Q&A with Lauren: How Command Education Helps Students Transfer into Their Dream School

A: Transferring is a big decision that requires long-term thinking and self-reflection—it shouldn’t be an impulsive response to a tough semester or a means of pursuing a name-brand college for your resume. I always encourage students to start by putting their best effort toward thriving at their current institution, and understanding that the college experience at any school is what you make of it; there will be friendships and opportunities available to you anywhere if you put your mind to it.

However, if a student has done everything they can to make the most of their current situation and still finds themselves struggling, transferring might be the best option for them. There are two primary reasons that I encourage students to pursue a transfer: first, if they are interested in a niche subject or a particular major that simply does not exist at their current school. Some students discover more about their interests during their first year of college and realize that they do not have the opportunity to pursue their real passion at their college, in which case it is necessary to seek another institution. Second, if a student finds their current college environment to be unconducive to their health, happiness or success, they should transfer to another campus where they would thrive.

A: I advise students that the ideal time to transfer is after freshman year. Typically, colleges require students to complete one year of coursework at their current institution before transferring (but students should research the policies at each of the schools to which they are applying). Students who find themselves unfulfilled at their current institution should begin reflecting on their experience and goals and considering the possibility of transferring after the fall semester of their freshman year. Transferring early will give you more time at your transfer institution and minimize issues that may arise with credit transfer.

Particularly if you are pursuing a different major or transferring into a school that has a unique core curriculum like Columbia or Dartmouth, going too far down the academic path at your current institution could delay your graduation date (I’ve worked with students who transferred into these schools and had to extend their studies into a fifth year). Beyond the curricular motivations to transfer early, doing so will also allow you more time to get plugged into your new campus, make friends, and dive into the resources you didn’t have previously.

A: Transfer admissions are strikingly different from undergraduate admissions for a few key reasons. First and foremost, transfer admissions are far more opaque than freshman admissions. If you’re applying as a freshman, you know approximately how many seats a school has available for the incoming class, but transfer admissions are a moving target—the number of seats will vary based on the number of students who leave the institution, and those numbers could vary significantly from program to program and from year to year. Additionally, unlike freshman admissions, transfer acceptances are announced on a rolling basis, meaning that a student could hear back from a school over a period of a few months, rather than on one set date. Cornell, for example, releases decisions in batches every week from the end of April until June. This means that the process is less predictable.

At the same time, there are some positive differences between freshman and transfer admissions. The good news is that schools are far more keenly focused on who you have been in college—if you struggled academically or in extracurriculars during your high school career but turned things around as a college freshman, you will likely fare better in the transfer process than you did in regular admissions. Further, colleges typically ask for less writing on transfer applications, though the specific requirements vary depending on the school.

Finally, not only are the logistics of the transfer admissions processes different from those of undergraduate admissions, but students should approach the process differently as well. While a balanced college list for freshman admissions will include roughly twelve to fifteen schools, with a mixture of safety, match, and reach options, the transfer college list will be more limited and targeted. Strictly speaking, safety schools are not included in your transfer list, as your current institution should be considered your “safety” option (unless you absolutely can not stay at your current institution, in which case your safety schools should be your default options).

A: The single most important element of any transfer application is a clearly articulated “why.” Admissions officers need to see that transferring isn’t the result of a rash decision or a problem that could be solved with some effort on the student’s part—it should be clear that a student’s application exhausted their other options and this is the only way for them to succeed and reach their goals.

I encourage transfer students to be very critical with themselves—think of common responses that people might offer in response to the problems you cite. If you say you’re transferring because your current school lacks a certain club or opportunity, they will likely want to know why you didn’t try to create it yourself or seek alternatives. You don’t want admissions officers to read your application and think, “well why didn’t they try this program/club/opportunity?” Your application should show that you aren’t just trying to escape your current situation, but rather, that you want to pursue something positive and distinct in your college experience.

Finally, a successful transfer application will not only illustrate that a student has a compelling reason to transfer, but also that they have a compelling reason to transfer to that particular institution. While freshman applications should also be tailored to the particular school to which you are applying, this is all the more critical for transfer applications. Applicants should be incredibly specific in their writing about the opportunities the school offers related to their academic and professional goals, how their program differs from others to which the student could apply, what core characteristics of the school align with their values and intentions, and what the school offers that is distinct from their current institution.

A: The short answer is not necessarily. While the pool of transfer applicants is smaller, the number of available spots is even smaller and varies from year to year, so it can be difficult to know what you’re up against. For instance, one year there may be ten spots open for English majors; the next there may only be five. The challenge with transfer admissions is that students are trying to fit into a well-rounded class that has already been constructed.

That being said, some programs do indeed have higher transfer admissions rates—but even these can be somewhat deceiving. For instance, on first blush, UCLA and UC Berkeley might seem to have high transfer admissions rates, but it is important to note that the UC schools prioritize students from California community colleges in their transfer admissions process; if you do not fall into that category, it might be more difficult to get in than the numbers suggest. In that sense, a school’s priorities with regards to transfer admissions can differ significantly from freshman admissions—Princeton is a prime example. They have a strikingly low transfer admissions rate and prioritize low-income and non-traditional applicants. I generally advise students not to apply as a transfer because of these clear priorities.

By the time students come to us for transfer help, they’re often more mature, self-aware, and driven. They also tend to be more focused; with a year of college under their belt, they know what their goals are and they have a sense of how to go about achieving them. This means that mentors have a unique opportunity to coach students toward a more rigorous and refined application narrative and to help them lay the foundation for their future.

We start by helping students to articulate their “why.” We work with them to think critically and introspectively about their experience at their current school, framing it in a mature and positive way on their transfer applications and using it as a springboard for determining what they want in their next institution.

Beyond this, our mentors bring a wealth of insider expertise to the transfer process. Even publicly available information about transferring can be confusing and misleading, and every school has different deadlines, credit transfer policies, recommendation letter protocols, and curricula. Further, it can be incredibly challenging for students to juggle the requirements of transfer applications with maintaining their academic record (which is critical for transfer admissions). It is therefore essential to have a guide in the process who knows what to look for, which schools will maximize a student’s odds, how to best frame their candidacy, and what to keep track of as they compile their materials. We provide students with everything they need to stay organized, build an optimal transfer college list, and develop a strategy for asking for letters of recommendations and writing their transfer essay. Working with a Command Education Senior Mentor makes this daunting and overwhelming process more manageable, beneficial—and even enjoyable.