How To Write A College Transfer Application? (With Examples)

Learn how to write a college transfer application effectively and avoid the struggle of what to write and what not to write while transferring from one college to another.

TCM Staff

8th October 2020

If you find yourself reading this blog, you’ve already been through the college application process once. You tried for a college, you got into it. But now that you’re on campus, you’ve decided that you need to transfer to another college. The only decision at this moment is to re-apply to a college that matches your needs

Transfer application plays a crucial role as it is an application for transferring from one college to another. Writing a transfer essay is your chance to introduce yourself to your dream school and most students struggle to write a unique transfer application, that marks the decision of the admission officer in your favor.

Although there is no perfect outline for a guaranteed spotless transfer essay, there are some guidelines to help your essay along the way. The transfer essay should include these fields in order to be able to stand out amongst the others.

How to write a Transfer letter for College?

Introduce yourself and explain why you choose your current institution in the first place

Explain the reason for the transfer

Speak about your interests

Get Scholarships for Transfer Students!

Writing a college transfer application is an important step in transferring to another college. After transferring, a scholarship can help you fund your education and relieve financial stress.

Steps to Follow in Writing a College Transfer Application

1 - Introduce Yourself

This is the part where you have to invest most of your time, as this is the paragraph where you can win the game. The first paragraph is the most important part of the essay, thus it should include some catchy and attention-grabbing statements. You can start off with a simple introduction and telling about some of your core values. You need to address and explain things like, Why did you choose your current institution in the first place?

The reason should be simple and factual. The reason could be anything whether if the school was closer to your home or maybe you wanted to stay with your parents.

Be honest at this part of the section as officers easily catch up on the made-up reasons. Also, you can mention some of the things you liked about your current school that had helped you improve certain skills.

Background Information - Harvey is currently studying at Amherst College since he wanted to be close to his home so that he can help his dad in his TV agency. But now, since his father has asked his uncle to help, he no longer has to stay in his hometown. Harvey wants to move to Penn where he can find more practical information related to his anthropology course. The transfer application of Harvey is gonna shape like the one given below.

Example - Before I could even walk, my parents had gained an interest in History. So we spent every holiday walking off the street of some historical sites which helped me to gain an interest in archaeology. Moving around to all these places has made me resourceful and adaptable. My decision of starting my education at Amherst College was because of the reason that I wanted to stay close to my house so that I can help my father with his T.V agency.

2 - The Reason for the Transfer

Reason for College Transfer

One question that every admission transfer officer look out for is “why the student wants to leave the current college and attend another?”.

In your essay, colleges and universities will be looking for what makes their school a better fit for you than your current institution. You have to be very precise about the reason for your transfer without speaking negatively about your current college.

Give a Polite Description - You have to mention a polite description of why you and your current college is not a perfect match. One should explain the reason as clearly and concisely as possible, taking advantage of the opportunity to show what you have learned about yourself and the kind of college you believe is right for you.

Example - My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic. I have made many good friends at Penn, and I have studied with some wonderful professors. I'm majoring in anthropology, but the program at Penn is almost entirely contemporary and sociological in its focus. I'm looking for something more than that.

3 - Speak about your interests

What you want to do?”. This is another important section that the admission officer looks into to differ with the applications. The student should be clear about his/her vision and future.

This part of the essay should be focused on the objectives that the student wants to achieve being a part of the institution he/she is applying to.

This section should also highlight “Why are you applying to this school in particular?”. You must have a concrete reason for the selection of this particular college. The admission Officer will expect that you have done your research and now are making a calculated, thoughtful decision to transfer.

Make sure the admission officer knows that you aren’t applying because “it’s better than your current school” but because this school is where you feel you truly belong.

You need to describe what are your interests and how this college will help you fulfill them. Your interest in transferring to one school should be directly related to your reason for leaving your current school. This admission officer will understand your position better.

Example- By attending Amherst, I hope to broaden and deepen my knowledge in anthropology, participate in more summer fieldwork, volunteer at the museum, and eventually, go on to graduate school in archaeology.

4 - Concluding with an Overview

A good ending is an important aspect of the application. It gives the essay it's desired shape. In this section, you should give an overview of your academic offerings and experiences you gather in your current college that helped you evolve.

It should talk about how you have developed from your previous experiences and will be taking those insights when progressing to the new institution. This section should appeal to the officer that you are a positive person and continue this performance after the transfer to the new school.

The conclusion should be short and crisp and should speak about the honor the student will acquire if he/she gets accepted.

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

steps to college transfer application

College Transfer Application - Do’s and Don’ts

If you want to ace the transfer essay then you have to remember the points mentioned above. Apart from those points, here are the small do’s and dont’s points mentioned below that you must remember while writing a transfer application.

Do’s

Keep things short and focused

Be specific on what you have to say

Start your essay with an attention-grabbing introduction

Don’ts

Be creative, don't write what admission officials always read

Don't make things up, be honest

If you write about your thesis, don't include things that don't support it

Best colleges/universities to transfer

The colleges mentioned below are providing an ideal combination of good quality education, affordability, and alumni success.

You’ll notice colleges in California dominate our list below. That’s not surprising - the state’s two four-year college systems have a clearly defined pathway for community college students, supported by a statewide set of general education courses that will transfer between institutions.

Other states, like Florida, also guaranteeing admission to a public four-year college for students who start at community colleges.

Conclusion

If you are feeling that your current institution isn’t ideal for you, then instead of just hanging on with it, you need to move towards an institution that matches your needs and the first step to this process is the transfer application.

So, invest your time in the transfer application, as it is the first step towards studying in your dream school. Making the admission officers believe that their college is a perfect fit for you is the primary goal over here. So using the correct words and reasons is the key in this process.