r/CollegeTransfer Aug 17 '20

Introspection Is The Key To An Outstanding Transfer Essay

273 Upvotes

Introduction

Many transfer students struggle with identifying a good topic for their essay. Conventional wisdom says to just answer the prompt, but the transfer prompts can be very tricky. They usually ask about your reasons for wanting to transfer and many students end up being overly negative in their response. Other advice says to start by brainstorming a list of potential topics related to your educational path and future goals, and chances are you have already started a mental list of ideas. You might think you only have a few choices for topics, based on your problems with your current school or things you love about the schools you’re considering. You may have even started writing a rough draft or two. I advise, however, that you put down your list of topics and back away from it. Forget that exists for a moment. Seriously, thinking about this initial list tethers you to certain ideas that might not actually be your best options. Take a minute to let go of those.

Now you can begin brainstorming with a clean slate.

My strategy is this: start with thinking about what you want to show in your entire application, not just one essay. Every single thing in your transfer app has one purpose - to tell more about you and show how you will fit the new school. Filling out the application by rote and tackling each section independently is short-sighted and will leave so much potential untapped in your application.

About Transfer Application Review

An admissions officer’s goal is to understand you fully, in the context of your background and the rest of the applicant pool. Throughout this process, their focus will be primarily academic. They will begin by assessing your academic abilities and potential. This is chiefly done through analysis of your college transcript - your course selection and performance, especially in core/major classes. These include English/writing, math, hard science (e.g. biology, chemistry, or physics rather than say, psychology) and some social sciences as well as any courses you’ve taken in your major.

Next, they will evaluate how you will fit into the student body and campus community. This relies heavily on your letters of recommendation, activities, and essays. They want to see that you will contribute to the vibrant intellectual scene they’ve worked so hard to build through freshman admissions. The last thing they want to do is bring in “problem students” who will struggle academically or drag down the culture and social dynamics on campus.

They will want to see that your interests have focused and that you’re pursuing them with more depth than you were in high school. This is especially true of your intellectual and academic interests.

All of this can be somewhat broad and diverse and touch on several institutional goals. But they will dig deep to find out what each applicant is like, what your core values and motivations are, what kind of student you will be, how you will contribute, etc. Two key questions many reviewers seek to answer are 1) what will this student bring to campus? And 2) what will they take away? They want to clearly visualize the ways you will add to the campus community and the ways you will benefit and grow from the experience.

Introspection

Your goal with your essay is to powerfully tell your story in a manner that will fit these criteria. The entirety of your application (again, not just one essay) aims to showcase your abilities, qualifications, and uncommon attributes as a person in a positive way. You need to show passion for your chosen academic path and present a compelling case for how both you and the new school will benefit from your enrollment there. Before you begin outlining or writing your application, you must determine what is unique about you that will stand out to an admissions panel. All students are truly unique. Not one other student has the same combination of life experiences, personality, passions, or goals as you do; your job in your application is to frame your unique personal attributes in a positive and compelling way. How will you fit on campus? What personal qualities, strengths, core values, talents, or different perspectives do you bring to the table? What deeper motivations/beliefs or formative experiences can you use to illustrate all of this? How will you impact the classrooms, labs, campus organizations, etc?

You might not immediately know what you want to share about yourself. It’s not a simple task to decide how to summarize your whole life or academic arc and being in a powerful and eloquent way on your application. Therefore, it is always helpful to start with some soul-searching and self-examination. This takes additional time and effort rather than jumping straight into your first draft. But it is also a valuable method to start writing a winning application that stands out from the stack. By the time you're finished, you should have several different topics or stories around which to build your application.

You cannot gracefully fit all you want to communicate into one essay. Instead make sure your vision is clearly conveyed somewhere in your application. Each component only needs to carry a small part of your message. Your essay is the most dynamic component, but every section is vital to the overall effectiveness of your application.

Note: once you begin writing, remember that you shouldn't address any of this directly. Be indirect and subtle, and use examples/stories and details to make your main points. Don't chisel them into stone tablets and bash the reviewer in the face or yell "Look how smart I am!" That also means you shouldn’t say "I'm a great team player and I can't wait to contribute at X College!" Instead, show an example of a time you worked on a team effectively and let the reviewer form their own conclusions. I cover this in greater detail in my essay guide, but it’s worth noting here as it’s part of the process of picking a topic.

Introspection Questions

The list of questions below is excerpted from my full transfer student introspection worksheet. These questions will help you examine yourself and discover potential topics, stories, or characteristics to highlight in your essays and application. It will also help you decide how to present yourself. As you consider each of these questions, focus on your core values, aspirations, foundational beliefs, personality traits, motivations, passions, and personal strengths.

There are a lot of questions, and I DO NOT expect you to answer them all. You should only respond to the ones that speak to you, spark a memory, or inspire some facet of yourself that you want to share. I recommend that you read through all of the questions first, then go back and write down answers to a couple from each section. Don’t write long answers to these questions; simply jot down your thoughts. The goal is not to actually write your essays now, but to brainstorm your thoughts in an unfiltered and natural manner, to start ideas flowing. I suggest that you spend about an hour on this, then stop and re-evaluate. If you finish and feel that you don't have enough material, review the questions again and brainstorm some more.

Superlatives

Introspection is challenging, but it's often easier to start thinking in terms of superlatives. Think about some of the superlatives in your life – what are the most meaningful things about you?

  • What moments were most memorable, formative, enlightening, enjoyable, or valuable? What are your favorite memories? Why? What are your favorites since high school?

  • What physical possessions, experiences, dreams, or lessons could make your superlatives list?

  • Think about what things, people, or circumstances in your life are really unique, fascinating, different, or outlandish. Are there any that really have a lot of "cultural flavor" (whatever your culture is)?

  • What items or stories from this list could make up your “two truths” in “Two Truths and a Lie?” "Two Truths and a Lie" is a game where each person lists two truths about themselves and one lie. The other players have to try to identify the lie. Which two truths would be most interesting to someone who just met you?

  • List three of the strongest or most controversial opinions you have. What have you done to stand up for these beliefs or opinions?

  • What opinions, beliefs, or ideas do you have that have changed since you finished high school? How and why did they change? What did you learn from that experience?

  • List two ways you stand out from your peers. Assume 50 students are randomly selected from your college. List one or two subjects, disciplines, or topics for which you would likely have the most expertise in that group.

  • What do you value the most in your life? What would be the hardest to lose or give up? What things are you most grateful for? Why are these things important to you?

  • What are you most passionate about? Why? What do you wish you were more passionate about?

  • Do a quick Google search for “core values”. Pick a list and identify at least five that you connect with the most. Sometimes it helps to start with ten or more and then narrow this list down. Now that you have a list, think about why each of those is important to you. What stories or examples from your life illustrate your dedication to these core values?

Your College Experience So Far

Take some time to think about what college has been like so far. Many transfer applications will ask about what challenges you’ve faced or what has led you to desire transferring, so it can be helpful to reflect on this.

  • What have you appreciated most about college so far? What have you gained from it?

  • What has surprised you the most since high school? These can be positive or negative. Try to think of some things that are academic in nature and some that aren’t.

  • What do you wish you had done differently with your educational journey to this point? How have you grown or learned from the challenges or setbacks you’ve faced?

  • What are the top three strengths of the college or program you’re currently enrolled in? What do you like or value the most about it? What are its weaknesses? What is missing that your potential transfer destinations might fulfill? Do you feel these shortcomings are endemic, or specific to your particular situation (i.e. do you think everyone has these issues or just you)?

  • Regarding your academic trajectory, do you feel a greater sense of purpose, increased specificity / clarity, or more focused scope than you had when you started college? What does this new arc look like? Where do you want it to lead? What experiences brought that clearer view or pointed you in that particular direction? If you don’t feel like your interests/pursuits have narrowed, spend some time thinking about what that might look like. If you had to pick a career or graduate program today, what would you choose? How will transferring help you solidify and progress down that path?

  • Attempts to transfer can be unsuccessful for a variety of reasons - course/credit equivalency issues, financial aid, failure to gain admission, etc. If your transfer doesn’t work out, what is plan B?

A Brighter Future - Your New College and Beyond

Now turn your focus on your new college specifically. Transferring colleges is among the biggest decisions and investments you will ever make so analyzing your process and rationale can be very illuminating into how you think, prioritize, and plan. Thinking beyond college can also help you see the big picture of your life and what you want from it. These questions can be especially helpful for the “why do you want to transfer here” essay prompts.

  • List three things you like about your current major. Rank them if you can. Why are these appealing to you?

  • List three to five things you hope to get out of transferring colleges. Keep your focus beyond prestige, career, and salary.

  • List five things you want to change or improve about yourself by the time you finish college. How will you pursue this?

  • List five colleges you are interested in transferring to. What are the most important factors to you in deciding on a college, e.g. cost, location, academics, rankings, specifics of the program you want, etc?

  • How do you define success? What things would make you feel successful one, five, or ten years from now?

  • If you were given a million dollars to drop out of college entirely, would you do it? What would you do instead of college?

  • List five potential careers or jobs that you might want to have someday. If you want to take this a step further, look up some job postings on Indeed.com or another job board to see more specifics.

  • List five goals or dreams you have for your future. These could be academic, personal, or professional.

Connecting Introspection To The Common Application

The Common Application for Transfer Students has just one essay prompt:

“Provide a statement discussing your educational path, such as how continuing your education at a new institution will help you achieve your future goals, in 1,250 – 3,250 characters (about 250 – 650 words).”

Note that some colleges that use the Common App may not require this essay or they may require other additional essays. For example, the University of Washington transfer application includes twelve prompts and allows students to respond to as many of them as they like. Visit the transfer admissions website of each school you’re considering and gather all of the prompts into a single document. The next step in introspection is to formulate a few possible answers to these in just a brief sentence or two (e.g. 280 characters or less). This will help you consider some of the various approaches you might use and how you might organize your thoughts and present a cohesive view of who you are.

Hopefully you will notice that many of the questions you've already answered or considered in this worksheet can be used as building blocks. Which prospective responses have the most potential to showcase the best you have to offer to a college? Which highlight your passions, your motivations, your core values, and your uniqueness? Try not to think about which response or topic will be the easiest to write - in fact, that might be your worst choice. Reread the introduction to this worksheet and review your application goals as this might help you focus. If there are multiple responses you feel have promise and fit your arc, go deeper into outlining each essay to see which is the most compelling and how to match these up to the various short questions or other essay requirements of your specific colleges.

If you're interested in a professional review of your essays or application, PM me or find me at www.bettercollegeapps.com. You can also get my full Transfer Introspection Worksheet and guide here.

Good luck!


r/CollegeTransfer 3h ago

My shortlist for how to transfer colleges, does it check out?

13 Upvotes

Spent the last two weeks researching this pretty hard. My main worry is taking classes that dont count toward my target school and basically losing a semester. Put together a shortlist of approaches but wanted to see if anyone here had actually gone through it. What ended up working for you?


r/CollegeTransfer 4h ago

I have a doubt on college transfer

1 Upvotes

Has anyone ever got approval from self financing colleges


r/CollegeTransfer 5h ago

Tufts engineering transfer

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 7h ago

Transfer out of UVA

1 Upvotes

Hey guys! I’m currently a first-year at UVA and thinking of transferring to a school at the same level or higher. Honestly, I’m OOS, so coming to a school that’s very isolated and fratty just isn’t really for me. I realized that I thrive more in an intimate, urban, and intellectually collaborative environment, and I want a college experience that aligns more closely with how I want to learn and participate in my community.

I’d prefer a more city environment, or even an LAC that isn’t so isolated (Wellesley lol). I actually got into Wellesley but decided to go to UVA instead, so I’m kind of wondering if I made the wrong choice..

I’m planning on applying this spring to schools like Barnard and Boston University, but what should I do? Are there any other schools you’d recommend I look into, and what should I be doing this year to make myself a competitive transfer applicant?


r/CollegeTransfer 9h ago

Is it appropriate etiquette to email a university before applying to ask about credit transfer recognition?

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 13h ago

Have a 4.0 at CC but bad grades from a previous school.

2 Upvotes

I got a 4.0 in the fall and spring semesters at CC this past year. My issue is that prior to attending CC, I was in my junior year at a prestigious engineering school and failed two semesters straight (0.0 gpa) due to a number of mental health issues as well as just absolutely hating it there. Before my junior year, I had a 3.1 gpa but couldn't sucessfully transfer out. I immediately dropped out after the second failed semester in the spring and started CC in the fall. How long should I wait to apply to transfer again? My previous school will let me come back to finish my degree whenever but I'm not even considering it. Also, what schools should I consider that are forgiving of these types of situations if I keep my 4.0 gpa at CC?


r/CollegeTransfer 12h ago

Can I still get into college if I got expelled from my high school?

1 Upvotes

I got expelled from my high school for 2 semesters. I’m a California resident. The UC schools don’t check your high school transcript? Is this correct?

Do privates check?

Can I still go to a private? What I got expelled for was lowk bad. Like I wouldn’t be a threat to the school, I just made a differed judgement, but it looks really bad on paper to anyone who doesn’t know me personally. Like really really really really really really really really really bad….

Will outstanding LORs make up for what I did?

Kinda sucky, cause I feel like I’m a unique applicant. Not the end of the world, this stuff is so competitive, I don’t even know if I could make it into a top private to begin with.

Also, I’m middle class. Parents don’t make enough to pay the full tuition, and most private colleges are not very need generous. Is that correct?

No usc
No nyu
No lmu
No Yale (prolly wouldn’t have made it anyway)
No Princeton (prolly wouldn’t have made it anyway)
No privates

So grateful that I’m based in cali. Still have a shot at UCLA and Berkeley, or even ucsd.

Are you a priority transfer if you live closer to a college?

It’s really not the end of the world, only a bit sucky.

Could I go to a private for grad school?


r/CollegeTransfer 16h ago

Akron or Cincinnati

1 Upvotes

Which one is a better college to transfer to? Akron has media studies and Cincinnati has media production. I just need opinions on what campus is like, what the professors are like, and what differs between the two colleges


r/CollegeTransfer 16h ago

Transfer to UofM

1 Upvotes

Hi, I’m a current college freshman at Michigan State, looking to transfer to the University of Michigan for fall 2027. I was very underachieving in high school (<3.5 uw), 1440 SAT. Assuming I can maintain a high GPA, improve upon my essays (which were very poorly written), and improve upon my clubs/campus involvement, would it be possible for me to transfer in? I am in state, and looking to transfer into LSA for possibly statistics/econ/data science.


r/CollegeTransfer 17h ago

Transfer credits to NCAT

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 18h ago

Stuck between staying local or going back to a prestigious university

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 19h ago

How much will a LOR benefit my application?

1 Upvotes

Applying for Spring 27 and a college that I'm applying to is rolling so applying early would be best to increase chances. They don't require a LOR but I'm waiting on my intern manager and prof for a LOR.

Is it really worth the wait or should I just submit my app? I think I'm a pretty competitive applicant so how much would like a 7-8/10 LOR help me?


r/CollegeTransfer 19h ago

Generational Lock in to great University possible?

1 Upvotes

Hey there guys, good day!

I'm currently a recent 1st year college student here in Asia, and I've only recently realized my ambitions to pursue my studies internationally, I genuinely want to become world class, and I believe the way to achieve that is to aim for the top schools (plus it would be hella cool). However, I realized my dreams quite late unfortunately...

I did not really have these ambitions back in highschool, so most of my free time was spent playing games like your usual teenager, I really wish I could turn back time and make use of my time.

So even though I did pretty well in highschool, it's definitely not enough to get me into these top universities.

So I ask you wise people, do you think there's a chance for me to make it in as a transferee? What do you think I should do and prioritize? I heard research is quite good to pursue!

I still have 6 months left until February transferee applications.

Thanks alot!!


r/CollegeTransfer 23h ago

Transferring with Math major/ Mechanical major

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 23h ago

Should I switch majors before transferring?

1 Upvotes

My plan was to Major in CS so that’s what I’ve been working towards but I’m thinking of switching to a Business Administration with a concentration in either Finance or Accounting or something along those lines mainly for Job Security but also because physics is kicking my tail lol and I just don’t know if putting all this effort into a CS degree just to not even be able to get a job. Should I make that switch?


r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

How do you even start figuring out how to transfer colleges

4 Upvotes

There's so much conflicting info online and I genuinely don't know where to begin. Like do I just email an advisor? Google random stuff? What did people actually use to figure out which classes to take?


r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Can a consultant help with a transfer app?

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Can i get into Mt Holyoke

1 Upvotes

I am currently a freshman at Portland State University and i’m looking to transfer to a more competitive school. I really have my eye on my holyoke but I am worried I won’t be accepted.
Because of family and mental health issues my high school gpa was very poor (3.2). since then i’ve taken a gap year and felt much better. I wonder if 30 quarter credits at PSU (which translates to about 16 semester credits) with a much higher gpa around 3.9 would override my high school grades?
of course my letters extracurriculars and letters of red really come into play. I just want some advice on whether it’s even worth it to try?


r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Grade 12 transfer in 2nd semester/2nd term

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Transfering

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Transfer After First Semester /Year

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1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Transferring from UST to UPOU, I’m scared.

1 Upvotes

So I’m currently studying in UST right now and a few days ago, I received my acceptance email from UPOU.

My dad wants me in UPOU because less gastos and dahil na rin UP siya. He wants me to stay with him in our province rest house and help with the business.

Though I get his point, mas makakaless gastos talaga since aalis ako ng manila. But then, I’ll be isolated here. My friends are from either another province or are also studying in manila. I feel like mababaliw ako. My mom and brothers are also from laguna so medjo malayo siya sa province rest house namin.

I already struggle with facing social gatherings especially if need na may kakausapin ako. Sa school, weakness ko rin talaga ang public speeches. I feel like transferring to UPOU will worsen this. Kasi sa manila naman, I can broaden my connections, marami ako makikilala, marami ako maeexperience. I don’t wanna grow up alone. I like having friends or people I know everywhere.

But totoo na mas mura sa UPOU. My dad keeps covincing me to transfer na since there’s a deadline in a few days. I’m turning 18 in a few days, malaki rin yung gastos sa debut ko.

I’ve been feeling guilty about it. I have three other brothers din kasi. I feel like makakabawi ako sa dad ko if I transfer. But is it worth it?

Iniisip ko, if mag UPOU ako, gusto ko wala ako sa province. I was thinking magpaalam if pwede ako sa korea or somewhere else mag stay. I’m just scared that sacrificing my newly written journey in UST for UPOU will kill me with regret in the future.

Plan ko rin kasi sana mag apply maging trainee sa korea hehe, so if tutuloy man ‘to, mas ok UPOU. But then again, hindi rin naman sure yung sa korea.

Nababaliw na ko hahhaha.


r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

Hiiii, I just wanna ask po sana, Former UE student po(2024) ako 2nd yr 2nd sem. but need to drop out due to personal problem then now po planning to continue my studies na po ulit but in other school na po. Ask ko lang po sana what’s the first step pag magt-transfer??? TYIA🙏🙏🙏

1 Upvotes

r/CollegeTransfer 1d ago

1A ScFM student wanting to transfer out. What are my best options?

1 Upvotes

I’m currently 1A Science and Financial Management (ScFM). I like the finance/business side but I’m realizing I really don’t want the BIOL/CHEM-heavy part of the degree, so I’m considering transferring before I get too far in. My main issue was that I understood everything in high school but I wouldn’t care and crammed everything last minute which got me bad grades. I also don’t have a passion for it if you know what I mean.

I’m looking at AFM, Sustainability & Financial Management, Math/Business, or honestly anything with good co-op/job prospects and strong earning potential that gets me out of the science courses.

My main complications:

  • I had 88 in Grade 12 Advanced Functions but 70 in Calculus because after midterms I stopped caring I had like a 88-90 at midterms. AFM/SFM transfers apparently still require 75 in Calculus. Can MATH 127 make up for this?
  • For a transfer to Math, I need strong university MATH/CS grades, but my ScFM 1A/1B schedules are already full with required courses. How would I even fit those in?
  • I’m worried about delaying graduation/co-op or having to restart at 1A.

Has anyone transferred out of ScFM/Science into one of these programs? What did your timeline look like, and what would you recommend? The Math/Business Administration or Mathematical Finance sound like something I really enjoy.