Is it easier to transfer than to be admitted as freshmen?

hellojan
Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:11:40 +0000

Yes and no.

Common wisdom has it that your high school grades/ecs/SATs will matter less as you progress through college coursework. If you do stellar work in college and have concrete evidence of it, well, you’re going to have an easier time getting into those schools that have your attention.

On the other hand, transfer admissions can be more competitive than their freshman counterpart. Adcoms are dealing with A LOT of applicants for even fewer spaces. Also, it’s a bit of balancing act. In addition to the “Why College X?” essay, you need to answer the dreaded “Why are you leaving your present college?” essay.

For many schools the acceptance rate of transfers is actually lower than the freshman rates. That being said, transferring is the perfect option for people who may not have been ready to attend a higher caliber institution right after high school.