It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
Expert Resources
Easiest Schools to Transfer Into Based on Admission Rates
So you’ve been deferred or waitlisted from a school you had your heart set on. There’s still something you can do: write a Letter of Continued Interest. Below, you’ll find a complete and essential guide to letters of continued interest (LOCI) to answer your questions about what to include and what not to include in your letters, including examples of letters to inspire your own.
Choosing to transfer colleges is an exciting and consequential step in your academic journey. If you feel confident that transferring is the right choice for you, the most important step is deciding where you want to go next.
As you evaluate your options, one of the most critical steps is putting together a list of schools you want to apply to as a transfer—your College List 2.0. Just as when you created your initial college list, you should conduct in-depth research on each of the schools you are considering, seeking to answer questions such as: does this school offer my intended major? Does it offer extracurricular and research opportunities I would like to take advantage of during my time in college? Does it align with the level of academic rigor I am seeking? Can I see myself fitting into the campus community?
Most importantly, you should ask yourself: Will this institution offer opportunities, experiences, or resources that are unavailable at my current school?
Transfer Requirements
The transfer admissions process is notoriously opaque—unlike freshman admissions, transfer admissions availability can vary significantly from year to year. Additionally, application requirements are far from standardized, so it is all the more important for students to research and keep track of each school’s transfer requirements. Some schools may have minimum GPA, SAT, or ACT score requirements or ask students to submit letters of recommendation from instructors at their current schools. Some schools only allow students to apply to transfer for a particular year or semester of college. For example, the University of Pennsylvania only allows transfer students to enroll during the fall semester. This is common among highly competitive schools, including Ivy League and other top-ranked colleges and universities.
Other schools, however, have more flexible transfer requirements. For example, Boston University does not require students to submit recommendations from professors at their current schools, and the University of Virginia does not require transfer students to submit standardized test scores.
Before compiling their lists, students should ensure that they have met the criteria for transferring and that they understand the requirements at the schools they are interested in applying to.
Schools with Favorable Transfer Admission Rates
In addition to ease of transfer, you should consider the difference between each school’s freshman admission rate and transfer admission rate. Transfer admission rates at many top schools are double or triple their freshman admission rates. This means that, depending on the program you are applying to and the availability in that admissions cycle, you might have stronger chances of admission as a transfer applicant than as a high school applicant.
Below is a list of schools that have a higher transfer acceptance rate than their freshman acceptance rate to help you kickstart your transfer list. Schools are ranked by the factor difference between their transfer acceptance rate and their freshman acceptance rate. All admissions rates are taken from the Fall 2023 admissions cycle.
Rank
School
Freshman Accept %
Transfer Accept %
Factor Increase (Number)
1
Northeastern
5.6%
24.3%
4.30x
2
BU
10.8%
39.7%
3.66x
3
Tulane
14.6%
50.6%
3.47x
4
UCLA
8.7%
26.3%
3.01x
5
Vanderbilt
6.3%
18.9%
3.01x
6
Barnard
8.0%
20.7%
2.59x
7
Columbia
4.0%
10.1%
2.53x
8
USC
10.0%
24.4%
2.44x
9
UNC
18.7%
45.1%
2.40x
10
UC Berkeley
11.7%
26.8%
2.28x
11
Notre Dame
12.4%
27.6%
2.23x
12
UVA
16.9%
32.9%
1.95x
13
UMichigan
17.9%
34.5%
1.92x
14
Northwestern
7.2%
12.7%
1.76x
15
Georgia Tech
16.5%
27.8%
1.69x
16
UChicago
4.8%
7.9%
1.65x
17
Cornell
7.9%
12.7%
1.60x
18
Emory
10.7%
16.8%
1.58x
19
Swarthmore
6.9%
9.2%
1.32x
20
CalTech
3.1%
4.0%
1.28x
Top 10 Schools
Want to know more about the schools on this list? We have compiled the most important information you should take into consideration if you intend to transfer into some one of the top ten schools by factor increase.
As a reminder, be sure to check each school’s specific transfer requirements and deadlines early on in your research process!
1. Transferring to Northeastern University
Northeastern Transfer Admission Rate: 24.3% / Northeastern Freshman Admission Rate: 5.6%
Northeastern’s world-class academics and stellar school spirit are bound to welcome you warmly come fall. Northeastern requires applicants to complete either 12 college-level semester hours after high school graduation “or have attempted at least one semester of full-time coursework and maintained enrollment through the add/drop period” in order to apply as a transfer student. Additionally, the university is test-optional, allowing students the choice regarding whether or not to submit their ACT or SAT scores.
2. Transferring to Boston University
Boston Transfer Admission Rate: 39.7% / Boston Freshman Admission Rate: 10.8%
Boston University offers a transfer admissions rate of 39.7%—a whopping 3.66x increase over their freshman admission rate of 10.8%. Students seeking transfer admission to Boston University may apply for September or January admission, and like Northeastern, BU is test-optional. Only 840 of 6,107 transfer applicants were admitted in the fall of 2023, so you should strive to make sure that your performance at your current institution stacks up to the talented and competitive transfer applicant pool for this Boston institution.
3. Transferring to Tulane University
Tulane Transfer Admission Rate: 50.6% / Tulane Freshman Admission Rate: 14.6%
Tulane University offers a transfer admissions rate of over 50%—a whopping 3.47x increase over their freshman admission rate of 14.6%. Like Northeastern and BU, Tulane is test-optional and accepts both fall and spring transfers. The institution seeks to admit applicants who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or who have completed “higher with coursework in English Composition or College Writing, higher level Mathematics (such as Calculus or Statistics),” so despite the high transfer acceptance rate, be sure that you have a competitive applicant profile before you click “submit.”
4. Transferring to UCLA
UCLA Transfer Admission Rate: 26.3% /UCLA Freshman Admission Rate: 8.7%
UCLA offers a 26.3% transfer admission rate and is a fantastic option for transfer students. As a state institution, the UC system prioritizes transfers from California community colleges, so these students reap the majority of the higher admission rate benefits. The UC system then prioritizes transfers from other UC campuses, making it a particularly good option for students seeking to transfer out of other UC schools. The median transfer GPA, 3.90 for the fall of 2024, and more information about transferring to UCLA can be found here!
5. Transferring to Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt Transfer Admission Rate: 18.9% / Vanderbilt Freshman Admission Rate: 6.3%
Vanderbilt’s transfer admissions rate is triple its freshman admissions rate, making it a stellar choice from students considering transferring. Students seeking transfer admission to Vanderbilt must apply in the spring for fall admission. Vanderbilt reports that approximately 350 transfer students join their school each fall! While the priority application deadline is typically in March, Vanderbilt reviews transfer applications on a rolling basis throughout the spring and typically stops accepting new applications by May 1st.
6. Transferring to Barnard College
Barnard Transfer Admission Rate: 20.7% / Barnard Freshman Admission Rate: 8.0%
Barnard College’s transfer admission rate is more than double its freshman admission rate. Barnard allows students to apply to transfer in both the fall and spring, allowing students more flexibility when choosing which semester they want to apply. The all-female college gives transfer students the exciting opportunity to study in New York City and take Ivy League courses at Columbia University!
7. Transferring to Columbia University
Columbia Transfer Admission Rate: 10.1% /Columbia Freshman Admission Rate: 4.0%
Though Columbia’s transfer admission rate is just over 10%, this is significantly higher than a 4.0% freshmen admission rate. Note that the school only accepts fall transfer applicants, and requires that students have completed 24 points of credit to be eligible for enrollment as a transfer student, and have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall.
8. Transferring to Southern California (USC)
USC Transfer Admission Rate: 24.4% /USC Freshman Admission Rate: 10.0%
With a transfer admissions rate more than double its freshman admissions rate, USC is a great school for students looking to pursue their studies in sunny southern California. USC accepts both sophomores and junior transfer students, but the school notes “if your academic record in high school fell short of USC expectations, you may be able to position yourself as a stronger candidate if you complete two years of solid undergraduate coursework at another institution before applying to transfer.“ Students applying to an arts program, in the schools of dance, cinematic, dramatic or music should start preparing their arts portfolios well in advance of their December 1 deadline!*
9. Transferring to North Carolina (UNC)
UNC Transfer Admission Rate: 45.1% /UNC Freshman Admission Rate: 18.7%
Ranked as one of the top universities in the United States and offering a 45.1% transfer admission rate, UNC is a fantastic option for transfer students, especially those seeking to study at a large state school. If that sounds like you, you should devote time to researching and understanding the school’s transfer requirements, and making a plan to fulfill your requirements in time for the deadline. For example, North Carolina residents will need to verify their residency with Residency Determination Services.
10. Transferring to UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley Transfer Admission Rate: 26.8% / UC Berkeley Freshman Admission Rate: 11.7%
Another top-ranked public university, UC Berkeley’s transfer admission rate is more than twice its freshman admission rate. Berkeley offers a plethora of resources for transfer applicants, including the Transfer Admissions Planner, designed for California community college students to plan their coursework when they transfer. Transfer requirements vary by college and major at Berkeley, so it’s imperative that you research the program you want to apply to in-depth as you prepare your materials!
Schools with Low Transfer Admission Rates
On the other hand, many top universities actually have lower transfer acceptance rates than freshman acceptance rates. This chart shows just a few of the schools that fall in this category. For example, Dartmouth and Harvard only accepted 12 and 15 students respectively in the fall of 2023. You might notice that most of these schools have low freshmen acceptance rates to begin with. Considering these stats, be mindful of balancing your list when applying as a transfer!
Rank
School
Freshman Accept %
Transfer Accept %
Factor Decrease (Number)
1
Middlebury
10.4%
5.9%
0.57x
2
Rice
7.9%
4.5%
0.57x
3
Stanford
3.9%
2.0%
0.52x
4
Carnegie Mellon
11.4%
5.8%
0.51x
5
MIT
4.8%
1.9%
0.39x
6
Harvey Mudd
13.1%
5.1%
0.39x
7
Williams
10.0%
3.2%
0.32x
8
Yale
4.5%
1.2%
0.27x
9
Dartmouth
6.2%
1.6%
0.25x
10
Harvard
3.5%
0.8%
0.23x
Advice for Prospective Transfer Students
A good transfer application makes a case for why a student needs to transfer out of their current school and into a new one. Strong reasons for transferring often include the lack of the desired program at a student’s current school or the desire to challenge more rigorous coursework. As such, it is much more difficult to make a compelling case why a student should transfer to a school with offerings similar to those available at their current school.
Wherever you decide to apply to, be sure to put your best foot forward at your current school until the very end, while also planning your course selection wisely. Regardless of the ease of your dream school’s transfer process, college transcripts will always carry considerable weight in the transfer application, so finish strong!
2022 - 2023 Transfer Admissions Rates
Rank
School
Freshman Accept %
Transfer Accept %
Factor Increase (Number)
Percentage Increase (%)
1
Northeastern
6.80%
30.32%
4.46
345.72%
2
Tulane
11.45%
49.84%
4.35
335.18%
3
Columbia
3.74%
11.34%
3.03
203.51%
4
UCLA
8.57%
24.42%
2.85
184.88%
5
Barnard
8.79%
24.88%
2.83
182.89%
6
Vanderbilt
6.67%
16.63%
2.49
149.29%
7
UC Berkeley
11.40%
24.32%
2.13
113.42%
8
Georgia Tech
17.13%
36.16%
2.11
111.02%
9
Notre Dame
12.91%
26.70%
2.07
106.90%
10
UMichigan
17.69%
36.61%
2.07
106.88%
11
BU
14.37%
29.01%
2.02
101.94%
12
USC
12.02%
23.53%
1.96
95.67%
13
Cornell
7.26%
13.85%
1.91
90.74%
14
UVA
18.66%
34.95%
1.87
87.31%
15
Northwestern
7.21%
12.96%
1.80
79.79%
16
Emory
11.35%
19.11%
1.68
68.31%
17
Wash U St. Louis
11.33%
17.45%
1.54
53.96%
18
Wellesley
13.57%
17.84%
1.32
31.51%
19
Dartmouth
6.38%
7.35%
1.15
15.12%
20
Brown
5.06%
5.36%
1.06
5.96%
2021 - 2022 Transfer Admissions Rates
Rank
School
Freshman Accept %
Transfer Accept %
Factor Decrease (Number)
Percentage Decrease (%)
1
Emory
13.1
33.7
2.57
157.25%
2
Vanderbilt
7.1
17.6
2.48
147.89%
3
UNC
19.2
46.9
2.44
144.27%
4
Georgia Tech
18.3
40.7
2.22
122.40%
5
UMichigan
20.2
41.5
2.05
105.45%
6
BU
18.6
36.6
1.97
96.77%
7
Barnard
11.5
22.1
1.92
92.17%
8
Tulane
9.6
18
1.88
87.50%
9
UCLA
10.8
19.6
1.81
81.48%
10
Cornell
8.7
15.7
1.80
80.46%
11
UVA
20.7
35.9
1.73
73.43%
12
Notre Dame
15.1
25.7
1.70
70.20%
13
UCSB
29.2
48.8
1.67
67.12%
14
UCSD
34.3
54.8
1.60
59.77%
15
Dartmouth
6.2
9.9
1.60
59.68%
16
UMiami
28.5
44.2
1.55
55.09%
17
William and Mary
36.5
52.7
1.44
44.38%
18
UC Irvine
28.9
37.7
1.30
30.45%
19
UC Berkeley
14.5
19.7
1.36
35.86%
20
Pomona
6.6
8.4
1.27
27.27%
21
Northeastern
18.4
20.4
1.11
11.00%
2020 - 2021 Transfer Admissions Rates
Rank
School
Freshman Accept %
Transfer Accept %
Factor Decrease (Number)
Percentage Decrease (%)
1
Emory
19.2
32.6
1.70
69.79%
2
Vanderbilt
11.6
36.8
3.17
217.24%
3
UNC
23.5
44.6
1.90
89.79%
4
Georgia Tech
21.3
38.3
1.80
79.81%
5
UMichigan
26.1
45.8
1.75
75.48%
6
BU
20.1
53.7
2.67
167.16%
7
Barnard
13.6
27.6
2.03
102.94%
8
Tulane
11.1
25.8
2.32
132.43%
9
UCLA
14.3
24.5
1.71
71.33%
10
Cornell
10.7
18.4
1.72
71.96%
11
UVA
22.6
40.4
1.79
78.76%
12
Notre Dame
19
43.5
2.29
128.95%
13
x
x
x
x
14
UCSD
38.3
55.9
1.46
45.95%
15
Dartmouth
9.2
28.6
3.11
210.87%
16
UMiami
33.1
52
1.57
57.10%
17
William and Mary
42.2
60.1
1.42
42.42%
18
UC Irvine
29.9
40.5
1.35
35.45%
19
UC Berkeley
17.5
20.6
1.18
17.71%
20
Pomona
8.6
9.8
1.14
13.95%
21
Northeastern
20.5
48.4
1.11
11.00%
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it hard to get accepted as a transfer student?
Letters of continued interest have no due date, but you should plan to compose and send them promptly after receiving the notice of your waitlisted status. The earlier, the better!
What makes a good transfer applicant?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
Can you get denied as a transfer student?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
Is a 3.7 GPA good for transfer?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
How hard is it to transfer into an Ivy League school?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
When do college transfer decisions come out?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
What is the easiest college to transfer into?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
What is the hardest college to transfer into?
It’s important to be gracious, even though you did not receive the acceptance letter you hoped for. Take the time in your letter to show gratitude and deference, thanking the committee for taking the time to evaluate your candidacy and thoughtfully consider your application materials.
How competitive is the transfer admissions process?