new school (your future).

Your Past and Present

When you write your transfer essay, be careful not to badmouth your current or previous school. Instead, try putting a positive spin on your decision by focusing on what you’ve learned about yourself and your needs as a student.

Maybe you’ve realized you want to conduct independent research, but you can’t find the right faculty mentor. Or perhaps you’ve discovered a new intellectual interest that your current school doesn’t support. Jot down any ideas that come to mind!

When you feel ready to write this section of your essay, you can keep it pretty short. Briefly share why you chose to attend your current or most recent institution, describe what you’ve realized about your educational needs and goals, and explain why you’re looking to transfer.

Your Future

We’ve covered why you’re transferring… now, it’s important to show the admissions reader why you want to transfer to their school specifically . This will make up the majority of your essay, so make sure you do your research so you can connect your academic and personal goals to the school’s unique offerings.

Start by listing out your goals for the remainder of your college experience. How do you hope to deepen your understanding of a particular topic or field? If you have concrete career goals, what skills do you need to gain in order to succeed beyond college?

Next, match each of these goals to a particular opportunity at the school. The nitty-gritty information won’t be on the college’s home page, so see if your major or department has its own website. There, you can learn more about the curriculum requirements and opportunities within your particular major or academic focus. Which opportunities will you pursue? How do these opportunities align with your educational goals? What appeals to you about the way classes are run?

You can also include one or two personal goals. How will you challenge yourself in the coming years? How do you hope to grow as a person? Visit the student center website to find a club directory. Which student organizations will you join? How will joining these organizations help you enact your values? Check out the student newspaper. How do current students engage with the surrounding community? How do their actions inspire you?

Successful Essays

The most successful transfer application essays show the admissions reader how a student will enrich their school’s community. But you don’t need to be a creative visionary or a brilliant leader to contribute. Simply by engaging with a school’s resources and community, you’ll help further your peers’ education. So, the more specific you are about your goals, the easier it will be for the admissions reader to envision you at their school!

Sample College Transfer Essay

A Sample Essay by a Student Transferring From Amherst to Penn

Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

Essay Samples & Tips
College Admissions Process
College Profiles
College Rankings
Choosing A College
Application Tips
Testing Graphs
College Financial Aid
Advanced Placement
Homework Help
Private School
College Life
Graduate School
Business School
Distance Learning
Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

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 Amherst College to the University of Pennsylvania . 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.

Key Takeaways: A Winning Transfer Essay

Have a clear academic reason for your transfer. Personal reasons are fine, but academics need to come first.
Stay positive. Don't speak badly of your current school. Emphasize what you like about your target school, not what you dislike about your current school.
Be meticulous. Grammar, punctuation, and style matter. Show that you put time and care into your writing.

David's Transfer Application Essay

During the summer after my first year of college, I spent six weeks volunteering at an archaeological excavation in Hazor, site of the largest tel (mound) in Israel. My time in Hazor was not easy—wake-up came at 4:00 a.m., and by noontime temperatures were often in the 90s. The dig was sweaty, dusty, back-breaking work. I wore out two pairs of gloves and the knees in several pairs of khakis. Nevertheless, I loved every minute of my time in Israel. I met interesting people from around the world, worked with amazing students and faculty from Hebrew University, and became fascinated with the current efforts to create a portrait of life in the Canaanite period.

Upon my return to Amherst College for my sophomore year, I soon came to realize that the school does not offer the exact major I now hope to pursue. I'm majoring in anthropology, but the program at Amherst is almost entirely contemporary and sociological in its focus. More and more my interests are becoming archaeological and historical. When I visited Penn this fall, I was impressed by the breadth of offerings in anthropology and archaeology, and I absolutely loved your Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Your broad approach to the field with emphases on understanding both the past and present has great appeal to me. By attending Penn, I hope to broaden and deepen my knowledge in anthropology, participate in more summer field work, volunteer at the museum, and eventually, go on to graduate school in archaeology.

My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic. I have made many good friends at Amherst, and I have studied with some wonderful professors. However, I do have one non-academic reason for being interested in Penn. I originally applied to Amherst because it was comfortable—I come from a small town in Wisconsin, and Amherst felt like home. I'm now looking forward to pushing myself to experience places that aren't quite so familiar. The kibbutz at Kfar HaNassi was one such environment, and the urban environment of Philadelphia would be another.

As my transcript shows, I have done well at Amherst and I am convinced I can meet the academic challenges of Penn. I know I would grow at Penn, and your program in anthropology perfectly matches my academic interests and professional goals.

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 Ivy League 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.

That said, he has many things going for him — he is coming from an equally demanding college where he has earned good grades, and he seems like the type of student who will certainly succeed at Penn. He will need strong letters of recommendation to round out his application.

Analysis of David's Transfer Essay

Now on to the essay... Let's break down the discussion of David's transfer essay into several categories.

The Reasons for Transfer

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.

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.

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.

David gets the tone perfect, something that is difficult to do in a transfer essay. Let's face it—if you are transferring it is because there is something about your current school that you don't like. It's easy to be negative and critical of your classes, your professors, your college environment, and so on. It's also easy to come across as a whiner or an ungenerous and angry person who doesn't have the inner resources to make the most of one's circumstances. David avoids these pitfalls. His representation of Amherst is extremely positive. He praises the school while noting that the curricular offerings do not match his professional goals.

The Personality

Partly because of the tone discussed above, David comes across as a pleasant person, someone who the admissions folks are likely to want to have as part of their campus community. Moreover, David presents himself as someone who likes to push himself to grow. He is honest in his reasons for going to Amherst—the school seemed like a good "fit" given his small-town upbringing. It is, therefore, impressive to see him so actively working to expand his experiences beyond his provincial roots. David has clearly grown at Amherst, and he is looking forward to growing more at Penn.

The Writing

When applying to a place like Penn, the technical aspects of the writing need to be flawless. David's prose is clear, engaging and free of errors. If you struggle on this front, be sure to check out these tips for improving your essay's style . And if grammar isn't your greatest strength, be sure to work through your essay with someone who does have strong grammar skills.

A Final Word on David's Transfer Essay

David's college transfer essay does exactly what an essay needs to do, and he includes the features of a strong transfer essay . He clearly articulates his reasons for transferring, and he does so in a positive and specific way. David presents himself as a serious student with clear academic and professional goals. We have little doubt that he has the skills and intellectual curiosity to succeed at Penn, and he has made a strong argument about why this particular transfer makes a lot of sense.

Odds are still against David's success given the competitive nature of Ivy League transfers, but he has strengthened his application with his essay.

Sample Weak Supplemental Essay for Duke University
Sample Short Answer Essay on Running
Sample College Admission Essay—The Allegany County Youth Board
Sample Application Essay - Porkopolis
Sample Supplemental Essay for College Admissions: Why This College?
Should an Application Essay Be Single-Spaced or Double-Spaced?
Tips for Writing a Winning College Transfer Essay
Sample College Admissions Essay - Student Teacher
"My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
College Application Essay - The Job I Should Have Quit
Addressing Diversity in a College Application Essay
"Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
Short Answer Response on Working at Burger King
Sample Common Application Essay for Option #5
"Gym Class Hero" - a Common Application Essay Sample for Option #3
How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

The College Transfer Essay Examples Database

Access Sample College Transfer Essays For Free Here!

If you're planning to transfer to another university, you’ll need to submit several transfer essays as part of your application. Writing a compelling transfer essay can be challenging, especially if you're not sure what admissions officers are looking for.

At Quad Education Group, we understand how important the transfer essay is to your application, and we're committed to helping you succeed. So, to help you get started, we've compiled a collection of transfer essay examples from successful students who have transferred to top schools. These sample essays are meant to show you what admissions officers are looking for in a strong transfer essay and serve as models for your own essays.

Our transfer essay examples cover a range of topics, including why the student wanted to transfer, what they hope to achieve at their new school, and how they plan to contribute to the college community.

How Does Quad Education’s Transfer Essay Example Database Work?

All you need to do is enter your email, and you’ll have access to over 20 sample college transfer essays, including examples from universities such as the University of California, New York University, Texas A&M, the University of Washington, and the University of Southern California.

In addition to offering transfer personal statement samples, we offer a range of services to help you with your transfer application, including transfer essay editing and application counseling .

Do's and Don'ts of Writing a Transfer Essay

Here are some do’s and don'ts you should follow when writing your transfer essay.

Be honest and genuine when explaining why you’re transferring
Be clear about the reasons why you’re transferring. Make sure the reasons are reasonable and thought out
Explain how your current school has helped you work towards your goals. Focus on the positives
Research your future school. Look into specific classes, clubs, and opportunities that interest you
Remember, transfer essay prompts can be different, so be sure to answer the exact question asked
Proofread your essay. Check for grammatical and spelling errors, typos, and proper paragraph structure
Don’t criticize your current school. You should avoid negative comments about the school and instead talk about why the new school is right for you
Going over the word limit. This shows you can’t follow instructions
Reuse your previous admission essay
Ramble on your essay. You should keep your essay concise and straight to the point

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.

1. What Does a Good Transfer Essay Look Like?

A good college transfer essay clearly articulates the student's reasons for transferring and how the new institution aligns with their goals. It should be well-structured, personal, and showcase the applicant's unique experiences.

2. What Not to Write In a Transfer Essay?

Avoid writing a transfer essay that focuses on negative experiences or complaints about your current institution. Instead, emphasize positive reasons for your transfer and how the new school aligns with your goals.

3. How Do You Write an Essay About Why You Want to Transfer?

To write a college transfer essay, explain your reasons for transferring and how the new institution fits your goals. Highlight your achievements and what you hope to gain.

4. How Long Should My Transfer Essay Be?

Your transfer essay should be 500-750 words, single-spaced, and closer to 1 page. It should have a conversational tone but be free of loose writing, contractions, slang, and clichés.

Wondering How We Can Help You?

Application support.

Support for every aspect of the application, including your personal statement, Common Application, college essays, interview prep, and more.

Grade 12 Admissions Consulting

Are you a senior in high school looking to boost your chances of getting into a top college? If so, our personalized admissions consulting is for you.

We would love to chat with you about your child’s college plans. Schedule a call with one of our experts today.

SAT Tutoring

Customized 1:1 SAT tutoring to help you identify and focus on your weaknesses with proven problem-solving techniques

ACT Tutoring

Customized 1:1 ACT tutoring to help you identify and focus on your weaknesses with proven problem-solving techniques

Transferweb

The College Transfer Application Essay: “Why” Transfer Example

In this post, we analyze an essay example excerpted from College Admission Essays for Dummies by Geraldine Woods to complement the example for the University of Pennsylvania that we’ve previously critiqued. The essay we’ll analyze here leaves a lot of room for improvement, though it has many positive aspects. We’ll tell you what you can do to write a much better essay and give you advice on how to approach writing a winning piece. If you want other examples, our book provides examples of successful transfer essays for Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Common Application.

The essay here includes reasons for transferring to a specific four-year school, Northern State. Many colleges and universities now use the Common Application for transfer applications, requiring transfer applicants to write a Common Application essay describing the reasons for transferring and to also write several school-specific supplement essays. The prompt for this essay wasn’t included, but it was probably for a school-specific essay. We’ll critique the essay as is and explain parts that might fit into the Common Application essay or a school-specific essay. We’ll analyze the essay one paragraph at a time.

Paragraph 1: No, I am not homesick. I have friends. The work is not overwhelming. Nor has it interfered with my involvement in extracurricular activities. My first semester has been a time of transition as it is for most college freshmen. Making decisions regarding course selection, seeking advice from advisors, and utilizing time efficiently have all been part of the process, accomplished at a distance from the familiar support structures and cues of both home and high school. As a result, I have developed a greater sense of myself and my abilities, both academic and social. The experience has been satisfying. However, with all due introspection and now retrospection, I feel a change is necessary. çevrimsiz bonus

This opening is fairly weak because it is very general. I learned very little about this applicant from this paragraph, which could be entirely omitted to reduce the number of unnecessary words. Admission officers have many applications to read; there’s no need to burden them with excessive words. Some of the best Common Application transfer essays I’ve read started with a brief “a slice of life” anecdote, a short narrative that captures an episode in one’s life. If you decide to feature an anecdote in your introduction, create a vivid image (or movie) of a piece of your life in the reader’s mind. You would then have a hook. Other than including a short transition, avoid dragging this story into the next paragraph. Don’t make this episode the sole content of your essay. For school-specific essays, which often have a tight word limit, writing an anecdote might not be the best use of the limited space. Instead, consider writing one or two introductory sentences and then diving right into your specific reasons for wanting to transfer.

Paragraph 2: Sociologist Lev Vygotsky believed that peers play a major role in an individual’s development and learning. The students and friends with whom I grew up were extraordinarily bright, competitive, and creative. In high school, discussions and opinions on almost any subject were spontaneous and interesting. At Central State, the small class size and the seminar formats have presented a great setting in which to learn. The highly motivated professors, who encourage participation, have been the highlight of my experience thus far. However, the level of student interaction has not been gratifying. Conversations concerning classroom topics and related materials have been limited. I have not been sufficiently challenged or stimulated by my peers.

This paragraph has an interesting topic sentence. Also, the applicant writes positively about her current school, citing, for example, its small class size and the seminar formats. Avoid sounding overly negative about your current school because you don’t want to badmouth any school. Despite its positive aspects, this paragraph lacks concrete details. Why is it that “the level of student interaction has not been gratifying”? What did the writer mean in stating, “Conversations concerning classroom topics and related materials have been limited”? Adhering to the word limit, make sure to reserve space for specific details that will help the reader understand exactly why you want to transfer.

Your Common Application transfer essay should include this type of information, especially if you’re not writing for a particular school. That is, if you’re writing a non-school-specific Common Application main essay, much of your essay will discuss why your current school isn’t your best fit. On the other hand, your school-specific “why” transfer essay must focus on the aspects of that particular school that align with your needs or the type of college experience that you seek.

Paragraph 3: During my first semester, I have come to realize the influence a community has on my learning and growth. At Central State, the campus is active from around eleven in the morning until three in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. One Saturday in October, while walking to the dining hall, I realized that I was one of five people on campus. With the majority of undergraduates living in on-campus dorms, the campus of Northern State fosters a unique intimacy. The campus is lively throughout the day. Such activity creates a comfortable environment that promotes interaction and the formation of strong bonds between members of the community. Having experienced a year of college and dorm life, I am more aware of what is best for me. As a transfer student, I would appreciate this style of living even more.

The type of information in this paragraph is well-suited for a school-specific transfer essay. The writer has now moved from focusing on classes to discussing campus life. The statement, “One Saturday in October, while walking to the dining hall, I realized that I was one of five people on campus” provides clear imagery of a negative aspect of the applicant’s current school in terms of the applicant’s needs or desires. Brief examples should be included to show how Northern State “fosters a unique intimacy” and how it is “lively throughout the day.” To conclude this paragraph, the applicant writes, “As a transfer student, I would appreciate this style of living even more.” I wonder what she plans to do to take advantage of this style of living so that she can be more appreciative of it.

Paragraph 4: Based on conversations with current students, it is my understanding that members of the Northern State community make it a unique place to live and learn. Many renowned professors choose to teach at the undergraduate level. Having the chance to interact with an instructor such as Avery Marks, whose passion and mastery of botany are unrivaled, would be quite an experience. The most defining aspect of Northern State’s faculty, however, is the manner in which they approach their role in influencing a student’s life. Professors, instructors, and advisors guide the student so that he/she can make independent decisions.

By the end of the paragraph, we still don’t know how “members of the Northern State community make it a unique place to live and learn,” but as you’ll see, she gives a clear example in the next paragraph. Here, the applicant includes interesting, specific examples to show that she knows about the school and has compelling reasons to want to transfer there. Mentioning a specific professor that you’re interested in would show that you’ve researched the school. If you plan to major in biology and you’re especially interested in plants, highlighting a professor who specializes in botany, as in this paragraph, would be appropriate, but avoid empty name-dropping. Your interest in, say biology or botany, should also be apparent in other parts of your application. The last sentence regarding student guidance does not seem to be substantiated anywhere in the paragraph or essay.

Paragraph 5: Furthermore, the structure and aspects of Northern State’s residential colleges foster the formation of relationships. For the remainder of my undergraduate years I want to return “home” to a very close group of friends for nightly dinners and conversations concerning daily activities. The strong bonds that are formed within a diverse group of people who make up these individual communities create an optimal atmosphere in which to grow, socially and intellectually.

This paragraph, which emphasizes a unique aspect of Northern State, provides an example of information to include in a school-specific transfer essay.

Concluding paragraph: All aspects of Northern State seem to enhance learning. Guidance from faculty members and challenges from peers within Northern’s close-knit community create a setting in which I can pursue current interests and discover new one while simultaneously discovering my future direction. This is the purpose of the undergraduate experience.

The best part of this conclusion is its brevity. I’m not sure what “this” refers to in the last sentence; many writing guides suggest that you place a noun after “this” to avoid ambiguity. Though every essay does not need to end with a “bang,” conclusions should be at least interesting. One strategy for writing a good conclusion is to tie it to the introduction, a strategy that could not be used in this essay due to its weak, general introduction.

Concluding words: Each transfer application is unique, and therefore, we cannot provide an exhaustive list of details and information that should be included. Use this analysis as a guideline for writing your Common Application essay(s)–whether you’re making it school-specific or not–and school-specific essays and try to critique your own essays in the manner we’ve done here.

(Photo: xelcise )

6 responses to “The College Transfer Application Essay: “Why” Transfer Example”

[…] (Update: We’ve added another “why” transfer example essay with a detailed critique here.) […]

If I’m only applying to one school, would it be okay to make my common app essay school specific?

Yes. We’ve seen both writing non-school specific and school specific essays work for admission to the most highly selective schools. Just look at the whole application overall and ask yourself if it would portray the story you want to tell the school. If it does, just follow the directions, if not, tweak and add in what you need to (like school specific details in the common app essay) till the application conveys the story you want to tell the school.

Good luck! Chris

[…] (Update: We’ve added another “why” transfer essay example with a detailed critique here.) […]

If I’m applying for USC, NYU, UMichigan, UPenn, PACE, and Manhattan. I’m not sure whether the common app essay should be specific or not. Because the above schools have different geography, so I don’t know if I should do very specific or general that every schools can accept it. In addition, the common app essay should also be focusing on my current school?

Should you write a Common App “Personal Essay” customized for each school? It depends on the school. Many colleges and universities require a writing supplement where you can specifically discuss the school in question. For example, USC’s current transfer application has two required writing supplements, one of which is the following: “Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (250 word limit).” Therefore, for USC, you can use that supplement to discuss “why USC”, and you don’t need to customize the “Personal Essay”.