<p>How difficult is it to transfer to Yale from a highly ranked LAC? What would help in the admissions process?</p>
<ul>
<li>Total number of transfer students who applied: 681
<ul>
<li>Total number of transfer students who were admitted: 30</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>Those numbers off of collegeboard.com ought to tell you enough.</p>
<p>Yale has had the lowest transfer acceptance rate in the country year after year.</p>
<p>The reason is that, unlike at other schools, very few, if any, people choose to leave Yale.</p>
<p>Dear Ladylazarus,
I saw that you are a first year student at Smith and thinking about transferring to Yale and several other Ivy league schools.</p>
<p>Instead of putting your energy into posting on CC for transfer advice, I would suggest that you focus (and enjoy) these first weeks of college. It is a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I heard that Tracy Kidder and Paul Farmer spoke at freshman orientation there as Kidder’s book on Farmer’s AIDs work in Haiti was assigned summer reading. They are two remarkable and inspiring individuals who have made a major difference in our world in their respective areas of endeavor.</p>
<p>I am concerned that if you are already planning on transferring you will unnecessarily prejudice your experience at Smith. Smith is a terrific school and I think you can get an Ivy-comparable education there. In fact, in a different era, it was the Ivy option for women as a seven sister school. </p>
<p>Ask yourself honestly: What is the reason you already want to transfer other than the fact you were not admitted to your first choice of college? Is your desire to transfer based on prestige or an unique program at Yale that is not available at Smith? Most elite universities want to see truly compelling reasons for someone to transfer TO that particular institution not OUT of a particular college. My major concern for you would be how you would function in an all-female environment. Presumably you thought about this issue seriously before deciding to enroll at Smith.</p>
<p>My advice would be to give Smith a chance and try to get the most of your first year education there. Also, invest time to make friends. You may surprise yourself and find that next year at this time you would never contemplate going anywhere else.</p>