how to write a great transfer essay

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

Learn about our editorial policies

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 1.2 million students are enrolled in college as a transfer student. Students may transfer for a variety of reasons ranging from academics to athletics to geography.

If you are in the process of transferring colleges it’s likely that you will have to write a personal essay as part of your transfer admissions process. Ultimately, there’s no one way to write a college transfer essay. Everyone is unique, and this individuality should shine through in your essays.

However, there are some recommended things to include, and even a real example essay that was used to successfully transfer college! In this post, we’ll help you write a powerful transfer essay so you can tell your story to the admissions committee.

Jump ahead to…

• Do’s and don’ts
• Why did you choose your current school?

What are your main reasons for transferring out of your current school?

Why do you want to attend the transfer school.

• Example essay

Additional resources

• Key takeaways
• Frequently asked questions

College transfer essays: The do’s and don’ts

Before we start, we want to cover a few basics do’s and don’ts about what your transfer essays should be about.

• Elaborate on how your current school has helped you progress towards your goals. Positivity is always a good thing!
• Research your prospective school (e.g. specific classes, organizations, opportunities) for why you want to go there.
• Make sure to follow the standard/correct essay format! Transfer essay prompts may vary from college to college so you should make sure that you’re answering the exact question.
• Use up your limited word count by listing negative aspects about your current school. Instead, focus on how it has helped you grow, but how another school could further help you develop your interests/passions 
• List a group of random classes or opportunities available at your new school. Mention opportunities you’re (genuinely) interested in that relate to your goals and passions – make sure you’re telling a story through your essay.
• Copy your initial admissions essay (the one that you used when applying to colleges in high school) – you’ve changed a lot during your time in college so you will want to write a brand new essay.

Apply to these scholarships due soon

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship

Making the Leap Scholarship for Transfer Students

$40,000 Build a College List Scholarship

Montana University System 2 Plus 2 Honor Scholarship

Ascent’s $10,000 Summer Scholarship Giveaway

Minnesota State Workforce Development Scholarships

Darrel Hess Community College Geography Scholarship

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

What is the goal of the transfer essay.

Potential transfer students should know that not all colleges and universities require transfer essays, so when in doubt definitely check-in with the college in question for clarification. For the purposes of this article and the sample transfer essay, we’ll be using this prompt:

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. 

Most colleges will be interested in learning why you want to transfer and how transferring will help you achieve your goals. However, specific prompts will vary from college to college, so you should definitely pay attention to the specific prompt you are asked to respond to.

Some of the common questions you’ll come across include:

• How will your transfer school help you accomplish your goals?

Below I’ll break down how to respond to each of these questions and include an example from a successful transfer essay.

Also see: Can you transfer into an ivy league school?

Why did you choose your current school? 

To answer this question, you’ll have to go back in time when you were in 12th grade and selecting your college. Did you choose the college because it had a program you liked? Maybe you really wanted to take classes with a specific professor? Maybe you thought you wanted to attend college in a specific part of the world? Whatever the reason you should lay it out in the most factual way possible.

Here’s how I responded to this question:

Just like Jeopardy, Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home.

Also see: How to write a 250 word essay

This is always an important question for transfer admissions officers: why did your current college not work out? We recommend that students be as honest as possible and stick to the facts (as opposed to simply complaining about your current school).

Students have very different reasons for changing schools, which often depend on what type of school you’re transferring from (a 2-year or 4-year). While many community college students transfer because their plans did work out and they’ve accomplished what they wanted to at their school, those transferring from four-year universities often do so for less positive reasons (which was my experience).

If the situation at your college didn’t exactly pan out as you thought it would, you should also try to talk about some of the ways you are making the most of the situation. This shows the admissions officers that despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, you have continued to learn, grow, and contribute to your community.

Here’s how I accomplished this:

Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home”, it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject. 

Going through the admissions process as a transfer student is interesting, because you have learned a lot about yourself and your preferences at your first college. This should provide you with a great perspective on what you are looking for next.

The two major things you’ll want to accomplish when answering this question are why the transfer college in question is a good fit for you and how it can help you accomplish your goals as a student.

Specificity is always more ideal here so you can show that you have spent some time thinking about what you want and also how the new college fits.

Here’s how I did this:

I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects.  To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems.

College transfer essays: an example

Here we go! Throughout this article, I’ve shown you my college essay divided into sections, and now’s time for the full thing. I can honestly say that this essay had a 100% success rate! Without further ado, here is my full college transfer essay (and prompt):

Prompt: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. 

I wake up from my daily after-school nap to realize that it is already dinner time. As I walk downstairs, I smell the delicious fragrance coming from my mom’s samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup), one of my favorite meals. Soon enough, everyone sits down to watch the newest episode of Jeopardy , a tradition we’ve had going on for as long as I can remember. As I take that first sip of samgyetang, and miss yet another geography question on Jeopardy – and wait for my family to inevitably tease me about it – I feel at home, like I am somewhere that I belong. Wherever I go, I hope I can encounter that same warm feeling. Just like Jeopardy , Criminal Minds is also a show that I have watched from a very young age, and one that I continue to watch quite regularly. Being exposed to this interesting world of FBI profilers for so long inspired me to want to dive into the world of psychology myself. Due to this, I originally chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison for its amazing psychology program, and because I wanted to try something new. Being from California, this “something new” came in the form of watching snow fall from the sky, seeing cheese curds being sold in all the grocery stores, and simply living somewhere far away from home. Arriving in Wisconsin, I got exactly what I wanted: an amazing psychology program and the experience of being somewhere quite different from the place I called home. My classes were interesting, my professors were helpful and caring, and experiencing the first snow was quite exciting. However, as winter progressed, walking back from class everyday under the progressively gloomier sky seemed to be a cruel reminder that I was no longer in sunny Southern California. While eating dinner in our many dining halls, I always viewed the wide array of food available: quesadillas, Chinese food, burgers, even pecan pie. The food was all delicious, but going day after day without even seeing Korean food once, it made me miss those fun dinners with my family. Back at my dorm, my “home away from home,” it started to feel like anything but being at home. To feel more comfortable where I was, I decided to pursue things I liked, and that I was familiar with. My passion for psychology led me to join the university’s Psychology Club, where I was able to learn about recent revelations within the field of psychology, furthering my interest in the subject. I plan on using the knowledge I gain in psychology, either from organizations or classes, to help people. I want to one day apply this knowledge to research, to discover possible methods to help the people suffering from the psychological problems I study. Alternatively, I hope to use this knowledge as a criminal profiler, using my understanding of psychology to narrow down pools of suspects.  To be able to accomplish either of these, I need to develop a much deeper understanding of both people’s motivations for the things they do as well as of the many psychological issues people face. For these reasons, I am very excited at the prospect of exploring and enrolling in the classes offered by USC’s Department of Psychology. In particular, Psych 360: Abnormal Psychology would be an amazing introduction to psychological disorders and their causes. Psych 314L: Research Methods would then help me put this knowledge about disorders to good use by teaching me how to properly conduct research and find possible solutions for people’s problems. With so many opportunities available at USC, I hope to not only help others feel more comfortable, but to find a second home for myself after all.

And that’s it! This essay touches on all of the tips listed above, and should serve as helpful inspiration as you begin your writing. Hopefully, it gives you an idea of how to integrate everything you should mention in a cohesive essay. With that, I wish you good luck with your college transfer essays (and applications)!

Don’t miss: What looks good on a college application?

If you finish your essay and still have questions about the transfer process, consider checking out these Scholarships360 resources:

• How to transfer colleges
• How to transfer from a community college
• Top scholarships for transfer students
• How to choose a college
• What’s the difference between a private and public university?

Key Takeaways

• Explain why you want to transfer, what you need that you are not getting at your current school, and why you chose your current school to begin with
• Always present things in a positive light
• Share how the transfer school will help you achieve your goals and why you are a good fit for the school

Frequently asked questions about writing college transfer essays 

How are college transfer essays different from regular application essays, do all schools require transfer essays, can i reuse my old college essays for a transfer, what should you not say in a transfer essay, scholarships360 recommended.

10 Tips for Successful College Applications

Coalition vs. Common App: What is the difference?

College Application Deadlines 2023-2024: What You Need to Know

Trending now.

How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale

PSAT to SAT Score Conversion: Predict Your Score

What Are Public Ivy League Schools?

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

How to Write a Winning College Transfer Essay

December 27, 2021

Much like snowflakes, DNA profiles, or interpretations of a David Lynch film, no two college transfer applicants are alike. Even if two prospective transfers to Boston University are both named Fred and each hail from Farmington, CT, their paths, and the contours of their academic journeys are probably quite different from one another. Perhaps Fred #1 is a first-generation college student who, for financial reasons, had to complete his freshman year at the local community college. Perhaps Fred #2 underachieved a touch in high school, gained admission into a less-selective state school where he excelled freshman year and is now highly-motivated to study at top school. Each Fred possesses an equally valid story to tell the BU admissions office, and doing so adeptly may well be the key to their acceptance. After all, 42% of all U.S. colleges—and close to 100% of highly-selective schools—cite the essay as being “important” to their transfer application decisions.

To cite another relevant statistic, 37% of all college students transfer at some point in their academic career and each has a worthwhile pathway to chronicle. Whether you’re Fred #1, Fred #2, or someone not even named Fred (imagine that!), you need your transfer essay to be so strong that it leaps right off the page and captures the attention (or, even better, heart) of an admissions officer. In the following article, the College Transitions team will explain precisely how to master this essential component of the transfer application.

Which Transfer essay prompt should I pick?

Starting in 2020-21, the Common App granted its member institutions the option of allowing their transfer applicants to select one of the seven current Common App essay prompts (that are available to freshman applicants).

Some schools will offer you this option, while others will simply ask you the equivalent of “Why are you applying to our university?” If you are given the choice between prompts, it is generally best to select the one that is most broad (note: a broad prompt is good, a broad essay is not) and allows you to compose an essay containing the following essential elements:

• 1) Why your prospective transfer school is a perfect fit for you.
• 2) Why your journey has led you away from your current institution.
• 3) What unique attributes and talents you will bring to campus.
• 4) How your past achievements and efforts can bolster your case.
• 5) Share your academic and career ambitions.

Let’s dive in and take a more thorough look at each component, beginning with #1.

1) Why this college is the perfect fit for you

Share with your prospective new academic home exactly what makes them attractive to you. Smaller class size, a particular academic program, a more diverse environment, or the opportunity to for hands-on learning/research opportunities are just a sampling of the legitimate selling points you can cite. Mention specific courses that you are eager to take at their institution, certain distinguished professors who you desire to study under, and unique clubs, activities, or campus traditions in which you are excited to partake. Take advantage of this chance to impress admissions officers with you expansive knowledge of their institution as well as a highly-specific accounting of how you will take advantage of your 2-3 years there. Doing so will separate you from the pack of similarly-qualified transfer applicants.

2) Why you want to leave your current college

Make sure that the reasons that you communicate for wanting to transfer do not end up sounding like a nasty Yelp review of your present school. While you may want to leave College X because the professors are all centenarian windbags and your roommate is breeding capybaras to sell on Craigslist (is there really a market for that?), remember that the school to which you are applying wants to feel wanted. Think about it—would you rather listen to your girlfriend/boyfriend rant about their ex or hear them tell you what makes you awesome? Admissions officers considering a transfer student feel the same way.

3) What unique attributes you will bring to campus

Even in the transfer admissions process, admissions officers are tasked with enhancing the diversity of their undergraduate student body and adding individuals who are likely to be contributing members of the campus community. Is there a particular club that you are eager to join or do wish to start your own? Do you desire to assist a professor in conducting research? Are you an a cappella star or club volleyball diehard? What books do you read for pleasure? Do you have a hidden talent or area of expertise? Are you an introvert or extrovert (both can be selling points)? What ideas, activities, or dreams keep you up in the middle of the night? Give the admissions reader a full picture of what your life will look at their school and how you will make more of an impact (in any form) than many of your fellow applicants.

4) Talk about your academic and extracurricular record

This is also a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your record of involvement on your current campus. It is far easier to sell yourself as someone who will be a contributing member of the campus community if you displayed these qualities at your previous college. Students with an eye on transferring are sometimes so focused on escaping their first institution that they fail to become involved in anything outside of the classroom and thus miss out on valuable opportunities to demonstrate leadership and passion—the very traits needed to transfer to a prestigious school. Write about what you are most proud of—a challenging physics exam you mastered, a philosophy paper you wrote arguing the compatibility of science and religion, or how you started a campus chapter of an organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer.

5) Share your academic and career ambitions

The more you can use your essay to communicate your genuine passions and what makes you tick, the better. Doing so gives your essay broader context and deeper meaning, as it explains the true significance of all of the info shared in steps #1-4. If you want to major in biology, where do you see that taking you down the road? Are you considering graduate or medical school? Do you want to work in research in a specific area? You don’t have to be 100% sure of your career and future academic path at 19 or 20 years old, but as a transfer student, you should share where your experiences and interests may someday take you.

College Transfer Essay – Do’s and Don’ts

• Make a coherent and well-researched case for why the school to which you are applying would be a perfect fit for you.
• Explain how you spend your time outside of school whether it’s participation in a club or sport, paid work, or a hobby to which you are extremely dedicated.
• Paint a picture of the reasons why this new university is the right place to pursue your academic interests.
• Give the committee a sense of your talents and character/personal qualities. If your school does not offer interviews, this essay will be primary vehicle through which you can forge a personal connection to a fellow human being.
• Bash your current school or overly-focus on the negative.
• Make excuses for past academic performance of lack of outside the classroom involvement.
• Say that you want to attend a new school for the prestige, the pretty campus, or for a personal reason (close to home, girl/boyfriend attends, etc.).
• Forget to do adequate research on your prospective academic home. Details matter!
• Application Strategies
• College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

• 2-Year Colleges
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Data Visualizations
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Homeschool Resources
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Outdoor Adventure
• Private High School Spotlight
• Research Programs
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Teacher Tools
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

I am a... Student Student Parent Counselor Educator Other First Name Last Name Email Address Zip Code Area of Interest Business Computer Science Engineering Fine/Performing Arts Humanities Mathematics STEM Pre-Med Psychology Social Studies/Sciences Submit

• [email protected]
• (650) 338-8226

Cupertino, CA

• Our Philosophy
• Our Results
• News, Media, and Press
• Common Application
• College Application Essay Editing
• Extracurricular Planning
• Academic Guidance
• Summer Programs
• Interview Preparation

Middle School

• Pre-High School Consultation
• Boarding School Admissions

College Admissions

• Academic and Extracurricular Profile Evaluation
• Senior Editor College Application Program
• Summer Program Applications
• Private Consulting Program
• Transfer Admissions
• UC Transfer Admissions
• Ivy League Transfer Admissions

Graduate Admissions

• Graduate School Admissions
• MBA Admissions

Private Tutoring

• SAT/ACT Tutoring
• AP Exam Tutoring
• Olympiad Training

Research Programs

• Science Research Program
• Humanities Competitions
• Passion Project Program
• Ad Hoc Consulting
• Athletic Recruitment
• National Universities Rankings
• Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings
• Public Schools Rankings

Acceptance Rates

• University Acceptance Rates
• Transfer Acceptance Rates
• Supplemental Essays
• College Admissions Data
• Chances Calculator
• GPA Calculator

National Universities

• College Acceptance Rates
• College Overall Acceptance Rates
• College Regular Acceptance Rates
• College Early Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Overall Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Regular Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Early Acceptance Rates

Public Schools

• Public Schools Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Overall Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Regular Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Early Acceptance Rates

Liberal Arts

• Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Overall Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Regular Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Early Acceptance Rates

How to Write a College Transfer Essay: All You Need to Know

By Eric Eng

Write a College Transfer Essay: All You Need to Know

Writing a college transfer essay can be a daunting process. For those wondering “How to write a college transfer essay,” not only do you need to express your desires and goals coherently, but you also need to convince the admissions officers that the transfer is the best decision for your academic future. Fear not, this comprehensive guide is here to help you make sense of it all and deliver a clear, compelling transfer essay.

Understanding the Purpose of a College Transfer Essay

The first step in writing a successful college transfer essay is understanding its purpose. Unlike your typical application essay, a transfer essay serves multiple purposes. Most importantly, it gives you a platform to explain why you want to transfer to a new college.

Transferring to a different college can be a significant decision, and it’s essential to convey your reasons effectively. Your transfer essay serves as a bridge between your current educational journey and your aspirations for the future. It allows you to articulate your motivations, goals, and how the new college aligns with your academic and personal growth.

The Role of a Transfer Essay in Your Application

Your transfer essay plays an indispensable role in your application. It supplements your academic records and test scores by giving admissions officers a deeper understanding of your motivations and aspirations. This is your chance to explain why the school should consider you and why you believe it’s the right fit for you.

When crafting your transfer essay, it’s crucial to showcase your self-awareness and maturity. Admissions officers want to see that you have carefully evaluated your current college experience and have valid reasons for seeking a transfer. Additionally, they are interested in understanding how the new college can provide you with the opportunities and resources you need to thrive academically and personally.

Key Elements Admissions Officers Look For

Admissions officers are keen to discern a few key elements in your transfer essay. One, they want to know why you’re looking to transfer. The reasons should be specific to academics, not generic or personal issues.

It’s essential to reflect on your current college experience and identify any limitations or gaps that have hindered your academic progress or personal growth. Perhaps your current college lacks certain courses or research opportunities that are vital to your academic interests. Or maybe you have discovered a new passion or career path that the new college specializes in. Whatever the reasons may be, it’s crucial to articulate them clearly and convincingly.

They are also interested in what you’ve achieved in your current college and how you aim to contribute to their campus community. Admissions officers want to see evidence of your engagement and involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership roles, or community service. Highlighting your accomplishments and demonstrating your potential to make a positive impact on the new college community can significantly strengthen your transfer essay.

Lastly, your future goals in relation to the prospective college’s offerings are crucial. Admissions officers want to understand how the new college can help you achieve your academic and career aspirations. Whether it’s through specialized programs, renowned faculty, or unique research opportunities, it’s important to showcase how the new college’s resources align with your goals and how you plan to make the most of them.

Preparing to Write Your Transfer Essay

Before you put pen to paper, you have to do some preliminary work, which is crucial in understanding how to write a college transfer essay. This includes determining why you want to move to a different college and researching your prospective college.

Self-Reflection: Identifying Your Reasons for Transferring

Identifying your reasons for transferring is a critical step. Reflect on your experiences in your current college. Work to distinguish the academic opportunities you felt were lacking that led to your decision. This exercise helps you construct a convincing case in your essay.

When reflecting on your reasons for transferring colleges , it’s important to consider both the academic and non-academic aspects of your college experience. Think about the courses you’ve taken and whether they align with your academic goals and interests. Are there any specific majors or programs that your current college doesn’t offer, but your prospective college does? Additionally, reflect on the social and cultural environment of your current college. Are you looking for a more diverse and inclusive community? Do you want to be closer to home or have access to certain extracurricular activities? These are all valid reasons for considering a transfer.

Furthermore, it’s essential to delve deeper into your personal growth and development during your time at your current college. Reflect on any challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them. Consider the relationships you’ve built with professors, classmates, and mentors. Have these relationships positively impacted your academic journey? Have you been able to engage in meaningful research, internships, or community service? By evaluating these aspects, you can better understand how your current college has shaped your aspirations and what you hope to gain from a transfer.

Researching Your Prospective College

Thorough research on your prospective college is a must. Gain an understanding of the curriculum, faculty, student life, and opportunities available. The more informed you are about the college, the better you can articulate why it’s the right fit for you.

Start by exploring the college’s website and familiarize yourself with the different academic departments and majors they offer. Look into the faculty profiles and see if any professors align with your research interests or have notable accomplishments in your field of study. Consider the college’s approach to education and whether it aligns with your learning style and goals. Are there any unique programs or initiatives that stand out to you?

Additionally, delve into the student life aspect of the college. Research the various clubs, organizations, and extracurricular activities available. Are there any specific clubs or groups that align with your interests and passions? Consider the campus culture and the opportunities for personal and professional growth outside of the classroom. Are there internship or study abroad programs that intrigue you?

Furthermore, it’s crucial to gain insights from current students or alumni of the prospective college. Reach out to them through social media or online forums to ask questions about their experiences. Attend virtual information sessions or college fairs to interact with admissions representatives and get a better sense of the college’s community.

By conducting thorough research, you will not only gather valuable information about the college but also demonstrate your genuine interest and commitment in your transfer essay. This knowledge will allow you to highlight specific aspects of the college that resonate with your academic and personal goals, making your essay more compelling and persuasive.

Structuring Your College Transfer Essay

Now that you’ve done your groundwork, it’s time to write the essay. A well-structured essay usually has an engaging introduction, well-outlined body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion. However, there are additional aspects to consider when crafting your college transfer essay that can make it even more compelling and impactful.

Crafting an Engaging Introduction

Your introduction should be engaging and set the tone for the rest of your essay. While it is important to immediately address your intention to transfer and give a brief hint on why, you can also consider adding a personal anecdote or a captivating story that highlights your journey and the challenges you have faced. This will not only grab the reader’s attention but also create a connection between you and the admissions committee.

Furthermore, you can incorporate relevant statistics or research findings about the benefits of transferring to colleges. This can help support your decision and provide a solid foundation for your essay. By including these additional details, you demonstrate your dedication to thorough research and showcase your ability to make informed decisions.

Outlining Your Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs provide a detailed explanation of your reasons for transferring, your academic achievements, and how you can contribute to the new college community. While it’s advisable to have a paragraph for each point to maximize clarity, you can also enhance your essay by including specific examples and experiences that illustrate your reasons for transferring.

For instance, instead of simply stating that you want to transfer to a college with a stronger program in your major, you can share a story about how you discovered your passion for that field and how your current college lacks the resources or opportunities to fully nurture that passion. By providing concrete examples, you not only make your essay more engaging but also demonstrate your ability to reflect on your experiences and make informed decisions about your academic journey.

Writing a Strong Conclusion

A strong conclusion does more than repeat the essay’s main points. While it is important to summarize your reasons for transferring and reiterate your future goals, you can also consider expanding on the prospective college’s role in achieving these objectives.

By researching specific programs, clubs, or initiatives offered by the college, you can demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to making the most of your transfer experience. Additionally, you can discuss how the college’s values align with your own and how you envision contributing to the campus community. This not only shows your genuine interest in the college but also highlights your potential as a valuable addition to their student body.

In conclusion, by incorporating personal anecdotes, research findings, specific examples, and a discussion of the prospective college’s offerings, you can expand and enrich your college transfer essay. These additional details will not only make your essay longer but also make it more compelling, memorable, and persuasive. Remember to revise and edit your essay thoroughly to ensure that it flows smoothly and effectively communicates your reasons for transferring and your aspirations for the future.

Essential Tips for Writing a Successful Transfer Essay

Writing a transfer essay can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, you can create a compelling narrative that showcases your unique qualities and reasons for seeking a new academic environment. In this article, we will delve into some valuable tips that can enhance the quality of your transfer essay, helping you stand out among other applicants.

Highlighting Your Academic Achievements

One crucial aspect of a transfer essay is highlighting your academic achievements in your current college. Don’t shy away from flaunting your accomplishments, such as high grades, research projects, or any other notable academic endeavors. By doing so, you’re not only showcasing your abilities but also demonstrating to the admissions officers that you can excel in their learning environment too.

Additionally, it is essential to provide context for your achievements. Explain the challenges you faced, the skills you developed, and the impact these achievements had on your personal growth. This will give the admissions officers a deeper understanding of your academic journey and the dedication you bring to your studies.

Discussing Your Future Goals

Articulating your future goals is another crucial aspect of a transfer essay. By sharing your aspirations, you show that you have a clear direction and purpose in seeking a new academic setting. Be sure to link these goals with the curriculum and opportunities that the prospective college affords. Research the specific programs, courses, or extracurricular activities that align with your interests and explain how they will contribute to your personal and professional development.

Moreover, it is important to demonstrate how your current college has prepared you for these future goals and how transferring to the new institution will provide you with additional resources, experiences, or mentorship that will further enhance your journey toward achieving them.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Transfer Essays

While writing your transfer essay, it is crucial to avoid common pitfalls that can diminish its impact. One common mistake is focusing on criticizing your current college. Instead, focus on the positive aspects that are driving you to transfer. Highlight the opportunities you seek, the academic environment you desire, or the specific resources that the prospective college offers.

Another pitfall to avoid is being vague about your reasons for transferring. Be specific and honest about why you believe the new institution is a better fit for your academic and personal growth. Explain how the new college aligns with your values, interests, and ambitions, and how it can provide you with the support and opportunities you need to thrive.

Lastly, ensure that your transfer essay reflects your authentic voice and personality. Admissions officers are looking for students who will contribute to the campus community, so let your true self shine through your writing. Share personal anecdotes, experiences, or challenges that have shaped your academic journey and demonstrate how these experiences have prepared you for the next chapter in your education.

By following these essential tips, you can craft a transfer essay that not only showcases your achievements and goals but also highlights your unique qualities and potential contributions to the new academic environment. Remember to proofread your essay carefully, seek feedback from trusted individuals, and submit your application with confidence.

Editing and Polishing Your Transfer Essay

Once your draft is complete, it’s time to edit and polish your essay. This process helps you enhance clarity, correct errors, and bring out a well-structured piece.

Proofreading for Grammar and Spelling Errors

Proofread your essay carefully to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. These mistakes could distract the reader and undermine your credibility.

Ensuring Clarity and Coherence

Ensuring your essay is coherent and clear is important. The flow of thoughts should be logical, and each paragraph should reinforce your central argument.

Seeking Feedback and Making Revisions

Don’t underestimate the power of a second pair of eyes. Seek feedback from teachers, friends, or family and make necessary revisions to elevate your essay.

In conclusion, writing a college transfer essay requires thorough preparation, clear communication, and an eye for detail. With these tips in hand, you’re ready to write an outstanding transfer essay. Good luck!

Want to assess your chances of admission? Take our FREE chances calculator today!

Why College Admissions Isn’t Perfect

US News Rankings

The Personal Statement: The Holy Grail of College Admissions

The Modern Day 4.0 and 1600 SAT Score Student Is No Longer Impressive

The Competitive Nature of College Admissions for Asian Americans

The College Application

Our Comprehensive Approach

Ivy League Schools

How Early Should You Prepare for College?

Featured in US News & World Report Best Colleges Publication

Congratulations to AdmissionSight Students and their Acceptances!

College Rejection

College Rankings

College Consultants Could Make A Difference

College Admissions Scandal and Higher Education

How to Qualify for National Merit Semifinalist 2025

How to Update Yale After Submitting Your Application

What Are the Score Choice Policies at Top 50 Universities?

How to Apply to LaunchX

How to Submit Supplemental Materials to Colleges

How to Apply for BS/DO Programs

How to Update Cornell After Submitting Your Application

How to Update Columbia After Submitting Your Application

How to Update Harvard After Submitting Your Application

What Should You Write in Your MIT FUN Form?

How to Secure an Internal Transfer and Dual Degree to Wharton

100 Research Topics for High School Students

SAT Test Dates and Deadlines for 2024-2025

How to Join the FBLA Competitive Events

How to Apply for the Coolidge Scholarship

Top 33 Colleges That Require Test Scores

How to Apply for RISE by Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Articles

How to Qualify for National...

How to Update Yale After...

What Are the Score Choice...

How to Submit Supplemental Materials...

How to Apply for BS/DO...

How to Update Cornell After...

How to Update Columbia After...

How to Update Harvard After...

What Should You Write in...

How to Secure an Internal...

100 Research Topics for High...

Sign up now to receive insights on how to navigate the college admissions process..

Admissions Counseling

• Academic & Extracurricular Profile Evaluation

Copyright © AdmissionSight 2024

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions

How to Write a Great Transfer Essay

Here is the most common prompt for transfer students applying through the Common App :  

“Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.” (250-600 words)

The three key steps to mastering the transfer essay are as follows:

Step One: Establish why you want to transfer.

Tell admissions why you want to transfer, and do so without speaking negatively about your current institution. Are you looking for a bigger school? Do you want to attend a university in a tech-centric city? Did you just discover your passion for a major that your current institution doesn’t offer? Transferring is a big decision, so it’s important to show that your intentions are clear. Whatever the reason, refrain from speaking ill of your current school. You want to come off as optimistic and forward thinking to admissions.  

Step Two: Demonstrate your interest.

Why are you applying to this school in particular? You’ve been through the admissions cycle before and you are wiser than you were a year or two ago. Admissions officers will expect that you’ve done your research and are making a calculated, thoughtful decision to transfer. Your interest in transferring to one school should be directly related to your reason for leaving your current school: What gaps or unmet needs will your prospective institution address? Do you want to transfer for the school’s humongous alumni network, award-winning journalism program, or non-profit affiliations? Have you always dreamed of living in the city in which the school is located? Make sure admissions knows that you aren’t applying because “it’s gotta be better than my current school” but because this school is where you feel you truly belong. Illustrate your drive and maybe you’ll be hitting the ground running come the fall. (Hint: the best way to get the information you need is by setting aside a chunk of time to pore over the school website. Sorry, there’s no shortcut, even the second time around.)

Step Three: Establish the highlights of your collegiate career so far.

You have an edge that most freshman don’t: You’ve already been to college, so you know a bit more about the experience as well as your own academic and career goals. Being able to say that you know you will succeed at your school of choice because you flourish in small classrooms, lead in group projects, excel in the math and sciences or whatever your reasoning may be is crucial. Talk about what you have enjoyed about college thus far (again, be positive!) and how you hope to build on your experience at your (hopefully) new school!

Once you complete these three steps, you will have all the ingredients for a fantastic transfer essay! But before you hit submit, a final word of warning: some schools require transfer applicants to submit supplemental essays (remember those?). Do yourself a favor and compile a list of these in advance to ensure that every essay you write reveals something new and special to admissions. But first, give yourself a pat on the back. By reading this post, you’ve already given yourself a leg up (at least we think so). Go you!  

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

We're here to help.

Written by Kat Stubing

Category: Admissions , advice , College Admissions , Essay Resources , Essay Tips , Essay Writing , Quick Tips , Tips

Tags: brainstorming , College , college admissions , college admissions essay , college applications , college essay , college essay advisors , college essay tutor , essay , essay advice , personal statement , transfer , transfer admissions , transfer application , transfer applications , transfer essay , transfer help , transfer student , transfer students , writing , writing advice , writing help

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guide
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

How to Write a College Transfer Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 4/24/24

If you’re considering switching colleges and want to learn how to write a college transfer essay, read on.

There are multiple reasons to transfer colleges: you weren’t able to get into your top choice in your first round of applications, you want to change your major , or maybe you just have the world’s worst roommate. 

Whatever your reason may be, you should know the transfer process can be lengthy and will differ from your original college applications. For instance, now that you’ve completed some postsecondary education, your undergrad grades will be considered more than your high school GPA. 

Additionally, you’ll have to write a college transfer essay to introduce yourself to the committee and explain why you’d like to join their school. This essay tends to be the hardest part of transfer applications. 

If you’re unsure of where to begin or how to write a successful college transfer essay, this guide has got you covered!

How to Write a College Transfer Essay

Here is a breakdown of how to write an impressive college transfer essay.:

How to Start the Transfer Essay

Your introduction is arguably the most important part of your essay because it’s the first paragraph the committee will read. Accordingly, it has to be intriguing enough to urge them to continue reading. 

Many students start their essays with a statement or story related to their reason for transferring. A safe way to begin your essay is to share a specific principle you have about education that is rooted in an authentic experience.

Maybe you’ve always valued hands-on learning and have a famous story about taking apart your dad’s favorite replica aircraft and putting it back together to learn how it works.

Or, maybe you had a sick relative whose experience in and out of the hospital made you appreciate scientific experimentation and discovery, leading you to pursue medicine at a research-intensive school. 

Regardless of your educational principles, ensure you use a memorable experience to share it. Immerse the readers into your narrative so they feel more connected to you and your words! Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your introduction:

Reconsider Using Famous Quotes 

While there have been successful college transfer essays that used quotes as their opening line, you should avoid overused quotes. If you’re beginning your essay with the phrase “knowledge is power,” it’s time to revisit your list of motivational quotes. 

If you’re set on opening your essay with a quote, choose one the committee hasn’t heard before and think outside the box! You could choose a quote from your favorite book, a show, or a movie. An even better way to ensure you use a unique opening is to quote a family member or friend! 

Maybe your mother always told you to stand up for yourself and that “if someone hits you, you hit them right back!” This seemingly unrelated quote could be used to explain how you’ve always been your biggest self-advocate and fight hard to have what you want, including a high-quality education. 

Forget the Theatrics

You don’t have to choose a story with a nail-biting hook or dramatic ending. Your story doesn’t need to involve a near-death epitome, a tragic loss, or a heroic save. Keep it simple! 

By that same token, don’t use exaggerated or false stories just to prove a point. The admissions committee will see through this and will dock you points for being ingenuine. 

Explain Why You Chose Your Current School

Once you’ve written an attention-grabbing introduction, the next step is to explain why you chose your current school. Perhaps the school boasted its Socratic teaching method that allows students to take charge of their education. Or, it offered a program of specific interest to you. Maybe you chose it simply because it’s one of the top colleges to transfer to .  

Regardless of your reasons, you must include them in your essay to explain how your expectations were not met. This part should be fact-focused. Be succinct and list the reasons you chose your current school over others.

Explain the Reasons You Want to Transfer

Once you’ve recounted the reasons you chose your current school, think about the reasons you decided to leave it. A large part of learning the art of essay writing is knowing what not to say! While you want to remain honest, your answer should revolve around the education you received at your school.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you write this part of your essay:

• Did your program/institution live up to all of your expectations?
• Did you receive the education and support you hoped for?
• Were there enough opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth?
• Are you closer to achieving your career goals after attending your current school?
• What’s missing from your education? What makes you hesitant to stay at your current school?
• Have your career plans changed? Can your current school offer you the resources you need to pursue this new path?

Even if you’re transferring because your roommate never washes the dishes or you’re trying to escape a clingy ex, the admissions committee won’t be interested or amused by these reasons. 

Focus on the positives of your school but explain how they fell short. Perhaps the Socratic teaching method you hoped for fell short of equal dialogue and was more of a typical lecture. Maybe you had a eureka moment in an elective that made you want to switch to a program your current school doesn’t offer.

On the other hand, your current school may have already fulfilled the role it was meant to play. For instance, you may have chosen your current school to stay close to home and care for a sick family member or to take general courses to boost your GPA. 

Explain how these goals were fulfilled and how you’d like to move on to the next stage of your education. No matter what your reasons for transferring are, you’ll need to provide concrete examples to support your claims. Share specific experiences that led to your decision to transfer schools.

This part of your college transfer essay can be tricky. You’ll want to provide concrete examples of how your current school fails to meet your expectations without badmouthing it. To find this balance, avoid making these mistakes:

Placing Blame

Don’t blame your current school for failing to meet your expectations. 

Explaining how the professors were monotonous robots with no enthusiasm for teaching or that the class sizes were far too big to feel connected to your mentors will make you seem too critical. 

You want to phrase your issues in a way that still sheds a positive light on their curriculum and community. In essence, you want to follow a “it’s not you, it’s me” type of explanation! You should explain how your current university offers great resources but not the best ones for your personal aspirations. 

Throwing In the Towel

You should also mention the ways you tried to make the best of your situation at your current school. Even though you ultimately realized your school couldn’t offer you the education or resources you need, you should demonstrate your determination to make it work. 

If your main issue was the lack of connection between you and your professors, you could share how you attended office hours regularly to have more one-on-one conversations. Demonstrate you tried to remedy your issues before deciding to transfer. This will show maturity, perseverance, and adaptability!

Explain Your Academic and Career Goals

This next part of your essay should be tied to what you’ve said previously. Think about your academic goals and what your plans are for the future. 

Here are some questions to guide this part of your essay:

• Where do you hope your education takes you? 
• What will your education be used for? 
• What grades do you hope to receive? 
• What program will help you achieve your career goals?
• What kind of mentors do you believe will help you achieve your academic and career goals?
• What school-based extracurriculars will aid you in your aspirations?

Use these questions to figure out what your specific academic and career goals are. 

Explain Why You Want to Attend the Transfer College

Using the ideas you brainstormed from the previous sections, you want to focus your attention on explaining how your academic and career goals will be best met through your transfer college. 

Research your transfer college well and provide specific reasons explaining why you want to attend. Go deeper than simply retelling the school’s main values, and explain why you’re choosing it in detail. 

Focus on the type of education it provides, the school community and environment, and unique educational offerings, such as a particular program, teaching method, or experiential learning opportunities.

This part of your essay should be tailored specifically to your transfer college. If you can plug in any college name and use the same essay, you’ll need to add more details and continue working on it. 

Take Responsibility for Any Hiccups

Another factor to consider is taking responsibility for any shortcomings. If you’re transferring colleges and have low grades or otherwise unfavorable aspects on your application, you should hold yourself accountable in your essay.

Do not blame your current school for your low grades. Even if you had a poor experience that made it difficult to excel, your grades are ultimately your responsibility. Explain how you will improve in your transfer school and the steps you’ve taken to become a stronger student. 

Focus on Reflection

Your college transfer essay is essentially a reflection on your university experience and goals. This helps narrow things down and ensure you don’t choose a taboo essay topic . Just keep it simple and truthful by sharing your academic journey and why it’s brought you to where you are today.

As important as it is to share your next steps and eagerness to join your transfer school, it’s equally as important to reflect on the present and past. 

You should reflect on your own educational principles, your reasons for attending your current school, the ups and downs that influenced you to transfer, and finally, how your transfer school will assist you in the next stage of your educational journey.

Keep It Casual

Your transfer statement isn’t your typical structured, formal three-body paragraph essay. Keep it casual, and don’t be afraid to use contractions or more colloquial language. 

While you, of course, want to avoid using slang or distasteful language, you should let your personality shine through and give your essay a more conversational feel. 

The admissions committee should feel like they’re getting to know more about your essence and values, not just your impeccable writing skills—although those are essential to demonstrate too!

Have Clear Intentions

Admissions committees will appreciate if you can demonstrate clear direction and intention in your essay. Provide specific examples of what you need your university to provide to help you reach your goals and how these needs are not being met currently.

Demonstrate Your Growth

Your university experience should offer you more insight and perspective on education. Share this perspective in your essay and prove you are a mature and insightful student. 

A good indicator of maturity is speaking positively about your current school despite its limitations. You should portray both an eagerness to pursue other options and an appreciation for your current university. In other words, you should prove that while your current school isn’t the best fit for you, it’s still an excellent school!

Make it Personal

We’ve said it multiple times, and we’re saying it one last time in hopes you won’t forget. Use as many concrete examples as you can throughout your essay. Do not rely on any vague aspirations or reasons for transferring. 

Go deeper than simply wanting a higher quality education! What made your current school’s education unsatisfactory? What experiences led to the conclusion that you needed more? How can your transfer school fill in this gap? 

Keep in mind that this advice also applies to a transfer applicant’s personal statement. The overall goal is to be as genuine as possible while staying true to your goal - communicating your desire to attend the college. 

Edit Multiple Times

You may have great ideas and an excellent story to tell in your essay, but having poor grammar or spelling errors will reduce your essay’s effectiveness.

Ensure you edit your essay multiple times before submitting it. Take time between your editing sessions so you can look at it with fresh eyes each time. You’re more likely to catch errors this way!

How to Conclude the Transfer Essay

Overlooking the conclusion of your essay can make what would be an amazing essay a good essay. Considering schools are highly selective with transfer applications , especially Ivy League schools , a good essay is unlikely to win you any points with the admissions committee. 

Imagine your essay as a circle. To complete the circle, your final paragraph should reiterate the themes and principles mentioned in your introduction. Revisit the story you shared and reflect on the educational principle that guided your essay. 

Briefly reiterate what type of education you could receive at your current school—a great but ultimately unsuitable one—and mention the better-suited education you’d receive at your transfer school. 

The final conclusion in an essay for transfer students should be short, sweet, and straightforward. It should not:

Leave the Readers Wanting More

There should be no cliffhangers in your essay. You aren’t writing a novel with a sequel; this essay is all the admissions committee will receive, so you want it to paint a comprehensive and complete picture of yourself.

Introduce New Information

Don’t use your conclusion to throw in any afterthoughts you had while revising your essay. You’ll have a lot of ideas for what to include in your essay, but you shouldn’t try to fit all of them into such a limited space. 

Make Promises

Don’t try to convince the admissions committee to accept you into their programs by making bogus promises. You don’t need to promise them you’ll be a stellar student at the top of your classes or that you’ll make great contributions to their school community. 

There should be no ultimatums in your essay! If you find yourself writing a sentence along the lines of “If you accept me into your school, I promise to…”, dial it back and refocus your conclusion. 

Mistakes to Avoid in Your College Transfer Essay

When crafting your college transfer essay, it's essential to steer clear of common pitfalls that can hinder your chances of acceptance. This is especially important in writing effective transfer essays for Ivy League schools that are looking for the best of the best.

Clarity Is Key

Make sure your essay is crystal clear in explaining your reasons for transferring and what you hope to achieve at your prospective new college. Avoid vague or overly broad statements that might leave the admissions committee perplexed about your motivations.

Emphasize Positivity

Another crucial mistake to avoid is adopting a negative tone throughout your essay. While acknowledging your reasons for transferring is important, dwelling solely on the negative aspects of your current college experience can be off-putting. Instead, emphasize your desire for fresh opportunities and personal growth.

Tailor Your Essay

One-size-fits-all essays are also to be avoided. When you look at an 

sample of a transfer statement or an essay that’s been successful, you’ll notice that it’s not generic. So, do your best to tailor your essay to the specific college you're applying to, highlighting what makes that institution the right fit for your educational goals. 

Focus on Aspirations

Additionally, resist the urge to place blame on your current college, professors, or classmates for your decision to transfer. Focus on your aspirations and what you hope to achieve at the new college.

Stay Realistic

Be realistic in your expectations; avoid making it sound like the new college is a magical solution to all your academic or personal challenges. Keep your essay concise and within the prescribed word limit, as admissions officers have many essays to review.

Thorough Research Matters

Thoroughly research the new college and mention specific programs, professors, or resources that align with your goals. Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can detract from your essay's impact, so proofread it carefully.

Highlight Personal Growth

Lastly, don't forget to showcase personal growth and the lessons you've learned from your current college experience. Admissions officers appreciate applicants who demonstrate self-awareness and a commitment to growth.

Hopefully this breakdown has inspired you to write your own memorable essay.

College Transfer Essay Example

Understanding the steps to write a college transfer essay and what to avoid is a great place to start, but you might still be struggling to visualize what an excellent transfer essay looks like. Take a look at these examples of transfer essays to get started.  

Essay Example #1

Here is a successful college transfer essay example that got a student into Duke University—a school with a transfer acceptance rate ranging from 3% to 7% in the past five years.

“A goal without a plan is just a wish, and I don't consider myself to be a wishful thinker, but a person of practical approach. And so, when I began my freshman year of college, Louisiana State University was strategically the best available option. 

LSU offered the scholarships I needed, including the statewide TOPS program which, at the time, guaranteed the price of tuition for anyone with an ACT score of twenty-seven or above. 

Additionally, LSU had no cap on early credit, which allowed me to put to use the seventy-four hours I had amassed in high school towards pursuing majors in political science, economics, and French with an Arabic minor.

However, I didn't know the hindrances I would face at LSU in pursuit of my chosen career path until I was plugging into the campus community, at which point I found a number of pragmatic reasons that LSU is no longer appropriate for the goals towards which I am working.

The obstacles began to arise when I finally honed my interests. I distinctly remember change brewing as I sat in my biweekly social contract seminar listening to my professor discuss the paper he was working on, in which he aimed to tie human prosociality to neuroplasticity, all of which, he argued, would undermine Hobbes’ social contract theory.

That’s what I wanted – not the subject matter, but the principle. I wanted the attempt; I wanted to learn and to theorize and even to be wrong sometimes. I wanted to translate my interdisciplinary interests in political and economic theory into applicable policy.

Given my passion for writing and discussion, sharing theories and findings with colleagues and inspiring students, too, was ideal. And so, I finally knew I wanted to be a professor of public policy.

Sadly, LSU did not have a public policy program, and so I defaulted to political science. However, the political science department is inherently theory-based rather than policy-oriented. From studying the public policy curricula of other universities, I know that a public policy program is more suited to my own interest in applications of governance.

Undeterred by this initial setback and eager to begin my journey in the world of academia, I immediately sought research opportunities, but I quickly learned that they weren’t easily accessible.

Upon meeting with counsellors, I was told I would have to find professors to work with on my own, as there was no designated undergraduate research database or protocol. 

This in itself was another stark concern as I need a university in which conducting research is an integral part of the collegiate experience as it is a necessity in my education and preparation for the future. 

Though I have contacted professors, happy to take any experience I can get, I have found that most positions are reserved for upperclassmen and are primarily data entry oriented. 

Also, the lack of a public policy program has meant that the available work I have found does not meet the particular needs of the future policy-oriented research in which I hope to engage.

Though I know I could do well at LSU and receive an amazing education, staying at the university would mean, at best, having to overcome serious curricular deficits in achieving my goals or, at worst, having to change my plans altogether. 

And so, I have resolved to transfer in an effort to give myself the best possible opportunity to prepare for and succeed in my future.” 

Why This Essay Works

Like the Duke admissions committee, you were likely impressed by this essay! To ensure you know exactly what to include in your own essay, here are the aspects that make this Duke-approved essay successful:

Its Interesting Opening

This student uses their own quote to open their essay. As simple as their introduction is, it gets the point across and intrigues the reader to learn more. 

Right off the bat it also proves this student has a sense of direction; they have plans that they are determined to fulfill. This not only shows ambition but proves to the admission committee this student has actually put thought into their choice to transfer.

Its Use of Concrete Examples

The student recounts the exact moment they realized their current school did not offer the resources they needed to succeed. This personal story makes the essay more authentic and immerses the readers into their life and thought process.

Its Positive Outlook

While the student lists all the reasons for their transfer, namely that their current school does not offer the right program and that it has limited research opportunities, they remain positive throughout.

They still praise their current school for its excellent scholarship program, early credit approval, and thought-provoking lectures, but contend they require more to reach their goals.

This student also demonstrates their willingness to persevere and make the best of their situation by searching for research opportunities and joining the next best program available. Yet, despite their efforts, they decided a transfer was in their best interests. These traits, perseverance and self-awareness, are key to a great transfer essay!

Its Effective Conclusion

This essay proves your conclusion doesn’t have to be elaborate to work. This student’s conclusion reiterates their opinions on their current school, that it is great but not perfect, and states their opinions on their transfer school, that it can offer them the most opportunity. It is simple yet highly effective!

Essay Example #2

Take a look at this second transfer essay example . It was provided by Miami Dade College, which also has a collection of successful examples of personal statements for transfer applicants to refer to. 

Though the school this particular essay example was written for is unknown, it was indeed a successful essay and has much to offer. 

“On a dark and breezy night after a hurricane sped through town, a tall little girl sat on her great-aunt’s porch in Santa Clara and stared at the stars she had never before seen. They’re so bright, she thought in awe. 

They seemed so near, she might be able to reach out to the ashy vastness and grab one, maybe put it under her pillow to brighten her dreams. With eyes wide open, she listened to her momma tell stories of men with belts, and twin sisters, and brother bears, such fantastical worlds that made more sense than her own.

 A crooked smile adorned her chubby face as she sat on her momma’s lap amidst the laziness of a late summer weeknight. Her warm, mud pie eyes seemed to be too big for her little face every time they opened with wonder or grew with curiosity. The light that would shine from within them was something to behold. 

The way she would perk up at the mention of an adventure or a possible journey was almost comical. She was such an expressive child it felt almost as if you were watching a miniaturized adult. Sometimes, she would place her awkwardly big hands on her little hips and furrow her dark eyebrows as she reprimanded her dog for chewing apart her favorite Reptar quilt. 

A brave little thing she was, that charcoal-haired girl. She walked across the river before the others, making up a little trail on the rocks as she went so they weren’t scared. She challenged the fastest runner in third grade to a race; even though she lost, all the girls in fifth grade suddenly wanted to become her best friend. 

She wasn’t popular, but people knew her as the one who they could talk to. She wasn’t wise or all-knowing, but she always had something to say. She was an odd child, if not strange. 

She was quite tranquil, she never really cried when she fell from her bicycle. Instead of playing house, she played librarian. Instead of drawing pink flowers and blue skies, she would write her momma letters. 

Defining her was as difficult of a task as separating the different flavors of a melted Napolitano ice cream on a sticky Sunday afternoon. Yes, she was simple, but she had these moments where she would take the ordinary out of the world and make you forget there was something rather bland about everyday life. 

As that little girl grew older, she reminded herself of who she was, and promised never to forget. She vowed to remember how she grew up and reaffirm her belief in herself. She grew quickly, almost skipping through the teenage years like a child would through a hopscotch game. 

It happened so fast, it was almost impossible to distinguish at one point she was a little girl with a big dream, and when she turned into a woman with great hopes for her future.”

It’s clear why this essay was a success. Keep reading to learn why it resonated with the admissions committee. 

Compelling Storytelling

This essay begins with a captivating story set against the backdrop of a hurricane. It describes a young girl sitting on her great-aunt's porch, gazing at the stars with awe. This vivid imagery immediately draws the reader into the narrative, making it easy to picture the scene and the girl's sense of wonder.

Emotional Connection 

As the story unfolds, the reader is not just told about the girl's experiences but is made to feel them. We witness her curiosity, her bold challenges (like racing the fastest runner in her class), and her unique quirks (such as playing librarian and writing letters instead of drawing). This emotional connection helps us relate to the girl and understand her character.

Smooth Transition and Reflection

The essay smoothly transitions from describing the girl's childhood to her growth into a young woman. It skillfully highlights her commitment to maintaining her sense of self and personal growth. This transition bridges her past experiences with her future aspirations, making her transfer to a new college a natural and logical step in her journey.

Symbolism and Metaphor

The use of symbolism and metaphor enhances the essay's impact. The comparison of the girl's personality to "melted Napolitano ice cream on a sticky Sunday afternoon" vividly conveys her complexity. It suggests that she can transform ordinary situations into something extraordinary, hinting at her potential contributions to a new academic environment.

Resonance and Promise

The essay closes on a reflective note, emphasizing the girl's promise to remember her roots and her rapid transformation into adulthood. 

This conclusion creates a sense of resonance with the reader, leaving a lasting impression of her character and determination. It implies that she is ready for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in her college journey.

Hopefully, these samples of transfer essays have inspired you. To learn more, check out these other transfer essay examples .  

FAQs: Writing a College Transfer Essay

We’ve provided an in-depth tutorial on writing a college transfer essay that’ll impress the admissions committee and get you into your dream school. For any remaining questions, read on to find your answers.

1. How Do You Start a College Transfer Essay?

The best way to start a college transfer essay is by sharing a memorable experience that either influenced your decision to change schools or is integral to your perspective on education. 

2. How Long Should My Transfer Essay Be?

The exact length of your transfer essay will depend on the university you are applying to. However, these essays are typically around one to two pages long. 

3. How Do You Write a Short Transfer Essay?

Some universities will ask that your transfer essays do not exceed one page or around 250 words. In this case, it’s essential you still include all the necessary information listed in this guide but do so in a succinct way. Here are some general tips to make sure your short transfer essay still packs a punch:

• During the brainstorming process, separate all the great ideas from the excellent ones; only use the excellent ideas
• Share only one concrete experience that influenced you to transfer colleges
• Keep your introduction and conclusion short, preferably only a few sentences each
• Use simple, straightforward language and avoid overly flowery language that takes up valuable space 
• Focus on the big reasons you want to attend your transfer college, leave smaller perks out

While it may seem counterproductive, you should write your first rough draft without paying attention to the word count. If you worry too much about staying within the limits, you may leave out important ideas or overthink your narrative.

Once you’ve written out a good rough draft, spend time revising and cutting down to meet the requirements. This way, you’ll have all of your ideas written out and can pick the best ones.

4. What Should You Not Write in a Transfer Essay?

You should avoid the following in your college transfer essay:

• Overused or generic quotes
• Badmouthing your current school
• Blaming your current school for its inability to meet your expectations
• Exaggerated stories
• Vague reasons for your transfer
• Generic reasons to join your transfer school
• A conclusion that leaves the readers with more questions 

You should avoid making any grammatical, syntax, or spelling errors in your essay, as doing so will make it less effective. Also, keep in mind that using the same college essay for your transfer application is not a good idea. It may make you appear insincere and not fully engaged in your new academic path.

5. How Important Are Transfer Essays?

Your transfer essay isn’t the only application material the admissions committee will consider. However, it can play a large role in their selection process. In a recent survey, it was found that almost half of all participating colleges stated the transfer essay has considerable or moderate importance.

Hence, it’s essential you spend an adequate amount of time perfecting your essay to ensure it helps rather than harms your chances of acceptance. 

6. How Do You End a College Transfer Essay?

You should end your college transfer essay by revisiting the principle, experience, or statement you used in your introduction. Reiterate this sentiment and expand on it after sharing your experience with your current university and the experience you hope to have at your desired school.

Keep your conclusion brief and avoid making any promises to the admissions committee or including new information that would require further explanation. 

7. Are College Transfer Essays the Same as Personal Statements?

No, you’ll write personal statements during your first round of applications. These statements are more open-ended and broad than college transfer essays. They simply give the admissions committee more insight into who you are. 

Students may choose to write more about their academics, extracurriculars, or life experiences that influenced them to pursue a certain career path. The main purpose of your transfer essay is to explain why you’re switching schools. 

Final Thoughts

Don’t underestimate the power of your words! Understanding how to write a college transfer essay can be a game changer. A strong college transfer essay can convince the admissions committee you’re a mature, determined, and ambitious student who would make a great addition to their university.

Follow the tips and strategies shared in this guide to ensure you write a memorable and winning college transfer essay! 

Access 20+ Transfer Essay Examples Here

Get A Free Consultation

You may also like.

Public Ivy League Schools: Explained & Ranked

How to Get Into USC: Requirements, Acceptance Rate & Tips

Common App Transfer Essay Examples

Common app transfer essay — introduction.

If you’re considering transferring colleges , you’ve likely started thinking about your college transfer essay. At CollegeAdvisor, we’re here to fill you in on the Common App transfer essay, as well as the overall transfer application process. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the college transfer essay. We’ll also provide you with some Common App transfer essay examples and other transfer essay tips. 

Additionally, we’ll go over:

• What a college transfer essay is
• How to craft a strong Common App transfer essay
• College transfer requirements at top schools
• Other transfer essay tips

Understanding the College Transfer Essay

The college transfer essay process differs a bit from the essay process you likely went through as a first-year applicant. Instead of writing one Common App transfer essay that you’ll send to every school, each college transfer essay is school-specific. In fact, some colleges don’t even include a college transfer essay in their application requirements—though most selective institutions do. 

To help you prepare, we’ve gathered a variety of sample transfer essays from top schools nationwide. We hope these Common App transfer essay examples help you feel confident as you begin crafting your own college transfer essays. 

In our guide, we’ll look at transfer essays that worked from the following colleges:

• Emory University
• Wesleyan University
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Miami

But before we look at a sample transfer essay, let’s get back to basics: what is a college transfer essay? 

What is a college transfer essay?

Put simply, a college transfer essay is an essay you’ll write as part of the college transfer process. At their core, most Common App transfer essay prompts will ask a similar question: why do you want to transfer to our school? 

This prompt is similar to the “why school” essays you likely encountered as a first-year applicant. However, with transfer students, colleges may look for a bit more detail. 

Your Common App transfer essays should try to address the following: 

• Why do you want to transfer to this particular school? What programs and offerings attract you to this institution?
• What makes you unique, and why will you enrich the campus community at your new college? 
• Why was your former college not the right fit for you, and why is this college a better place for you to pursue your goals?

Of course, you should never outright speak negatively about your current college in your Common App transfer essays. However, your college transfer essays should clarify why you and why your next school will be a better fit than your current one. 

Later, we’ll look at some Common App transfer essay examples in more detail. Keep the questions above in mind as you read our sample transfer essays. While there’s no universal Common App transfer essay prompt, there are many similarities in the transfer college essays for different colleges. Reading different college essays that worked and sample transfer essays can prepare you for any Common App transfer essay prompts you encounter. 

Common App Transfer Essay Requirements

Unlike in the first-year application process, transfer students using the Common App won’t submit a single personal statement to every school. Instead, students will use the Common App for transfer—that is, the version of the Common App designed for transfer students. Each school specifies application requirements within the Common App for transfer; that’s where you’ll find any Common App transfer essay requirements. It’s also where you can select specific programs within your desired schools.

Moreover, not every college will have a standard transfer essay format. Rather, you might find different prompts, word counts, and other requirements for different transfer applications. With that said, you can likely repurpose a certain amount of information from your college transfer essays for different schools. 

Additionally, note that not every college where you may want to transfer will use the Common App. While the Common App has over 1,000 member institutions at the first-year level, around 600 colleges use the Common App for transfer. So, you should always check each college’s application requirements. Some schools may also use the Coalition Application. Schools like UIUC , UMiami , and USC will all have their own transfer essay requirements. 

Next, let’s take a closer look at transfer application requirements. Then, we’ll look at some sample transfer essays and discuss different college essays that worked. 

Understanding Transfer Application Requirements

In general, most colleges will ask for a similar set of transfer application requirements. These include: 

• The Common App transfer application  
• A writing supplement, including your college transfer essay(s)
• Standardized test scores, though some colleges remain test-optional
• Official college transcript
• Dean’s/College’s/Registrar’s Report
• College instructor recommendations (2)
• Official high school transcript

As you begin the transfer application process, make sure you’re prepared for these requirements. Additionally, while you may or may not submit a full resume when you apply to college, it’s good to have one on hand. 

Staying Engaged on Campus

Note that as a transfer student, colleges will pay attention to how you’ve used your time on your original college campus. So, to increase your admissions odds at top schools, you should earn high grades and engage in various extracurricular activities. Even if you don’t want to complete your college experience at your current school, you should still make the most of your time there. 

On some of your college transfer essays, you might be asked to discuss an extracurricular activity or engagement. You won’t see this kind of prompt in most of our transfer essay examples. However, you should be prepared to discuss your involvement on campus in your college transfer essays. Colleges want to see that you’re an engaged member of your community. 

Common App Transfer Essay Prompts

Next, let’s take a look at some Common App transfer essay prompts and review some transfer essays that worked. 

As we’ve discussed, students won’t all answer one Common App transfer essay prompt. Instead, you’ll respond to a different Common App transfer essay prompt for each school. However, as you’ll notice from our collection of transfer essays that worked, college transfer essay prompts tend to be similar. 

Comparing Some Common App Transfer Essay Prompts

To begin, let’s look at the Common App transfer essay prompts from Harvard University: 

• Briefly, please indicate the most influential factors in your decision to attend your present college (for example, location, cost, size of student body, only option, special program offered, Early Decision plan, etc.) 
• What alternatives to transferring to Harvard are you considering?
• Please indicate your field of specialization and briefly outline your academic plans at Harvard College.
• What are your current postgraduate/career plans?
• Briefly discuss one book that has strongly influenced you.

As you can see, if you apply to Harvard as a transfer student, you’ll have to write several college transfer essays. In our college transfer essays that worked, successful students make the most of every Common App transfer essay prompt. 

Notre Dame transfer essay prompt

Remember, each of your college transfer essays offers the admissions team a chance to learn more about you. So, you should make the most of every one of your Common App transfer essays. Regardless of the college transfer essay format, view each college transfer essay as a chance to teach your reader something new. 

While we won’t see Common App transfer essay examples from Harvard here, we’ll read sample transfer essays from other competitive colleges. You can apply these transfer essay tips to any college transfer essay. 

Let’s take a look at another Common App transfer essay prompt—this time, from Notre Dame.

Unlike Harvard, Notre Dame does not ask students to complete a collection of Common App transfer essay prompts. Instead, when it comes to college transfer essays, Notre Dame just asks for one thing :

“a well-crafted personal statement explaining your interest in Notre Dame, your academic and professional goals, and how transferring to Notre Dame can help you achieve them.”

Clarifying your academic goals.

You might notice one similarity between the Common App transfer essay prompts for Notre Dame and Harvard. Both schools ask you to have a clear sense of your academic and professional goals. 

As a first-year applicant, your choice of college major matters less than it does as a transfer applicant. In fact, in some cases, the major you indicate will have little to no bearing on your admissions odds. However, as a transfer student, colleges expect you to have some sense of your future goals. In light of that, you should be able to articulate your future college major in your college transfer essays. 

When you read our Common App transfer essay examples, you’ll notice the authors clearly explain their academic and future goals. This allows the writers of our sample transfer essays to clarify why a given school meets their academic needs. 

Look for these strategies in our UMiami essay examples, USC transfer essay examples, Emory essay examples, and other college essays that worked. Now, let’s dig into some targeted transfer essay tips and read some great Common App transfer essays. 

College Transfer Essay — Emory Essay Examples

Let’s start by reviewing Emory essay examples from accepted transfer students. By reading these Common App transfer essay examples, you can learn more about how to approach the college transfer essay process. 

Here’s our Emory transfer essay example: 

Emory Transfer Essay Example

My time at Texas Christian University has been an orienting and insightful experience. Despite the brevity of my stay, I grasped a better understanding of the type of qualities that I desire from a college. In addition, I gained new perspectives, forged relationships, and made memories that I’ll cherish for life. The decision to apply to Emory was made with careful consideration, but ultimately with confidence. While I will always be grateful for my experience at TCU, I’ve concluded that Emory is where I can thrive academically and socially.

I took a medley of courses during my first semester at TCU to ensure that I chose my path with confidence. Comparative Literature was the major I was searching for. It allows me to channel my desires for a diversified education, and pairs well with my ardor for foreign languages.  Unfortunately, despite the enthusiasm, it isn’t offered at TCU, but it is at Emory. However, the ability to pursue Comparative Literature may have drawn me to Emory, but it was the breadth of the academic curriculum and resources that helped me to conclude that it was the right school for me.

The breadth of the curriculum itself covers a broad range of topics ranging from Post-Colonial Literature to “Love & Sex in the Italian Renaissance.” I would truly be able to get a diversified education through a host of interesting topics. Attending Emory would allow me to supplement my education with curriculum outside the classroom, allowing me to enrich my educational experience. Through the thesis during senior year I could gain insight from conducting intense exploration on a subject I deeply care about.

As a research assistant I conducted research on Horace Walpole’s influence in early British Parliament. Through this, I learned how to organize and structure knowledge, how to communicate and how to be a more attentive and critical interpreter of history. Those are the kind of skills I want to amplify and Emory’s focus on Undergraduate Research would give me support for that in spades. I could also have fun attending poetry readings, symposiums, and film screenings. In terms of my major, the depth of the classes and the sheer possibilities enabled by Emory’s academic resources would truly allow me to make the most of my education at Emory.

What stands out about Emory for me and makes it so desirable is the intimate approach in the faculty-to-student relationship. Engaged professors who genuinely care for the wellbeing of the student is the type of setting fostered at Emory and would allow me to flourish as a student.

Diversity, not just in race, but in socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and most importantly, perspective, both academically and socially, is the type of variation fostered at Emory. This is the type of college experience I want as I’ve learned that only through differences can intellectual curiosity truly be fostered.

Emory’s location would allow me the amenities of Atlanta without having to forego a traditional college experience. I could try authentic Persian food one night and go karaoke the next. Art is a personal hobby of mine and I can foresee many art crawls given Atlanta’s vibrant art scene. Of course, a visit to Emory’s own Michael C. Carlos museum would be due first.

Beyond the city, Georgia is host to a myriad of beautiful landscapes. I could hike at Tallulah Gorge or enjoy the scenic view at Amicalola. Emory’s active campus life would also mean weekends filled with prominent guest-speakers and exploring new hobbies. What I appreciate about Emory is the balance between academics and social life because while college is a place to learn, it is also a place to make memories.

I’ve never regretted my time here. I simply exhausted all the available resources and it’s my responsibility to go where I can flourish as a student in every sense, and this place for me, is Emory University.  

Why This Essay Worked

Successful Emory essay examples will specify what makes Emory the right place for an applicant. This essay does just that. Moreover, it offers a great example of a common college transfer essay format. Namely, it describes why the student wishes to transfer while detailing what makes Emory the perfect fit for them. 

As one of our Emory essay examples, the writer of this sample transfer essay makes it clear why Emory is the right fit for them. First, the writer describes how they’ve used their time at TCU to gain a sense of their academic interests and goals. They then clarify how, in this journey of self-discovery, they have realized why TCU isn’t the right place for them. 

This sample transfer essay then uses specific examples of why Emory would be a better fit. They mention specific courses, programs, and other offerings. This sample transfer essay also highlights why Atlanta would be a better college setting for this student than Fort Worth. Strong Emory essay examples will be specific—that is, they’ll discuss particular programs and offerings only found at Emory. 

Overall, this transfer essay example excels at describing who this student is, why they wish to transfer, and how they’d leverage Emory’s resources. 

Next, let’s look at some more transfer essays that worked—namely, a successful Wesleyan essay. 

Wesleyan Essay — Transfer Essays That Worked

Next, let’s dig into another one of our Common App transfer essay examples. Like the first of our Common App transfer essay examples, the essay below includes detailed and specific information about how the writer will thrive at their new institution. 

Our next transfer essay example is for Wesleyan . Let’s take a look at the essay and explore why it stood out to Wesleyan admissions:

Wesleyan Transfer Essay Example

My need for academic diversity marks the first reason behind my desire to transfer. The reality is that there is a disproportionate emphasis placed on business and natural sciences at my current college. While these majors deserve merit, the situation here translates to a lack of the same quality of opportunities and resources for the humanities. I realized that I need a setting where every academic field is equally regarded because it is in these types of environments that intellectual curiosity is truly fostered.

While I spent my initial months as a pre-major, I took a medley of courses to ensure that I chose a path I was genuinely passionate about. I am unable to pursue my academic desires here, but at Wesleyan, I can. My first year of college helped me to narrow down my want for a cosmopolitan education. During a class, I was introduced to literary and post-colonial theory and discovered a new passion. I want to pursue certification in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory for a diversified education, and with the interdisciplinary coursework at Wesleyan, I could do so. With intense courses and guidance from caring faculty, Wesleyan would allow me the strong and intimate academic foundation that I desire.

Wesleyan has what I am looking for and am unfortunately unable to find at my current school: enthusiasm for languages. I possess a passion for foreign languages and with Wesleyan’s orientation intense curricula for foreign languages, I would have a supportive environment. While I am currently taking 2 languages, I hope to pursue Arabic language and culture, and in addition, live in the Turath Program House. Foreign languages are usually regarded as a side-study but with the open curriculum and programming at Wesleyan, I could allow foreign languages the space in my academic schedule that it deserves. 

My first year made me realize how I took diversity for granted. Diversity, not just in ethnicity, but in socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and most importantly, perspective, is the type of representation I want on a campus. Wesleyan truly reflects the concept of equal opportunity in every sense. Coming from a background where food stamps were normalized and then moving to a school where most of the student body comes from the upper socioeconomic trend has been eye-opening.

The notion that there is a disparity in resources and experiences between polar financial levels is swept under the rug here. I appreciate that Wesleyan not only acknowledges but acts towards lessening the gap by providing resources and opportunities to low-income/first-gen families. It’s this type of effort that will allow those without equal access to have the stability for their academic merits to shine through.

Wesleyan’s location also offers me the scenic nature-based and intimate small-town vibe that I desire. While I love Fort Worth, the climate, people, and attractions in Middletown would fit me better. Whether I’m hiking at Cockaponset or attending a play by ArtFarm with my friends, I would get the college experience that I desire without foregoing an intimate college community. 

Why this essay worked

While this Common App transfer essay prompt isn’t in use anymore, this Wesleyan essay answers a standard question: why do you wish to transfer, and why Wesleyan? 

Once again, the writer of this transfer essay example gives reasons why their current school isn’t the right fit. They express their desire for more academic, cultural, racial, and social diversity than is available on their current college campus. Many college essays that worked discuss diversity and inclusion; this Wesleyan essay writer showcases how they’ll enrich their future campus community. In doing so, it gives Wesleyan admissions officers a strong sense of the student’s values. 

Additionally, this Wesleyan essay uses specific details to show what makes Wesleyan the right fit for this student. In particular, this sample transfer essay describes in detail the writer’s passion for studying languages. The writer details how they would use Wesleyan’s resources to explore this passion. 

In reading this essay, the Wesleyan admissions team can see clearly how the student would make use of Wesleyan’s resources. 

Like our other Common App transfer essay examples, this Wesleyan essay illustrates why the writer wishes to transfer. At the same time, it emphasizes how they would make the most of their new institution. 

USC Transfer Essay Examples

Let’s move on to more college transfer essay examples and take a look at some USC transfer essay examples. We hope these Common App transfer essay examples help you prepare to craft your own essays. 

In the 2021 admissions cycle, the USC transfer acceptance rate was about 26% according to the USC admissions office. While USC does not widely publicize the USC transfer acceptance rate, it’s generally reported as around 24-26%. In other words, you can assume that the USC transfer acceptance rate is relatively low. That means you should do all you can to prepare your transfer application ahead of the USC transfer deadline. Note that the USC transfer deadline is February 15th for most programs. 

Overall, the USC transfer requirements are similar to those for other schools. They include the Common Application, your high school transcript, and your college transcript. Some academic programs require additional letters of recommendation, portfolio materials, and other supplements. You’ll complete the USC college transfer essays through the Common App. 

USC Transfer Essay Examples — Long Answer

The USC transfer requirements will vary by major. However, regardless of additional USC transfer requirements for certain programs, you’ll need USC college transfer essays.

Unlike the rest of our transfer essay examples, the USC transfer essay examples also include short answer responses. So, in addition to the main USC college transfer essay, you’ll find some short-form USC transfer essay examples below. 

Let’s start with the main USC transfer essay: 

USC Transfer Essay Example

The feature that appeals the most to me about USC is the zeal that the English department displays. It was the amount of English-oriented events that hooked me and the quality of them that finally reeled me into USC’s shore. Numerous poetry readings, prominent guest speakers, and enthusiastic organizations geared towards English would help immensely with supplementing my learning experience. The cherry on top is the study abroad program entwined with English, allowing for total immersion into the culture and subject.

These types of academic opportunities are integral to making the most of my studies. Furthermore, I would be remiss to not acknowledge the world-class faculty at USC’s English department. What USC presents is an academic environment where the ardor I have for English is matched. It’s a community where college isn’t viewed as a method of job placement but a place to foster intellectual curiosity.

Socially, my current school has been full of learning experiences as I navigated a social scene that starkly contrasted against the ones I grew up with. However, I knew this was a common experience and stayed optimistic. I dabbled in clubs, finding some that piqued my interest, and rushed a sorority before discovering what I wanted to direct my time and effort towards.

While I opted out of Greek life, I did find organizations and people on campus that I enjoyed, such as Spectrum (LGBTQ+) and Hall Crew, an organization geared towards dorm-community bonding. However, some contemplation allowed me to recognize that the people I had gravitated towards drew me in due to a recurring sentiment: my desire for a more diverse setting.

When the word “diversity” is mentioned, people naturally assume ethnicity. While this factor is an important component in the multi-faceted topic of diversity, it isn’t all-encompassing. My current school has helped me realize that diversity, not just in race, but in sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and most importantly, perspective, is a necessary aspect of a college environment. Attending USC would give me a chance to experience the kind of diversity I crave; a campus comprised of students from all over the globe would ensure this. 

The first of our USC transfer essay examples indicates exactly what attracts this applicant to USC. In this sample transfer essay, the writer describes their interest in USC’s English program and why it would fit them. As you read this transfer essay example, you can imagine this student thriving on USC’s campus. 

Once again, like other transfer essays that worked, this transfer essay example shows why the writer was dissatisfied with their college. However, it doesn’t dwell on the negatives—instead, this sample transfer essay looks forward to the writer’s goals at USC. 

To make the most of your USC essays, make sure you draft them well ahead of the USC transfer deadline. This gives you enough time to polish your essays and make sure they highlight your strengths. Transfer essays that worked are often initially written well before the deadline and revised several times.

USC Transfer Essay Examples — Short Answer

Next, let’s take a look at more Common App transfer essay examples—namely, the short answer USC transfer essay examples: 

1. What is the most fun you’ve had lately?

On the Fourth of July, I braved the scorching heat at Six Flags over Atlanta, my favorite childhood vacation spot. I got drenched on Thunder River, lost my voice on Goliath, and won a giant stuffed Pokemon in a ball toss game. As the sun set, I admired the fireworks while devouring two plates of food at the all-you-can-eat buffet.  

2. If you had to give yourself a nickname, what would it be?

After joining the middle school swim team, I discovered that I was a terrible diver and would always painfully belly flop into the water. I begged my parents to let me volunteer at the library instead. While watching the librarian’s favorite movie, “Ella Enchanted,” she affectionately shortened my name to Ella. I moved the next summer, so the nickname always evokes nostalgia for my hometown. 

3. What are three things you don’t care about at all?

The difference between white and yellow onions (I use them interchangeably in my recipes.)

The iOS versus Android debate (I have a Galaxy phone and a Macbook.) 

The correct way to hang toilet paper (I keep the rolls in a cabinet to hide them from my two mischievous cats.) 

4. Describe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved.

With plans to diversify the fundraisers and collaborate with community partners, I campaigned to be UNICEF Club president my junior year of high school. I was excited to be more involved in the organization I had volunteered with for years. Unfortunately, I had to miss the election day to receive my green card and was ultimately not selected.

5. What do you see as the physician’s role in Public Health? Please answer the question in 150 words or less.

Especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I see physicians as educators and advocates for their communities. While conducting research and volunteering at my local food pantry, I saw how the pandemic led to rising medical misinformation and mistrust and exacerbated barriers to accessing healthcare. When unemployment soared in March 2020, I noted the strain on clients at the local food bank, who struggled to afford groceries, utilities, and medical bills. I believe that physicians should advocate for increasing access to affordable healthcare, from expanding subsidized coverage to lowering surprise medical bills.

As a Research Assistant, I discovered that a quarter of the rural patients with HIV in our study believed that COVID-19 vaccinations were dangerous or linked to autism. Through creating trusting relationships and supportive environments, I believe physicians can guide patients to make informed health decisions that optimize their clinical outcomes. 

Why these essays worked

Like any college essays that worked, these USC transfer essay examples showcase what makes the writer unique. The best Common App transfer essay examples clearly demonstrate the writer’s personality and how they’ll enrich their next college campus. 

Remember, every college transfer essay gives you the chance to tell the admissions team something new about you. Certainly, these short answer responses follow a different college transfer essay format than our longer Emory essay examples or the Wesleyan essay. However, they manage to include a lot of valuable information in a limited number of words. 

Let’s look at the last of our transfer essays that worked—our UMiami essay examples. 

UMiami Essay Examples — College Transfer Essay

Next, we’ll dig into UMiami essay examples to get a better understanding of college essays that worked. 

Here’s one of our UMiami essay examples from an admitted transfer student:

UMiami Transfer Essay Example

I took a medley of classes to ensure that I chose my major with confidence, which led to my decision to apply as an English major and Modern Language and Literature minor to UMiami. I hope to study Japanese and Arabic, along with French if my schedule permits. Beyond the depth, rigor, and range of the courses themselves, the sheer breadth of the programming would allow me to supplement my education with a curriculum outside the classroom. Both the English and the MLL department have enthusiastic programming ranging from lectures given by prominent guest-speakers, friendly gatherings, and study abroad programs that would really allow me to make the most of my education.

I fully intend to pursue research as well, as my time as a research assistant has fostered my passion for knowledge and discovery in the humanities. The experience will also help me while I pursue the Departmental Honors Program in English Literature. Beyond purely academic resources, the intimate approach to advising and the close faculty-to student ratio is what drew me to UMiami. The dedication to providing students with resources like research grants, internships, and career connections is the type of care that I want. I learned that while the right academic environment is important, support is essential to thrive not only as a student, but as a person.

Socially, UMiami leaves nothing left to be desired. I could take a stroll on the beach or finally get to try the famous Cafecito. The active campus itself would mean opportunities to discover new hobbies or make new memories with friends. I want to be able to look back fondly at the memories I made in college and UMiami would allow me to do that. I would also love to start a Dream Outside the Box chapter at UMiami as my experience with this organization geared towards better access to education has been profound and I am a staunch believer in bettering local communities first.

In the last of our Common App transfer essay examples, the writer includes specific details about why UMiami is the right place for them. 

Once again, the writer of this sample transfer essay delineates what UMiami offers that their current college does not. Successful UMiami essay examples will be specific to the school. So, as you read UMiami essay examples like this one, look for ways to link your interests to the school’s offerings.

In this transfer essay example, the writer outlines the specific programs, foreign languages, and offerings that they plan to pursue at UMiami. They also include specific details about the college’s location and culture. These details make obvious their interest in the institution and the time they’ve taken to research their (prospective) future home.

Understanding the UMiami Transfer Acceptance Rate

In general, transfer acceptance rates are not widely published online—the UMiami transfer acceptance rate is no different. While it’s generally reported to be around 50%, students should still assume that the UMiami transfer acceptance rate is relatively competitive . To put it another way, don’t take the UMiami essay for granted. After all, UMiami is one of the best colleges in Florida, so admission is never guaranteed. 

By now, we’ve read UMiami essay examples, Wesleyan essays, and other transfer essays that worked. We hope you now have a better understanding of what makes a successful college transfer essay. Next, let’s dig into some more transfer essay tips to help you succeed. 

How is a college transfer essay different?

Overall, the transfer application process is slightly different from the first-year application process. As you’ve likely noticed in our successful transfer essay examples, most transfer essays look rather different from standard personal statements. 

When applying as a transfer student, admissions officers want to know why you’ve decided to transfer and what interests you about their school. They also want to learn about your educational plans (including your choice of major) and your career goals. 

Similar to our transfer essays that worked, college transfer essays often revolve around an applicant’s character as a student and future professional. Compare this to a Common App personal statement, which usually focuses on who you are as a person. Clearly, your academic and career pathways matter a bit more as a transfer student. 

Of course, you should take every opportunity to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. However, you should also ensure you include specific details about what makes your future academic program a better fit. 

College Transfer Essay Format

In general, most schools use a similar college transfer essay format. The Common App transfer essay prompts you’ll find will also often have some similarities. Most schools will ask students to state their reasons for transferring and explain why they’ve chosen to apply. 

As you approach this type of prompt, think about:

• The major you’d like to pursue
• Academic programs that are not available at your current school
• Important differences between your current campus community and the school where you’re applying

Word counts will vary by school, so always check each institution’s requirements. You should also read each Common App transfer essay prompt carefully to ensure you follow the right format. 

You can also write an initial college transfer essay and adapt different sections to suit different prompts. However, you should always include specific details about how you plan to spend your time at your next college. 

Additional Transfer Essay Tips

We’ve looked at some successful Common App transfer essay examples. Next, let’s review three transfer essay tips to help your essays shine:

• Be specific. Tailor each college transfer essay to your chosen school, even if you start with the same basic details about yourself. Make sure you indicate specific things that school offers that you can’t find at your current institution.
• Keep it positive. As a transfer student, it might be tempting to write negatively about your current school. However, focus instead on what your current school has taught you about yourself and prepared you to succeed elsewhere.  
• Be thorough. Your college transfer essays are one of the few chances you get to address the admissions committee on your own terms. Make the most of the word count to highlight who you are and how you’d enrich their campus. 

We hope these transfer essay tips give you confidence as you approach the college transfer essay process. 

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

As we’ve discussed, while there are some key differences, writing a college transfer essay is relatively similar to writing a first-year admissions essay. For more transfer essay tips, check out some of our other resources below:

• AO Advice: How to Write Great Supplemental Essays That Stand Out — In this webinar, our former Admissions Officers share how to write supplemental essays that shine. 
• Columbia Essay Examples — This guide includes several successful essays from Columbia University and explains what made them work. 
• Editing Your Supplemental Essays —  This webinar walks you through the process of editing your Common App transfer essays to make them strong, clear, and concise. 
• How to Write a Personal Statement — Read more college essays that worked and learn expert tips to make yours unique. 

For more guidance, you can also check out Carnegie Mellon’s tips on writing strong Common App transfer essays. Amherst also offers useful tips, including a successful Common App transfer essay. Finally, Moorpark College has a great slide deck featuring some advice on the UC transfer process. 

If you’re certain about transferring but unsure about where you want to go, we can help. Our three-part College Finder series covers the college search process, making a college list , and comparing colleges . Although many of our free articles are aimed at first-year applicants, their advice is broadly applicable. They can help you figure out how to frame your college transfer essays or research where you want to go.

College Transfer Essay — Final Thoughts

In this article, we walked you through different sample transfer essays and Common App transfer essay prompt responses. Additionally, we offered some transfer essay tips to help you write the strongest college transfer essays you can. We hope our Common App transfer essay examples help you feel more confident as you navigate the transfer application process. 

If you want more support as you complete your Common App transfer essays, we’re here to help. Click here to schedule a consultation with our Admissions Specialists. We’ll help you learn more about how CollegeAdvisor can help you maximize your admissions odds.

This article was written by Abbie Sage. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

• SAT BootCamp
• SAT MasterClass
• SAT Private Tutoring
• SAT Proctored Practice Test
• ACT Private Tutoring
• Academic Subjects
• College Essay Workshop
• Academic Writing Workshop
• AP English FRQ BootCamp
• 1:1 College Essay Help
• Online Instruction
• Free Resources

How to Write a College Transfer Essay

How to write a college transfer essay in 2024.

Bonus Material: PrepMaven’s Transfer Application Statistics for Top Schools

For most students, making the final decision about which college to attend is the end of a long, stressful process. But what if you go through all that and aren’t happy at your current school? Or perhaps you’re finishing up your Associate’s degree at community college and plan to transfer to a four-year school. Either way, you’re not alone–and you’re not stuck. 

Many students decide to transfer from university to another at some point in their academic careers. While this isn’t uncommon, it can be hard to find good guidance about transferring schools. How is a transfer application different from your regular Common Application? How important are transfer essays? How are transfer essays different from your college application essays?

In this post, we’ll use our decades of experience guiding students through the admissions process to help break down how to write your college transfer essay to maximize your chances of acceptance. 

Download PrepMaven’s Transfer Application Statistics for Top Schools

Jump to section: What Is the Common App Transfer Essay? Transfer Essays Dos and Don’ts Transfer Essay Writing Tips How Is the Transfer Essay Different from the Regular College Essay? Next steps

What Is the Common App Transfer Essay?

Most universities that accept the Common App for high school applicants will also ask you to submit transfer applications through the Common App. 

When applying as a transfer student, however, you’ll generally have to answer one or more school-specific essays targeted at transfer students. In general, you’ll be asked to write about 500 words in response to a question about why you feel you’d benefit from continuing your education at a different university. 

Some schools, especially more prestigious ones, will also ask additional transfer essay questions–such as what about their offerings attracts you, or what you were missing at your previous university. 

These prompts will vary slightly from school to school and year to year, but you can always find this information on the Common App page for the school you’re applying to, as well as on that school’s website. 

Princeton, for example, will expect you to answer all of the essay prompts that high school applicants answer, as well as two additional ones: 

Have you had any interruptions or gaps in your education since high school or college, or have you left any school voluntarily for a significant time frame? If so, please explain the timeline of your postsecondary career. (Please respond in about 150 words.) What are your plans during and after your higher education experience? (Please respond in about 150 words.)

Harvard also asks you to answer additional questions for a transfer application: 

Briefly, please indicate the most influential factors in your decision to attend your present college (for example, location, cost, size of student body, only option, special program offered, Early Decision plan, etc.) What alternatives to transferring to Harvard are you considering? Please indicate your field of specialization and briefly outline your academic plans at Harvard College. What are your current postgraduate/career plans? Briefly discuss one book that has strongly influenced you.

These are generally fairly short essay prompts, but the key difference from your original college application is that there isn’t one “main” Common App essay for transfer applications. Instead, your “transfer essay” will be determined by what school you’re applying to. 

When you create a Common App transfer application account, you’ll be asked to add the school’s you plan to transfer to. In addition to the general information you’ll fill out in the Common Application portal (academics, demographics, activities), each school will have a separate application for you to fill out, and this is where you’ll find the transfer essay prompt . 

So, instead of having one “personal essay,” you’ll likely have several personal statements, one for each transfer school you’re applying to. 

These transfer essay prompts can vary. Generally, though, you can expect to be asked to discuss your reasons for leaving your current school, your career goals, and why you want to attend this transfer college. 

Below, we’ve collected some statistics on transfer acceptance rates to top schools. We’ll be honest: transferring to a top school can be just as hard–or harder!–than applying there out of high school. These statistics can help you get a sense of your chances, aiding in your transfer application planning. Download them for free now!

Transfer Essays Dos and Don’ts

If you’re looking to scan over your transfer essay and make some quick changes that can instantly boost your chances, check out our quick-fix guide to college essays , then read on for specific Dos and Don’ts. 

Things to do:

• Do be clear about what you’re missing at your current university. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s important to be up front about this: if your current school were perfect, then why would you be transferring? Perhaps the academic program doesn’t align with your educational goals. Or perhaps they’re missing resources to launch you into your chosen career path. In any case, be clear!
• Do touch on what you’ve been able to gain from your current college so far. What skills/perspective/knowledge do you have now that you didn’t in high school? If you’re the kind of student who was rejected by the kinds of schools you’re now trying to transfer to, you especially need to show how you’ve developed and grown since high school. 
• Do identify specific elements that draw you to the transfer school. We touched on this above, but you want to be really clear about why you’d benefit from a transfer. 
• Do show what you bring to the table. In other words, why should this school accept you? You might want to connect this to your collegiate academic accomplishments, research experience, or community involvement. 

Things to avoid:

• Don’t be overly negative about your current school. It’s a tough line to walk, but the key is conveying that there’s something missing, or that there’s some disconnect between the college experience and what you need. It’s not to complain about your current school or to give the impression that you’re “better than” the school. 
• Don’t (!!) complain about other students. This is a huge red flag: even if you’ve had problems getting along with other students, you need to keep this to yourself. Otherwise, you’ll come off as someone who’ll cause problems or who is antisocial. 
• Don’t dwell on high school accomplishments. You want to come off mature and self-aware, and there’s nothing less mature or self-aware than someone in college who can’t stop talking about high school. 
• Don’t offer generic or shallow reasons for your transfer. Improved job prospects, academic rankings, or the intelligence of the student body are not good reasons to apply to a transfer school. They’ll make it seem like you haven’t really done the research, or that you just want to go to a school with a more prestigious name. 

Transfer Essay Writing Tips

In general, the same advice we give for how to write your college essay holds true for writing strong transfer essays! To summarize, a good college essay, whether a transfer essay or not, consists of two key elements: 

• Reflection 

To break it down further, the “story” element of your transfer essay will be the stuff that makes it personal, the stuff that makes it you . Think about it this way: admissions officers at Harvard and Princeton have to read countless application essays. Eventually, all these essays are going to start sounding pretty much the same. 

Even if you’re smart and a great writer, there are only so many ways that you can answer the prompt if you’re being general. Plus, most of the other transfer applicants are themselves smart and great writers too. So, how do you create personal statements that stand out?

Make it personal . In other words, incorporate a story from your life that nobody else could write about for the simple fact that nobody else has lived it. We’re not saying you need to turn this into a creative writing exercise, necessarily. If the prompt is direct and doesn’t leave you much room to elaborate, then you can’t afford to launch into a full literary narrative. 

But you can still include a brief glimpse into your life or describe a particular moment. For example, you might start by briefly describing the moment you realized you wanted to transfer from your current school. What happened? Where were you? What were you thinking in that moment?

Even something as simple as starting the essay with a short anecdote like that will immediately make your transfer essay more memorable to college admissions officers! You can check out our post here for specific examples of college essay openings that you can use to get ideas for your own transfer application essay. 

“Reflection” refers to what you make of your story. If you read our materials on structuring your college essays , you’ll already know how crucial it is to connect the personal details you provide to your values. 

Ultimately, your “story” is there to make your essay personable and memorable. But it’s your “reflection” and the values you’re able to convey that really show admissions committees that you’re a good fit for their school. 

Most importantly, you need to convey how your values both make you a valuable addition to the community and align with the values of your transfer school. 

If you take a look at the transfer statistics we’ve collected for your use here you’ll see just how selective transfer applications can be. It’s why we recommend working with an expert college essay tutor to craft strong transfer essays. Because there are so many different college essay services out there, we’ve done the research to rank the top 14 college essay services for this year– you can check out our post there. 

Of course, if you’re ready to work with us directly, you can reach out any time : our tutors come from Ivy League universities, and many have years-long track records of placing applicants into the most selective schools in the country. 

How Is the Transfer Essay Different from the Regular College Essay?

Much of the advice for the transfer essay is the same, because ultimately this essay is a very similar piece of writing to the standard college application essay, with the same goal (getting you into college). So, when it comes to the nuts and bolts of the process, you can confidently rely on our guides to brainstorm , revise , and end your college essays here. 

You should also especially read about how to write the “Why us?” supplemental essay (and look at our free sample essays that got students into Ivies). You probably remember writing these for your initial applications, but many transfer applications logically require a version of this essay as well!

But, despite these similarities, there are a few things that make the transfer essay unique. 

First, transfer essays should be slightly more direct and to the point than your other college application essays. You’ll notice that you’ll generally have less space for these essays, which means you need to make every word count. You’ll also notice that some of these prompts are more direct, asking you to specifically identify, for example, what aspects of your current university don’t work for you. 

This doesn’t mean you should ditch the personal or storytelling elements of your essays! It just means these elements should be incorporated quickly and efficiently, without as much detail as you might have used in your Common App essay in high school. 

Second, essays for college transfer applications need to focus more on your time in college rather than on what you did in high school. This becomes increasingly true the further into your college career you are: if you’re a college sophomore, then most of your anecdotes should refer to your college experience. 

If you’re still only writing about things you did in high school, you’ll seem immature! Be sure to focus on what you’ve gained, lost, and experienced in your first years of college life. 

Finally, you’ll be expected to have a more concrete sense of what you want out of a college experience. When you were writing in high school, it might have been fine to be a little general, or just to talk about multiple avenues that you might be interested in. 

Transfer applicants, however, will really be expected to concretely articulate their career goals and interests, as well as what specific resources you plan to take advantage of at your new campus community and what resources were missing at your old one. 

These transfer essays are high stakes: for schools like Princeton and Harvard, transfer acceptance rates can be even lower than regular acceptance rates! If you want to make sure you’re writing these essays correctly, get connected with one of our expert college essay coaches here .

Choosing to transfer colleges can be a difficult decision. For many students, it can be the right one–but actually getting into your dream school as a transfer student may be even harder than getting in from high school!

If you’re serious about transferring to a selective university, then you’ll need to put a lot of work into your transfer essays. But you don’t want that hard work going to waste: work with one of our expert college essay tutors to ensure that your essay will impress the admissions committee and boost your chances of acceptance. 

Want to know exactly what your chances are? We’ve put together a resource of the most recent statistics on transfer applications for top schools. Download it for free below to get a sense of what it’ll take to get admitted!

Top College Essay Posts

• 14 Best College Essay Services for 2023 (40 Services Reviewed)
• Qualities of a Successful College Essay
• 11 College Essays That Worked
• How to Answer the UC Personal Insight Questions
• How Colleges Read your College Applications (A 4-Step Process)
• How to Write the Princeton Supplemental Essays
• The Diamond Strategy: How We Help Students Write College Essays that Get Them Into Princeton (And Other Ivy League Schools)
• What is the College Essay? Your Complete Guide for 202 4
• College Essay Brainstorming: Where to Start
• How to Write the Harvard Supplemental Essays
• How to Format Your College Essay

Mike is a PhD candidate studying English literature at Duke University. Mike is an expert test prep tutor (SAT/ACT/LSAT) and college essay consultant. Nearly all of Mike’s SAT/ACT students score in the top 5% of test takers; many even score above 1500 on the SAT. His college essay students routinely earn admission into their top-choice schools, including Harvard, Brown, and Dartmouth. And his LSAT students have been accepted In into the top law schools in the country, including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia Law.

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy preferences.

Transfer Essays That Worked

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you’ll be in our community.

As a transfer applicant, your essay is a chance to tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals and how you would pursue them at Hopkins. Below you’ll find selected examples of transfer applicant essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee.

These selections represent just a few essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. We hope these examples inspire you as you prepare to compose your own essay. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us.

Read essays that worked from first-year applicants .

Essays that worked.

Bedtime Stories

Summer Mai Li connects the personal stories of her loved ones to global civil and human rights issues that she intends to study during her time at Hopkins.

Becoming a Better Mathematician

Jorge’s essay provides the admissions committee with a detailed narrative about his lifelong interest in mathematics: how he discovered it, cultivated it, and pursued it to the highest level available.

Pursuing My Passion in Research

Through her transfer essay, Klaire showcases her deep interest in advancing scientific research through her experiences at her community college and her future at Hopkins.

Application Workshops

Our interactive workshops—on topics like the college search process and essay preparation—will help you build your strongest application when you’re ready to apply.

REGISTER FOR AN APPLICATION WORKSHOP

Application tips in your inbox

Join our mailing list to receive insights from our admissions committee, event invites, and other resources for your college journey.

Quick Links:

• Majors, Minors & Programs
• Application Deadlines & Requirements
• College Planning Guide

Login or sign up to be automatically entered into our next $10,000 scholarship giveaway

Get Started

• College Search
• College Search Map
• Graduate Programs
• Featured Colleges
• Scholarship Search
• Lists & Rankings
• User Resources

Articles & Advice

• All Categories
• Ask the Experts
• Campus Visits
• Catholic Colleges and Universities
• Christian Colleges and Universities
• College Admission
• College Athletics
• College Diversity
• Counselors and Consultants
• Education and Teaching
• Financial Aid
• Graduate School
• Health and Medicine
• International Students
• Internships and Careers
• Majors and Academics
• Performing and Visual Arts
• Public Colleges and Universities
• Science and Engineering
• Student Life
• Transfer Students
• Why CollegeXpress
• $10,000 Scholarship
• CollegeXpress Store
• Corporate Website
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• CA and EU Privacy Policy

Articles & Advice > Transfer Students > Articles

The Best Transfer Essay Advice From Admission Insiders

Your transfer college application essay is just as important as it was the first time around. Learn how to write a winning essay with this expert advice.

by Kim Lifton President, Wow Writing Workshop

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2023

Originally Posted: Jul 10, 2019

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is clear about what they want in the supplemental essay that’s required of every transfer applicant. In no more than 500 words, U-M asks students to “Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?” “I want to understand why they want to transfer,” says Kimberly Bryant, Assistant Director of Admissions and point person for transfer applications. “Sometimes they don’t say it: Why do they want to come to U-M? Why now? What is the reason?” Bryant would like to see genuine answers to the question. “I want them to talk about the journey,” she says. “I’m not going to guess why someone missed a semester of college. Maybe they just weren’t ready. That’s okay. They are now, and we want them to talk about that. We don’t want to guess.”

What is a transfer college essay, anyway?

Bryant and other admission professionals at top universities across the country say the transfer college essay provides an opportunity to show people who may never meet you just what kind of person you are and why you need to switch schools for your goals. Most schools don't conduct transfer interviews, so the college essay requirement could be your only opportunity to share your unique voice with the people who get to decide your fate inside the admission office. Amy Jarich, Associate Vice Chancellor of Admissions & Enrollment and Director of Admissions at the University of California, Berkeley , wants to know what you care about. “What would you tell me in an elevator? Let me know that you’re active and alive in the world you live in.” Tamara Siler, Senior Associate Director of Admission at   Rice University ,   says any application essay will add context to any transfer application file. “A personal statement can provide context and truly show why a certain student is a better match than other clearly capable students,” she says. “Sometimes an essay can be the conduit for a student to reveal something to the admission committee that we would never have thought to ask.”

Related: 6 Important Pieces of the Transfer Admission Process

How do I make my essay stand out?

Colleges will use your essay to help select a diverse class from among the many other transfer applicants whose grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities can make everyone look alike. How will you stand out? Overall, admission officers look for a glimpse of who an applicant is as a writer, but more importantly, as a person. They use the essay to help determine what an applicant can offer them and what the student has learned from their life experiences—the things that aren’t easily captured on a transcript or activities list. Calvin Wise, the Director of Recruitment for Johns Hopkins University , gets excited when he reads a stellar essay. Just like admission officers at other highly selective schools, Wise expects 4.0 GPAs and top test scores. “We need to dig deeper,” he says. “That’s where the essay comes into play. That’s where we find out more about the student. We are looking for your story. Academically, we’re glad you’ve done well. We want to know who you are. What did your experience mean to you? How did it shape you? “I never run into a colleague’s office and say, ‘Look at this 4.0 GPA,’ Wise adds. “I will run into an office with a good essay to share; that excites me.”

What do you want colleges to know about you?

Your essay should show who you are beyond your grades, transcripts, and test scores. Consider your best traits and characteristics, not your accomplishments and experiences. Colleges want to know who you are , not what you did . They want genuine stories that illustrate a positive trait or characteristic. When applying as a transfer student, they also want to know why this school is a better fit for you. What do you want to do there? The transfer essay is a variation of the “Why College X?” essay supplement. It can be challenging for freshman applicants as well as transfer students. A prompt from the new Common App transfer application reads: “Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve” in 250–600 words. Most transfer essay prompts will be a variation of this question. For example:

• Cornell University : Tell us what you'd like to major in at Cornell, why or how your past academic or work experience influenced your decision, and how transferring to Cornell would further your academic interests.
• University of California, Los Angeles : Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.
• University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences: How do your possible career or professional plans relate to your planned course of study?

Every college wants to know specifically why you are applying to that institution. You started somewhere else, either at a community college or a school that just isn’t working out the way you had envisioned. They expect you to have good reasons for making a move, so share them in your essay. Be thoughtful. Be honest. Is there something this school offers that your current school doesn’t? Are you more clear about what you want to major in and realize the program at the new school is stronger? Let them know. You know more about yourself now; you’ve matured since you first applied to college. Perhaps you took time off to work. Just tell them why you want to make a move.

Related: How to Write a Transfer Essay That Will Impress Admission Officers

What makes a good transfer essay?

In your transfer statement and other writing supplements, you need to reveal something meaningful about yourself. What are three traits you want to share with a new school? Are you resourceful? Dependable? Curious? A hard worker? Shy? Funny? Competitive? Determined? Shawn Felton, the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Cornell, reviews thousands of applications each admission cycle. What delights him? A story that rounds out an applicant’s package and an essay that helps him understand who the person is. “We want to put a face to the pile of paper,” Felton explains. “It is part of a number of identifiers that deliver who you are as a person.”

What turns him off? Stories that aren’t genuine, don’t answer the prompt , or fail to give him any insight into the applicant’s character. He doesn’t like it when students try too hard to impress him or write essays that seem forced or inauthentic. “The essay is not something to be cracked,” he cautions. There’s no rubric for a good transfer essay, but the ones that stand out all share a few common features. Regardless of the prompt, they:

• Answer the question;
• Showcase a positive trait or characteristic;
• Sound like a college student;
• Illustrate something meaningful about the student;
• Explain why a student wants to transfer to a new school; and
• Demonstrate reflection.

The best transfer essays showcase a more mature student and are often simple and to the point. As a student who has already succeeded in a college classroom, you can tell your new college of choice that you know how you learn best (e.g., you shine in small classrooms, love leading group projects, excel in science or math or any subject). How can you build on your current educational (and work) experience at a new college?

Related:  What's Your Story? A Guide to Transfer Admission Essays

Your transfer essay isn’t all that different than the one you wrote when you applied to college back in high school. You may have to focus a little more on the topic of  why you’re transferring, but the process of writing it should be more or less the same. Take this advice into consideration as you do and you’re sure to write a great essay that’ll allow you to transfer to the school of your choice.

Find more great tips for the transfer admission process with the articles and advice in our Transfer Students section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Tags: application essays college essays transfer advice transfer applications transfer students writing tips

Join our community of over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Tinuola Dada

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2015

I am very excited to be this year's recipient of the Multicultural Student Community Service Scholarship. This scholarship will bring me ever closer to my academic and professional goals. CollegeXpress has been an exceptional resource to me, and I recommend it to all rising seniors as they begin to navigate the college application process.

Wendy Thompson

Owner, Westport Educational Consulting

I just discovered your site and LOVE it—fun, interesting, full of incredible information you can’t find anywhere else, and a godsend for those of us in the college counseling business. I am a fan!

Sarah Armstrong

High School Class of 2022

I am a deaf student, and I had always dreamed of going to Gallaudet University. CollegeXpress helped me search though other qualified universities. They helped me know for sure that Gallaudet University was the right choice for me!

Joan Franklin

I love this website and have been using it for years with my students. I originally bought products through Wintergreen Orchard House and appreciated having key facts at my fingertips when advising students. Your site is easy to access and offers a wide array of topics I need as a busy college counselor.

Kory Gilbertson

CollegeXpress has helped me explore my views on college in that "why do I wanna go to a certain school" way. It’s helped me explore the best fits in all of these outstanding choices. All these college admission counselors can access my accolades showing them how I could help their college. This source of information helps me show these admission directors who I am and what I'm interested in. Thanks to this platform, my experience for education will be better than most, and I'm so grateful for all that it has provided for me.

•   Fighting for Your Education: An Expert Look Into Transfer Credits
•   Our Best Advice for the Transfer Admission Process
•   Great Colleges and Universities in the West for Transfer Students
•   Great Colleges and Universities in New England for Transfer Students
•   Great Colleges and Universities in the Northeast for Transfer Students

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT

St. John's University

Jamaica, NY

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN

High Point University

High Point, NC

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA

Personalize your experience on CollegeXpress.

With this information, we'll display content relevant to your interests. By subscribing, you agree to receive CollegeXpress emails and to make your information available to colleges, scholarship programs, and other companies that have relevant/related offers.

Already have an account?

Log in to be directly connected to

Not a CollegeXpress user?

Don't want to register.

Provide your information below to connect with

How to Write a Successful College Transfer Essay & Examples

• Icon Calendar 18 May 2024

When students want to change their higher education institutions, they need good guidelines for writing a college transfer essay. In this case, the article provides essential insights, including the definition and meaning of a college transfer essay, the seven sections that students should consider, common prompts that they can use to produce their papers, and 20 tips for creating a high-standard transfer paper, including what to do and not to do. Students also get a glimpse of a sample outline and an example for a practical impression of how a college transfer essay should appear. Therefore, reading this guideline is helpful to students who need to convince college admission committees that a transfer request is genuine and why they should grant it.

How to Write an Outstanding College Transfer Essay & Examples

Reading scholarly texts is intellectually refreshing and essential in grasping insights into the mechanics of writing different types of papers. Moreover, students write different types of essays to assess their course content understanding continuously. Therefore, learning to write academic papers is critical to one’s performance in those assessments. This article provides a guideline for writing a successful college transfer essay, covering key insights and crucial details that students and anyone interested in writing should study to create high-standard documents. Some insights include the definition and meaning of a college transfer essay and its main features when to write this document, possible topics, a sample essay outline template, practical examples of this work, and 20 tips for producing a high-standard paper. In turn, critical details include the easy step-by-step process of starting a college transfer essay, emphasizing the technical aspects of creating the piece. As a result, reading the guideline can help all writers to understand the attitude they should adopt to have a high-quality essay.

Definition of a College Transfer Essay and Its Meaning

From a simple definition, a college transfer essay is an academic document that college students write to move from one educational institution to another. Essentially, students communicate their desire to transfer and highlight details that can help a committee to accept the request by following a well-organized essay structure. This structure comprises seven sections, each providing details that allow the audience to understand the student and the reason for requesting a college transfer. The essential information includes the student’s core values, the reason they chose their current college, why they want to transfer to another education institution, a demonstration that they have maximized or optimized their current situation, their dream, how the new place will help them to actualize the goal, and a memorable closure. Therefore, a college transfer essay means that people must convince the audience, mainly a college admission committee, to accept them as new students.

Use exceptional writing services that guarantee original and well-researched papers.

Unique Structure of a Winning College Transfer Essay

💠 section/paragraph 1: how to write about core values & example.

As stated above, Section 1 of a college transfer essay highlights the student’s core values. For example, core values determine people’s behavior, what they can and cannot accept in their social circle, and what inspires them. When outlining these values, students should focus on making a first impression. Therefore, core values should convince the audience to accept the student’s transfer request. In turn, some core values that can help to make the first impression in such a request include a family; caring; a willingness to serve, learn, grow, fight injustice; and solve problems. Students can communicate effectively by using personal stories to emphasize these values and explain how the current college does not align with some of these values in an essay. Writers should avoid exaggeration and use a hook to keep readers interested in continuing reading.

An Example of a Paragraph for Section 1

I hold dear core values that define my personality and identity, including a desire to do good, dependability, hard work, commitment, integrity, generosity, and moral uprightness. One reason for seeking a transfer to your institution is your anti-plagiarism policy. While my current college has been valuable in helping me to demonstrate most of these values, it could have been more helpful regarding integrity. Academic honesty is the most relevant issue in demonstrating integrity in college. Typically, colleges and professors clarify to students with solid emphasis the penalty of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism. While my current college does this activity, I do not find the penalties sufficient to dissuade academic dishonesty. Such laxity may expose me to circumstances where I may violate my value system. For example, I have faced a dilemma severally of whether to report my peers who plagiarize their work.

💠 Section/Paragraph 2: The Reason Why I Decided to Choose Your College & Example

Section 2 of a college transfer essay should explain why students chose their current college. Basically, students should understand that the audience is interested in hearing why they want to transfer and about their college. While a negative issue may compel the transfer request, one should communicate the problem without painting the college negatively. Essential details in this section include what made the student choose the college; the current experience, including what one is doing to develop intellectually; how the college has helped to meet a learning objective, such as going on field trips to gain practical experience. When writing this section of an essay, students’ focus should be to demonstrate to the audience that they are using their time in the current college optimally. In turn, one should focus on positive aspects rather than negative ones of the institution in an essay.

An Example of a Paragraph for Section 2

My current college has proven helpful to my quest for intellectual development because of its various programs. However, I chose it primarily because it is in the same city as my home, and I could save on accommodation money. Nonetheless, I have made important leaps in knowledge since I joined. I am in the second year of college education and spend most of my time researching topics in the library. Indeed, my research skills have developed incredibly during my time at the institution. I credit this intellectual development to professors and other instructors who give assignments, including essays and research papers, requiring students to research materials. As such, the college library has been like a second home to me. As I seek to leave, I take these experiences as a ladder for greater intellectual development in my next destination.

💠 Section/Paragraph 3: The Reason Why I Want to Leave the Current College

Section 3 of a college transfer essay should convince the audience why the student seeks to transfer to their institution. Ideally, students should not paint their current college negatively but focus on explaining why they think the college they want to move to is ideal for achieving their goal. Students should explain why they want to leave their current college, such as a lack of critical resources like a science lab, limited opportunities for exposing students to the corporate world, or a new policy like mandatory online learning. When writing this section of an essay, students should convince the audience that the current college can not push them toward their goal and that the one they seek to join is ideal. The most crucial detail in an essay is not to talk badly about the current college.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 3

One reason for requesting a transfer from my current institution is the limited opportunities for career exposure. For example, it is normal for students to go a whole year without a field trip despite course content insisting on the need to link theory and practice. While researching the college to transfer to, I came across your website and how the institution prioritizes field trips as a pillar of students’ practical learning. As a nursing student, I must get first-hand experience with the dynamics that influence healthcare in the clinical environment, such as the relationship between nurses and patients, including the issues that nurses confront daily in developing or nurturing the relationship. As I investigated your college, I learned that nursing students have at least two field trips each academic year. This orientation is ideal for my dream.

💠 Section/Paragraph 4: Maximizing or Optimizing Time and Achievements

While students may want to explain why they think the college they wish to transfer to is better than their current one, one should also tell the audience how they maximize or optimize their time in the current college. Section 4 of a college transfer essay allows students to tell the audience how productive their time in the current institution is. This message is essential to convince the audience that one is not preoccupied with a desire to leave at the expense of their academic development. Instead, they should show that they are working on their intellectual growth but see a transfer as more effective in accelerating it. Doing so in an essay convinces readers that a transfer is necessary during the learning process. Moreover, students should state their accomplishments in the current college and how they have met instructors’ expectations when writing their essays.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 4

My time in my current institution is productive and intellectually engaging. Although there are reasons why I want to transfer from the college, I am spending my time to get the best of what I have. For example, I use the college library to gain insights into nursing topics and interact with instructors to seek clarification on complex concepts. Some resources in my current college are still beneficial to my intellectual development and career preparation. A core value that enables me to optimize my time in college is commitment, and I am deeply committed to my intellectual growth, not allowing a desire to transfer derail me from what is essential. While an institution may be supportive, the student’s attitude determines their success.

💠 Section/Paragraph 5: My Study Dream

Section 5 of a college transfer essay focuses on the student’s dream, career aspirations, or what they want to become after college. Ideally, people have different reasons for pursuing a college education. Students should use this section to educate the audience about the end goal of their college education. Therefore, writers should tell readers about their dream and how they intend to achieve it. At this point, authors should state how the transfer request is open to the plans because it allows them to get into a resourceful learning environment. When the audience reads this section, they should answer “Why us?” because the student emphasizes how the new college differs from their current institution. However, one should briefly mention the new college’s positives because the focus of an essay is on their dream.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 5

My dream to become a registered nurse is the reason for my college transfer request. All my life, I have dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional to enable people to live healthier lives. A college education is a prerequisite for this dream. While my current institution has taught me the fundamentals of a nursing career, it has not immersed me fully into the practical environment. This gap is why I seek to transfer from the college to your institution. While searching for an alternative college, I learned how your institution considers practical education integral to holistic learning. Your college immerses learners into the career environment through field trips and student attachment programs. This orientation is critical and beneficial to my quest to become a registered nurse knowledgeable in theory and practice.

💠 Section/Paragraph 6: How Your College Will Help Me

Section 6 of a college transfer essay is about the competitive advantage of the college a student seeks to transfer to, meaning that writers inform the audience about the aspects of their institution that make it attractive. These aspects may include education programs, student policies, and resource availability. Moreover, writers must emphasize the college’s advantages over their current institution and how they support their career aspirations. In their essays, students should inform the audience about what they need and how their college has helped to meet it. An example of a need may be practical skills, and the resources that a particular college has at the moment may help them to develop themselves, including attachment programs that immerse learners into a realistic environment, such as a workplace. Besides, a college transfer essay must emphasize how the target institution beats the rest as an ideal place to achieve a learning outcome.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 6

Prioritizing students’ practical knowledge is central to your college’s identity and the primary reason for my college transfer request. I have learned how nursing students get at least two field trips per academic year and how an attachment program allows learners to work in a clinical environment during holidays. These orientations are fundamental to gaining insights into the dynamics in the healthcare environment and their impact on the nurse-patient relationship. Unfortunately, my current college has limited opportunities for such exposure, questioning its commitment to students’ holistic learning. As a nursing college that minds students’ practical skills, your institution stands above the rest as the institution of choice for students aspiring to a nursing career. In this respect, I am confident I have made the right choice to seek a transfer to your institution.

💠 Section/Paragraph 7: Memorable Closure

Section 7 of a college transfer essay summarizes the students’ communication with a college admission committee. As such, writers must make it short, relevant, and impactful. These outcomes are essential in making it memorable to the audience and a reason to grant the transfer request. Various strategies for writing this section include using an academic tone to wrap an essay. This inspiring ending emphasizes one’s personality, ending with a statement beginning with “I have a dream,” commenting on how the new college will be a new or second home or how one will benefit the new family as much as they can. Regardless of the ending of an essay, students should refrain from introducing further information in this section because they must exhaust all they have to say in the preceding paragraphs.

An Example of a Paragraph in Section 7

I firmly believe my college transfer request is timely. The information I have offered is genuine and shows my desire to join your college as my new family. I promise to do my best to contribute to the welfare of this family without losing sight of my core values. As you consider my transfer request, please, consider the resources lacking in my current institution but available in yours and how they are essential to my career aspiration.

Example of a Full College Transfer Essay

Comment: The details in each section of a college transfer essay should help students to produce a persuasive paper as below:

The core values that define my personality and personal identity are a desire to do good, dependability, hard work, commitment, integrity, generosity, and moral uprightness. One reason for this transfer request is your institution’s anti-plagiarism policy. While my current college has been valuable in helping me demonstrate most of my core values, it could have been more helpful regarding integrity. Academic honesty is the most relevant issue in demonstrating integrity in college. Typically, colleges and professors clarify to students with solid emphasis the penalty of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism. While my current college does this, I do not find the penalties sufficient to dissuade academic dishonesty. Such laxity may expose me to circumstances where I may violate my value system. For example, I have faced a dilemma severally of whether to report my peers who plagiarize their work.

A host of programs in my current college has proven valuable in my quest for intellectual development. However, I chose the institution primarily because it is in the same city as my home, and I could save on accommodation money. Nonetheless, I have made important leaps in knowledge since I joined. I am in the second year of college education and spend most of my time researching topics in the library. Indeed, my research skills have developed incredibly during my time at the institution. I credit this intellectual development to the professors who give assignments, including essays and research papers, requiring students to research materials. As such, the college library has been like a second home to me. As I seek to leave, I take these experiences as a ladder for greater intellectual development in my next home.

One reason for requesting a transfer from my current institution is the limited opportunities for career exposure. For example, it is normal for students to go a whole year without a field trip despite course content insisting on the need to link theory and practice. While researching the college to transfer to, I found your website and information about how the institution prioritizes field trips as a pillar of students’ practical learning. As a nursing student, I must get first-hand experience with the dynamics that influence healthcare in the clinical environment, such as the relationship between nurses and patients and the issues that nurses confront daily in developing or nurturing the relationship. As I investigated your college, I learned that nursing students have at least two field trips each academic year. This orientation is ideal for my career aspiration.

My time in my current institution has been productive and intellectually rewarding. Although there are reasons why I want to transfer from the college, I am spending my time to get the best of what I have. For example, I use the college library to gain insights into nursing topics and interact with instructors to seek clarification on complex concepts. Some resources in my current college are still beneficial to my intellectual development and career preparation. A core value that enables me to optimize my time in college is commitment, and I am deeply committed to my intellectual growth, not allowing a desire to transfer derail me from what is essential. While an institution may be supportive, the student’s attitude determines their success.

My dream to become a registered nurse is the reason for my college transfer request. I have dreamed of becoming a healthcare professional to help people live healthier lives. A college education is a prerequisite for this dream. While my current institution has taught me the fundamentals of a nursing career, it has not immersed me fully into the practical environment. This gap is why I seek to transfer from the college to your institution. While searching for an alternative college, I learned how your institution considers practical education integral to holistic learning. Your college immerses learners into the career environment through field trips and student attachment programs. This orientation is critical and beneficial to my quest to become a registered nurse knowledgeable in theory and practice.

Therefore, the primary reason for my college transfer request is your institution’s tradition of prioritizing students’ practical knowledge. I have learned how field trips and an attachment program allow learners to work in a clinical environment. These orientations are fundamental to gaining insights into the dynamics in the healthcare environment and their impact on the nurse-patient relationship. Unfortunately, my current college has limited opportunities for such exposure, questioning its commitment to students’ holistic learning. As a nursing college that minds students’ practical skills, your institution stands above the rest as the institution of choice for students aspiring to a nursing career. In this respect, I am confident I have made the right choice to seek a transfer to your institution.

Why and Where Do You Need to Write a Creative College Transfer Essay

Students write a college transfer essay to move from the higher learning institution they are currently in to another. As such, various reasons compel students to write this essay, such as an unsatisfactory learning environment, new unfriendly policies, increased fees, or any other reason that might make one want to leave. However, transfers are not automatic, and students must convince the institution they seek to transfer to that their request is valid. In other words, colleges do not encourage students to transfer for the sake of it. Student admission committees demonstrate this attitude by requiring students to explain through their essays why they want to transfer to the institution. Therefore, when writing a college transfer essay, one should approach it with some seriousness because the student admission committee can reject it if it finds the reasons for wanting to transfer are invalid.

Most Common College Transfer Prompts

• Some students believe their college transfer request is complete with a mention of their background, identity, interest, or talent, which they consider meaningful. If this statement describes you, kindly share your story in an essay.
• Obstacles can provide lessons that prove fundamental to later success. Please share your experience of a challenge, failure, or setback, how it affected you, and the lesson(s) you learned.
• Recall when you challenged or questioned a belief or an idea and reflect on it, commenting on what prompted the thinking and the outcome in an essay.
• In an essay format, describe a problem you have solved or would like to solve, stating its significance and the steps you took or would take to find a solution. Consider problems important to you regardless of their orientation or magnitude, such as a research question, ethical dilemma, or intellectual challenge.
• Discuss how a personal accomplishment, event, or awareness triggered a period of personal growth and a deeper understanding of self or others in an essay.
• Describe an idea, concept, or topic that captivates you to the extent of losing track of time. Explain why it has this effect and what you do to learn more about it.
• Choose a topic for an essay. Feel free to consider topics you have written about, topics that respond to a different prompt, or a topic you design from the knowledge you have gained.
• Explore some ideas that make you hungry for intellectual development. State how these ideas can help describe your life perspective.
• Discuss how a career aspiration can propel one’s desire for academic achievement and state some behaviors students demonstrate when pursuing a career goal.
• How do you define a dream, and how is it relevant to one’s education? Describe how your dream underscores your choice of a college in an essay.
• What are motivations? What motivations underscore your desire to join a specific college?
• Discuss life experiences as educational. Describe a personal experience that has taught you important life lessons that underscore your value system in an essay.

The Prompt That Represents Your Strength the Most

Typically, student admission committees ask students to describe certain aspects of their education as a basis for their transfer request. While addressing all the prompts above in a college transfer essay is standard, students may need to focus on one or several themes. The best way to write a perfect college transfer essay focusing on a few prompts is to choose those that represent their strength the most. For example, one may select prompt #7, which asks students to write some essay topics of their choice. The reason for choosing the prompt is that it gives one enough room to generate ideas. Since college essay topics decide the quality of a college transfer essay one can produce, allowing students to determine a specific theme is helpful because they can choose what they are passionate about or knowledgeable about.

Sample Outline Template for Writing a Good College Transfer Essay

I. Introduction

• Starting with a hook.
• A personal statement that highlights one’s core values in an essay.
• Provide reasons for choosing the new college.
• Include reasons for wanting to leave the current college.
• Explain how one has or is optimizing time in the current college.
• Emphasize career aspiration.
• Explain why the new college will make the aspiration come true.

III. Conclusion

• End a college transfer essay with memorable information that impresses the audience enough to grant the transfer request.

Sample College Transfer Essay

I am ambitious because I always make the best of every opportunity and seek personal development. My personality’s core values include altruism, ambition, hard work, generosity, commitment, empathy, and dependability. Indeed, these values have been fundamental in shaping my experiences with people and institutions. I write to request a college transfer to the University of Pennsylvania because Amherst College no longer supports my career aspiration.

Undoubtedly, Amherst College is a wonderful place because it promotes students’ social and intellectual development. I chose the college because I have heard stories about it being the home of liberal arts. Coming from a home with a father who practices as a family therapist and a mother who spends most of her working time attending to patients in a psychiatric institution, I have always dreamed of being a psychologist. Amherst College has been instrumental in my quest to attain this career aspiration.

However, I want to transfer from Amherst because I wish for a place committed to cutting-edge research and innovation. For the time I have been at Amherst, I have seen students travel to distant colleges to have a deeper insight into the research world. While this tradition has benefits, it inconveniences students’ intellectual development. Moreover, how a college invests in a course or program reflects its commitment to the academic and intellectual welfare of the concerned students. From this perspective, Amherst College has work to do.

While I seek to transfer to Penn, I do not take my time at Amherst for granted. I continue to focus on my academic work, utilizing the available resources, including professors and the physical and online libraries, to the maximum. The core values of ambition, hard work, and commitment propel me to use every minute at Amherst to develop intellectually and move closer to my dream.

As stated, becoming a psychologist is my life-long aspiration. I dream of helping people with mental health problems because evidence shows psychiatric disorders are increasingly becoming common. Indeed, the pressures of life that continue to mount amid compounding problems trigger mental health issues, including anger, depression, stress, and suicidal ideation. Psychologists are in demand because they can prevent these experiences and conditions from resulting in severe outcomes like death.

While searching for an alternative college, I learned about Penn’s commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation, which enrich its brand in the United States and beyond. Psychology is an evolving discipline; only research can help equip students and practicing psychologists with evidence-based knowledge to address contemporary mental health issues. Moreover, innovation empowers psychologists to know how to use limited resources to achieve optimal results. Penn’s research and innovation orientation can propel me to a career where I become knowledgeable in using available resources to help the greatest number of people with mental health problems.

In conclusion, I write this request for a college transfer because I believe that while Amherst is an incredible institution that has taught me the fundamentals of psychology, it lacks what I need to achieve my dream. Penn’s commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation is a ladder I intend to climb to become a psychologist who is responsive to the mental health issues of the time .

Join our satisfied customers who have received perfect papers from Wr1ter Team.

4 Easy Steps for Writing an Amazing College Transfer Essay

Writing a college transfer essay is a technical process that demands students’ utmost focus and commitment to academic writing conventions. The technicality of producing this kind of document underscores the details students should consider to create a high-standard essay. These details include preparation, stage setup, writing an essay, and wrap-up.

Step 1: Preparation

Preparation is the first step of writing a college transfer essay. Since the document must address why a student wants to transfer from one college to another, writers must consider such reasons and how to defend them. In other words, one must brainstorm to generate essay ideas about their current college and the institution they seek to join.

Step 2: Stage Setup

Setting up the stage is the second step of creating a college transfer paper. Students must understand that ideas are not enough, and they must know how to organize them to create a coherent composition. As such, this step involves adopting an attitude and approach that leads to a persuasive high-standard essay. One approach to consider is a seven-section essay outline that helps people to communicate effectively their reason for requesting a college transfer.

Step 3: Writing an Essay

Writing a first draft of a college transfer essay is the third step. In this case, students should focus on producing an initial draft to demonstrate a coherent flow of ideas and thoughts. Typically, this document has numerous mistakes because the writer’s focus is to have a complete essay communicating their reason for wanting a college transfer.

Step 4: Wrap-Up

In this last step of writing a college transfer essay, students should perfect their initial drafts into final essays. As such, the priority is eliminating all flaws, including grammar errors and inconsistent ideas and statements. Revising and editing an essay helps students to produce a perfect document.

20 Tips for Writing a College Transfer Essay

Considering the preceding sections, a college transfer essay is a complex document that requires writers to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of essential details, like a seven-section structure and common prompts. The tips for demonstrating such understanding include staying focused on the topic while being creative in content, knowing why one is writing the essay, focusing on an aspect of the current college that does not support one’s career dream, focusing on making oneself marketable, aiming to be the best among many candidates, demonstrating a logical progression of ideas and thoughts throughout the text, not bad-mouthing the current college, emphasizing the competitive advantage of the new college, convincing the audience that the reason for wanting to transfer is genuine, and concluding a paper with a memorable ending that leaves a lasting impression or do not impact on readers.

10 things to do when writing a college transfer essay include:

• writing a personal statement that underscores one’s core values in an essay,
• describing the strengths of the new college,
• stating the weaknesses of the current college,
• emphasizing the competitive edge of the new college,
• explaining one’s career aspiration,
• being specific in why one wants to transfer from their present to the new college,
• following a seven-section essay structure,
• not talking negatively about the current college,
• not exaggerating issues,
• ending a college transfer essay in a way that makes a lasting impression on the audience.

10 things not to do include:

• failing to emphasize one’s value system in an essay,
• attacking one’s current college,
• exaggerating the positives of the new college,
• being informal in writing,
• assuming the audience knows why one wants to transfer,
• overthinking about impressing the audience at the expense of being genuine in expressing one’s desire to transfer,
• thinking a college transfer essay is not academic because it is not related to a course,
• being simplistic in communication without aiming to impress,
• assuming the audience will have only one application to consider,
• writing an essay in a hurry and making numerous grammatical mistakes.

Summing Up on How to Write a Perfect College Transfer Essay

• Find the best way to express yourself without exaggerations in an essay.
• Adoptive a narrative approach to communicating details about the current college, such as personal experiences.
• Integrating humor but remaining formal in communication.
• Using one paragraph to communicate a single idea or aspect of the transfer request, such as the strengths or weaknesses of the current college.
• Asking for help from the professor(s).
• Brainstorming ideas to make a college transfer essay impressive.
• Assuming the audience comprises scholars to avoid careless mistakes, like grammar errors.
• Focusing on an aspect of the current college that is unsupportive of one’s career dream in an essay.
• Emphasizing aspects of the new college that support one’s career aspiration.
• Proofreading a college transfer essay several times.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Examining Gatsby’s Pursuit of Daisy: Love or Obsession?

• Icon Calendar 19 August 2023
• Icon Page 773 words

Causes and Effects of Climate Change on Global Food Production

• Icon Calendar 18 August 2023
• Icon Page 828 words

How to Write an Effective Transfer Essay

• February 4, 2023
• College Admission Guidance , Parents Must Read , Student Admission , Under Graduate

Transferring to a different university can be a stressful process. The transfer essay, which is usually 500 words, is one of the most important features of your transfer applications. This essay is your chance to show an admissions officer their school is the right fit for you. In this post, we will walk you through how to write effective transfer essays along with strategies, tips, and examples.

How to Write a Transfer Essay

Co-authored by Jaya Ghosh

What are Colleges (or Admission Officers) Looking for in a Transfer Essay?

Transfer essays are different than the original application essay you wrote to be accepted in the first place; transfer essays are more focused on:

• How you have grown from your time at your current university
• Why do you want to transfer
• Your specific goals for your future at your new university

DOs and DON’Ts of a Transfer Essay

Every student is different from the other and hence a specific method cannot be maintained for everyone when writing transfer essays. Let us first see the DOs and DON’Ts of college transfer essays.

• Explain how you have benefitted from your current college (or university)
• State the goals that you intend to achieve by attending the new university
• Make a logical and consistent case for why the school to which you are applying is apt for you.
• Explain how you spend your leisure time, particularly your extracurricular activities, which you are extremely dedicated to.
• Give reasons why the new university is the right place to pursue your academic interests.
• Your transfer essay should be written in such a manner that the committee gets a sense of your talents, character, and personal qualities. In other words, they get to know you well through your essay.
• Be descriptive when writing. Focus on specifics that will grab the attention of admission officials and give them something to hold onto—and remember you by. Always remember the “Show; Don’t Tell” rule.
• Some schools do not offer interviews, hence this essay would be a good platform to establish a personal connection between you and the committee and thus make a personal connection to a fellow human being.

DON’Ts

• Do not write anything negative about your current school.
• Never make excuses for past academic performance or your lack of outside-the-classroom involvement.
• You should not make sugar-coated statements regarding your desire to attend a new school.
• Do it alone: Give your essay to a mentor and/or counselor to review your work—preferably someone who knows you well, who may be from your hometown or high school—both for errors and content. Friends and family can be helpful as well.
• Last but not the least, do not forget to do adequate research on your prospective academic home. Details do matter a lot.

Related Article: Transfer Admission to US/Canada from India – A Mother’s Perspective

Key Components of an Effective Transfer Essay

Start with your core values.

make the opening paragraph awesome and impressive and everlasting. It should be to the point. Focus on establishing a few core values or the essential part you are suffering in your current school and present situation. Focus on the needs that are not met within the present school.

How to Express Core Values in Transfer Essays

You need to come up with an essence image that captures that value (or those values).

See this example below, where the applicant wanted to communicate her core values of connection, intimacy, family, and listening. So she chose the dinner table:

Breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day. In my family the most sacred meal is dinner. The aroma from my mother’s authentic Persian saffron and Barberry spirals around the circular dining table as we prepare to pile each other’s plates high with current events, future plans, and questions about what we learned that day. Slowly, the notification bells and piercing ring tones are replaced by the clamor of metal utensils as my sisters try to fit the plates and silverware around our carefully crafted dinner table. Each person sits the same distance from the center as we listen to my little sister’s attempt at hopscotch from earlier that day with as much interest as my Dad’s stories about his patient with Atherosclerosis. Listening is how we take care of one another.

Here is another example:

Before I could even walk, my parents instilled in me a love for history. And thanks to their passion for travel, much of my early education was experiential. At eight, I could not only recite knowledge of Corrie Ten Boom, I’d visited the house where she’d hidden Jews in her home during WWII. By 10 I’d seen the Roman Ruins just outside Paris and by 11, I’d visited Rome and Florence, and begun to develop a passion for Michelangelo. By 14 I’d climbed the caverns of Mykonos and by 16 I’d walked barefoot through India and jogged along the Great Wall of China. Though moving around wasn’t always easy, travel gave me the opportunity to become more adaptable and resourceful, and I came to embrace differences as not only normal but exciting. My passion for cultural experiences and history continued in high school, and I looked forward to more experiential learning opportunities in college.

Explain the Reasons for Choosing this Particular College

Share with your prospective college what makes them unique. You can mention the class size that matters to you, a particular college program, a diverse environment, or the opportunity for hands-on learning and research opportunities.

Write about specific courses that you are eager to take at their institution, certain distinguished professors who you desire to study under, and unique clubs, activities, or campus traditions in which you are excited to take part.

Here is your chance to impress admissions officers with your thorough knowledge of their institution and how you will take advantage of your next few years there. Doing this will definitely make you stand out from other transfer applicants.

Tell the Readers Why you Want to Leave your Current College

What you communicate to the admission committee through your essay is very important. You need to start with the reasons for choosing the current college in the first place. Here is an example:

I originally chose Pasadena Community College because I wanted to a) stay close to home to take care of my mom, who was recovering from cancer when I graduated high school, b) save money by living at home and finishing my general ed requirements for under $50 per credit, and c) help my dad at his TV repair business.

Make sure that the reasons you give for leaving the present college do not leave a bad note on the mind of the person reading your essay. Do not give a bad review of your present school, or sound bitter about your experiences there.

Remember that the school to which you are applying wants to feel wanted.

Demonstrate the Attributes you will bring to the Campus

While admissions officers toil on the transfer admissions process, they are tasked with intensifying the diversity of their undergraduate student body and adding individuals who are likely to be contributing members of the campus community.

It could range from a particular club that you are eager to join or wish to start your own, or a desire to assist a professor in research work, the kind of books you like to read, if you have a hidden talent or area of expertise; you may also add that point.

Your nature as an introvert or extrovert could both be used in a positive way. The ideas, activities, or dreams that haunt you. Give the admissions officers a full picture of what your life and what it will look like at their school and how you will make an impact over many of your peer groups.

Speak about your Extracurricular Interests

Most high schools (and colleges) provide a plethora of extracurricular activities for their students. Exposure to a wide range of such special interests — sports, drama, dance, painting, singing, scouts, volunteer work, debating, fundraising, and even a foreign language can be the single thing that sets you apart from other candidates.

These activities bring many benefits and improve your social skills as a result. This is also a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your record of involvement on your current campus. It is far easier to sell yourself as someone who will be a contributing member of the campus community if you displayed these qualities at your previous college.

Students with an eye on transferring are sometimes so focused on escaping the first institution that they fail to become involved in anything outside of the classroom and thus miss out on valuable opportunities to demonstrate leadership and passion—the very traits needed to transfer to a prestigious school. Write about what you are most proud of.

Write about your Academic Aspirations and Career Goals

Use your transfer essay as a tool to communicate your genuine passions and what motivates you. Doing so gives your essay broader context and deeper meaning, as it explains the true significance of all of the information you shared.  

You could write about the subjects that interest you and how they will help you progress in the future. As a transfer student, you should share where your experiences and interests will take you someday.

Related Article: All You Need to Know about Transfer Acceptance Rates

Featured Image Source: Word Counter

Sources: 1 , 2 , 3 .

Share this:

Discover more from stoodnt.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Pay Your Deposit

Have you been admitted and need to lock in your decision?

Click the link below to pay your deposit now!

Deposit Today

5 Tips for Writing a Great College Transfer Essay

Reviewed by Jacob Imm

Nov 19, 2021

5 Tips to Write a Great College Transfer Essay

Starting college is a once in-a-lifetime experience—well, for some people. For others, the first college they attend may not be the right fit. That’s why most schools give students the option to transfer.

Transferring schools, whether you transfer from community college or another institution, is a lot like the initial college application process. You’ll need to provide your college transcript or college report, letters of recommendation, ask whether your college credits transfer , and write a transfer essay.

There are a few key points you’ll want to hit when writing your college transfer essay. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the required content a transfer student should expect to include in their essay, along with a few tips and tricks to help seal the deal. Remember that every school is different, so be sure to check your prospective new school’s website for details on what your essay should include. For now, read on to find out what you need to know about writing your college transfer essay.

Tip #1 – Be Yourself

It may sound cheesy, but it’s true: being yourself is crucial to writing a successful college transfer essay.

More specifically, it’s important to allow your voice and personality to shine through when writing your transfer essay. Colleges get thousands of local and international applicants each year— both first-year and prospective transfer students. To stand out from the crowd, you’ll want to make sure your transfer essay is uniquely yours . 

In addition to being honest and using your unique voice, you’ll also want to hit a few key points when writing your personal statement or transfer essay.

• Your core values 

What are your unwavering beliefs? How do you view the world? What is important to you in this life? These are some high level concepts that you may not actively think about on a daily basis, but they define you  on a deeper level. By touching on these points, you’ll paint a more vivid picture of who you are and what you stand for. This will also help your personal statement stand out from the run-of-the-mill format that many others may follow.

• Your background 

Your background has shaped who you are today, and colleges want to understand where you’re coming from. Include any important details about your identity, your community, your family and your home that you think may add to the story you’re telling. 

• Previous college experience 

Part of your background information should also include the time you spent at your previous college. While there may be reasons you want to leave, it’s also crucial to include any meaningful experiences you’ve had and how they’ve shaped you and your college experience. Never paint your current school in a negative light; focus on what you’ve learned while you’ve been there--more about this to come.

• What you want 

After you’ve shared your experiences at college, it’s time to talk about what you want out of your new school. This will help the university determine whether they can provide the educational experience you’re seeking.

Don’t settle for the average essay. Be specific, draw from your real life, and don’t be afraid to use humor and creative language when appropriate. Try your best to convey who you are through your writing—especially if your prospective school doesn’t conduct in-person interviews. 

Tip #2 – Your Educational Journey

While it’s important to avoid talking badly about your current school, there is a way to discuss your reasons for leaving in a positive light. Include why you’re looking to transfer in your essay, but try to place a greater focus on what you want rather than what you’re trying to get away from. 

This would be a great time to mention:

• Your interests 

Start by explaining which program you’re interested in and why you’re interested in it. Make a note of any specific classes or resources that you believe would help prepare you for your future career. Add any extracurricular activities that relate to your educational experience, as well. 

• Your future 

Speaking of your future career, this is the time to outline your professional goals and ambitions. Believe it: your new school wants to admit prospective students with a plan, and outlining ambitious (but achievable) goals is the perfect way to prove you’re prepared.

• Changes 

It’s also crucial to talk about how your goals have changed over time. Obviously, you’ve changed paths for one reason or another, so take this time to explain what motivated your change of heart.

• Defend your decision 

Now, this doesn’t mean you should be defensive , but you should be able to explain why you believe this new path is right for you. Use this section to prove that you’re committed to this change and ready to get started. 

• Talk up your potential new  school 

There must be reasons why you’ve chosen the school you’re applying for. Take some time to discuss what you like about this new school, and be prepared to mention specifics in order to show you’ve done your research.

• Why you chose your current school 

If you’re discussing the reasons you’d like to transfer, it may also be helpful to talk about why you chose your current school. This will give your new institution a better understanding of who you are, who you were, and who you’re looking to become.

Tip #3 – Sell Them on You

If there’s any place where a little humble bragging is allowed, it’s a college essay. Don’t be afraid to explain what makes you a great student and why the college should choose you over other applicants--that’s what the reader wants to know. For this portion of the essay, try including the following information:

• Any academic or personal achievements related to your field of study
• Your GPA (if it’s high, and if it’s not, display how it’s improved or your goals for getting it higher)
• Any challenges that you’ve overcome during college, and how you’ve grown from them
• What makes you a good student, both in class and outside of class, and how you’ll make your new college a better place

At the end of the day, this essay should make you look like a prime candidate. While it’s important to be honest about any challenges you’ve faced at your current college, the focus of your essay will need to be your positive qualities as a desirable student. Don’t be afraid to give yourself some credit here!

Tip #4 – Explain How You’ve Made the Most of Your Current Situation

Colleges don’t want to read an essay that’s filled with complaints. While your previous school may not have been a good match, this is an opportunity to show your future school what a resilient, flexible, and hardworking student you are. 

Here, you’ll want to display the following points:

• Show how you’ve made things work 

Tell the story of how you’ve managed to make your current situation work for you. Even if the program you’ve been enrolled in isn’t the right fit for your future career, there may be ways to prove that you embraced your classes and resources with open arms. Use this opportunity to show just how dedicated you are to your education, even when things aren’t perfect.

• Prove you can put in the work

Next, you’ll want to outline the work you’ve put in to intellectually stimulate yourself, despite wanting a change. This may include an extra college course or two that you took, any outside research you’ve conducted, or any professional experience you’ve gained outside of school.

• Explain how you influenced your surroundings

So your situation wasn’t ideal. Did you do anything to change your surroundings to better fit your needs? In this portion of your essay, you’ll want to detail any clubs, organizations, or projects you’ve joined or started to progress your education and growth—particularly if your school didn’t have one before. This show’s you’re a dedicated go-getter who knows how to make positive changes in your community.

Tip #5 – Don’t Be Afraid to Flatter Them

While your transfer essay shouldn’t be 10straight pages of you gushing about the university, adding some flattering points never hurts. Your prospective school obviously won’t be choosing applicants based on who is the most complimentary, but incorporating a little praise will show how excited and committed you are. 

Consider touching on the following topics:

• Any programs and clubs that interest you
• How the school is going to help you achieve your dreams
• Any notable alumni or staff you look up to
• Resources the school provides that you’re excited about

Adding a few specific facts about your prospective school will also prove that you’ve done your research and you’re certain that this is the school for you. Use your essay to say that this is a  top school, and you’ve taken the time to figure out why. As a transfer student, you’ll want to put an emphasis on commitment, and ensure your new school that this is the final change you want to make.

Pursue Your Passion at North Central College

When you’re ready to transfer, you’ll want to look for a school like North Central College. North Central College is committed to helping transfer students succeed academically, socially and professionally . With helpful resources, scholarships, and local community college partners—it’s never been easier to make the switch. Find the right program to reach your career goals, and learn more with North Central College’s “Should I Transfer College” Quiz today!

Jacob Imm is a communications specialist in the North Central College Office of Marketing and Communications. He has 11 years of collegiate communications experience and has worked with hundreds of college students. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University.

Sawyer, E. (2021, August 3). How to write a successful college transfer essay . College Essay Guy | Get Inspired. 

https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/college-transfer-essay-examples . 

Andrew Belasco. A licensed counselor and published researcher. (2020, December 28). How to write a winning college transfer essay. College Transitions.

https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-transfer-essay/ .

More North Central News & Stories

Essay Papers Writing Online

Mastering the art of essay writing – a comprehensive guide.

Essay writing is a fundamental skill that every student needs to master. Whether you’re in high school, college, or beyond, the ability to write a strong, coherent essay is essential for academic success. However, many students find the process of writing an essay daunting and overwhelming.

This comprehensive guide is here to help you navigate the intricate world of essay writing. From understanding the basics of essay structure to mastering the art of crafting a compelling thesis statement, we’ve got you covered. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the tools and knowledge you need to write an outstanding essay that will impress your teachers and classmates alike.

So, grab your pen and paper (or fire up your laptop) and let’s dive into the ultimate guide to writing an essay. Follow our tips and tricks, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled and confident essay writer!

The Art of Essay Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

Essay writing is a skill that requires practice, patience, and attention to detail. Whether you’re a student working on an assignment or a professional writing for publication, mastering the art of essay writing can help you communicate your ideas effectively and persuasively.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the key elements of a successful essay, including how to choose a topic, structure your essay, and craft a compelling thesis statement. We’ll also discuss the importance of research, editing, and proofreading, and provide tips for improving your writing style and grammar.

By following the advice in this guide, you can become a more confident and skilled essay writer, capable of producing high-quality, engaging essays that will impress your readers and achieve your goals.

Understanding the Essay Structure

When it comes to writing an essay, understanding the structure is key to producing a cohesive and well-organized piece of writing. An essay typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, the body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction: The introduction is where you introduce your topic and provide some background information. It should also include your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument that you will be discussing in the essay.

Body paragraphs: The body of the essay is where you present your supporting evidence and arguments. Each paragraph should focus on a separate point and include evidence to back up your claims. Remember to use transition words to link your ideas together cohesively.

Conclusion: The conclusion is where you wrap up your essay by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. It is also a good place to make any final thoughts or reflections on the topic.

Understanding the structure of an essay will help you write more effectively and communicate your ideas clearly to your readers.

Choosing the Right Topic for Your Essay

One of the most crucial steps in writing a successful essay is selecting the right topic. The topic you choose will determine the direction and focus of your writing, so it’s important to choose wisely. Here are some tips to help you select the perfect topic for your essay:

By following these tips and considering your interests, audience, and research, you can choose a topic that will inspire you to write an engaging and compelling essay.

Research and Gathering Information

When writing an essay, conducting thorough research and gathering relevant information is crucial. Here are some tips to help you with your research:

Crafting a Compelling Thesis Statement

When writing an essay, one of the most crucial elements is the thesis statement. This statement serves as the main point of your essay, summarizing the argument or position you will be taking. Crafting a compelling thesis statement is essential for a strong and cohesive essay. Here are some tips to help you create an effective thesis statement:

• Be specific: Your thesis statement should clearly state the main idea of your essay. Avoid vague or general statements.
• Make it arguable: A strong thesis statement is debatable and presents a clear position that can be supported with evidence.
• Avoid clichés: Stay away from overused phrases or clichés in your thesis statement. Instead, strive for originality and clarity.
• Keep it concise: Your thesis statement should be concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary words or phrases.
• Take a stand: Your thesis statement should express a clear stance on the topic. Don’t be afraid to assert your position.

By following these guidelines, you can craft a compelling thesis statement that sets the tone for your essay and guides your reader through your argument.

Writing the Body of Your Essay

Once you have your introduction in place, it’s time to dive into the body of your essay. The body paragraphs are where you will present your main arguments or points to support your thesis statement.

Here are some tips for writing the body of your essay:

• Stick to One Main Idea: Each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument. This will help keep your essay organized and easy to follow.
• Use Topic Sentences: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
• Provide Evidence: Support your main points with evidence such as facts, statistics, examples, or quotes from experts.
• Explain Your Points: Don’t just state your points; also explain how they support your thesis and why they are important.
• Use Transition Words: Use transition words and phrases to connect your ideas and create a smooth flow between paragraphs.

Remember to refer back to your thesis statement and make sure that each paragraph contributes to your overall argument. The body of your essay is where you can really showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills, so take the time to craft well-developed and coherent paragraphs.

Perfecting Your Essay with Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading are essential steps in the essay writing process to ensure your work is polished and error-free. Here are some tips to help you perfect your essay:

• Take a Break: After writing your essay, take a break before starting the editing process. This will help you look at your work with fresh eyes.
• Focus on Structure: Check the overall structure of your essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Make sure your ideas flow logically and cohesively.
• Check for Clarity: Ensure that your arguments are clear and easy to follow. Eliminate any jargon or confusing language that might obscure your message.
• Grammar and Punctuation: Review your essay for grammar and punctuation errors. Pay attention to subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and proper punctuation usage.
• Use a Spell Checker: Run a spell check on your essay to catch any spelling mistakes. However, don’t rely solely on spell checkers as they may miss certain errors.
• Read Aloud: Read your essay aloud to yourself or have someone else read it to you. This can help you identify awkward phrasing or unclear sentences.
• Get Feedback: Consider getting feedback from a peer, teacher, or writing tutor. They can offer valuable insights and suggestions for improving your essay.

By following these editing and proofreading tips, you can ensure that your essay is well-crafted, organized, and free of errors, helping you make a strong impression on your readers.

Related Post

How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

Sample College Transfer Essay

A Sample Essay by a Student Transferring From Amherst to Penn

Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

• Essay Samples & Tips
• College Admissions Process
• College Profiles
• College Rankings
• Choosing A College
• Application Tips
• Testing Graphs
• College Financial Aid
• Advanced Placement
• Homework Help
• Private School
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania
• B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT

The following sample essay was written by a student named David. He wrote the transfer essay below for the Common Transfer Application in response to the prompt, "Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve" (250 to 650 words). David is attempting to transfer from Amherst College to the University of Pennsylvania . As far as admissions standards go, this is a lateral move—both schools are extremely selective. His letter will need to be extremely strong for his transfer application to be successful.

Key Takeaways: A Winning Transfer Essay

• Have a clear academic reason for your transfer. Personal reasons are fine, but academics need to come first.
• Stay positive. Don't speak badly of your current school. Emphasize what you like about your target school, not what you dislike about your current school.
• Be meticulous. Grammar, punctuation, and style matter. Show that you put time and care into your writing.

David's Transfer Application Essay

During the summer after my first year of college, I spent six weeks volunteering at an archaeological excavation in Hazor, site of the largest tel (mound) in Israel. My time in Hazor was not easy—wake-up came at 4:00 a.m., and by noontime temperatures were often in the 90s. The dig was sweaty, dusty, back-breaking work. I wore out two pairs of gloves and the knees in several pairs of khakis. Nevertheless, I loved every minute of my time in Israel. I met interesting people from around the world, worked with amazing students and faculty from Hebrew University, and became fascinated with the current efforts to create a portrait of life in the Canaanite period.

Upon my return to Amherst College for my sophomore year, I soon came to realize that the school does not offer the exact major I now hope to pursue. I'm majoring in anthropology, but the program at Amherst is almost entirely contemporary and sociological in its focus. More and more my interests are becoming archaeological and historical. When I visited Penn this fall, I was impressed by the breadth of offerings in anthropology and archaeology, and I absolutely loved your Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Your broad approach to the field with emphases on understanding both the past and present has great appeal to me. By attending Penn, I hope to broaden and deepen my knowledge in anthropology, participate in more summer field work, volunteer at the museum, and eventually, go on to graduate school in archaeology.

My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic. I have made many good friends at Amherst, and I have studied with some wonderful professors. However, I do have one non-academic reason for being interested in Penn. I originally applied to Amherst because it was comfortable—I come from a small town in Wisconsin, and Amherst felt like home. I'm now looking forward to pushing myself to experience places that aren't quite so familiar. The kibbutz at Kfar HaNassi was one such environment, and the urban environment of Philadelphia would be another.

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

Before we even get to the critique of David's essay, it's important to put his transfer into context. David is attempting to transfer into an  Ivy League  school. Penn is not the most selective of the country's top universities, but the transfer acceptance rate is still around 6% (at Harvard and Stanford, that number is closer to 1%). David needs to approach this effort at transfer realistically — even with excellent grades and a stellar essay, his chances of success are far from guaranteed.

That said, he has many things going for him — he is coming from an equally demanding college where he has earned good grades, and he seems like the type of student who will certainly succeed at Penn. He will need strong  letters of recommendation  to round out his application.

Analysis of David's Transfer Essay

Now on to the essay... Let's break down the discussion of David's transfer essay into several categories.

The Reasons for Transfer

The strongest feature of David's essay is the focus. David is pleasingly specific in presenting his reasons for transferring. He knows exactly what he wants to study, and he has a clear understanding of what both Penn and Amherst have to offer him. David's description of his experience in Israel defines the focus of his essay, and he then connects that experience to his reasons for wanting to transfer. There are lots of bad reasons to transfer, but David's clear interest in studying anthropology and archaeology makes his motives seem both well thought-out and reasonable.

Many transfer applicants are trying to move to a new college because they are running away from some kind of bad experience, sometimes something academic, sometimes something more personal. David, however, clearly likes Amherst and is running towards something—an opportunity at Penn that better matches his newly discovered professional goals. This is a big positive factor for his application.

The Common Transfer Application instructions state that the essay needs to be at least 250 words. The maximum length is 650 words. David's essay comes in at around 380 words. It is tight and concise. He doesn't waste time talking about his disappointments with Amherst, nor does he put much effort into explaining the things that other parts of his application will cover such as grades and extracurricular involvement. He does have a lot more space left to elaborate, but in this case the letter gets the job done well with few words.

David gets the tone perfect, something that is difficult to do in a transfer essay. Let's face it—if you are transferring it is because there is something about your current school that you don't like. It's easy to be negative and critical of your classes, your professors, your college environment, and so on. It's also easy to come across as a whiner or an ungenerous and angry person who doesn't have the inner resources to make the most of one's circumstances. David avoids these pitfalls. His representation of Amherst is extremely positive. He praises the school while noting that the curricular offerings do not match his professional goals.

The Personality

Partly because of the tone discussed above, David comes across as a pleasant person, someone who the admissions folks are likely to want to have as part of their campus community. Moreover, David presents himself as someone who likes to push himself to grow. He is honest in his reasons for going to Amherst—the school seemed like a good "fit" given his small-town upbringing. It is, therefore, impressive to see him so actively working to expand his experiences beyond his provincial roots. David has clearly grown at Amherst, and he is looking forward to growing more at Penn.

The Writing

When applying to a place like Penn, the technical aspects of the writing need to be flawless. David's prose is clear, engaging and free of errors. If you struggle on this front, be sure to check out these  tips for improving your essay's style . And if grammar isn't your greatest strength, be sure to work through your essay with someone who does have strong grammar skills.

A Final Word on David's Transfer Essay

David's college transfer essay does exactly what an essay needs to do, and he includes the features of a strong transfer essay . He clearly articulates his reasons for transferring, and he does so in a positive and specific way. David presents himself as a serious student with clear academic and professional goals. We have little doubt that he has the skills and intellectual curiosity to succeed at Penn, and he has made a strong argument about why this particular transfer makes a lot of sense.

Odds are still against David's success given the competitive nature of Ivy League transfers, but he has strengthened his application with his essay.

• Tips for Writing a Winning College Transfer Essay
• How to Transfer Colleges: A Guide for Success
• The Hidden Cost of Transferring to a Different College
• Good Reasons to Transfer to a Different College
• Sample College Admissions Essay - Student Teacher
• Sample Weak Supplemental Essay for Duke University
• Sample College Admission Essay—The Allegany County Youth Board
• Short Answer Response on Working at Burger King
• The Length Requirements for the Common Application Essay in 2020-21
• Ideal College Application Essay Length
• "My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
• Sample Application Essay - Porkopolis
• College Application Essay - The Job I Should Have Quit
• The Five College Consortium
• The Life of Talcott Parsons and His Influence on Sociology
• "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4

How to Write a Transfer Essay

The recording will load in a moment., about this livestream.

Transfer essays are one of the most important if not the most important feature of a transfer application. In this presentation Moriah will breakdown the purpose of transfer essays, what makes a compelling transfer essay, and how transfer essays differ from first-year admissions essays.

Undergrad College: University of Pennsylvania '19

Major: English and Women’s Studies

Work Experience: I'm passionate about merging storytelling, psychology, and spirituality to co-create experiences that transform people. In addition to advising students with CollegeVine, I work as a life coach and freelance writer.

College + Bootcamp Success Stories From Real Alumni

How to Write Your Best College Essay

Make the Most of Your Summer Break with the NSLC!

Popular recent recordings

Doing an internship in high school - why it matters and how to get one

How to get into tech

What every junior should be doing NOW to prepare for college applications

How Admissions Officers Evaluate Your Application

Daily Writing Tips

How to write an essay for a scholarship: a step-by-step guide.

Crafting an essay for a scholarship is your chance to show why you’re a worthy investment. It’s not just another essay; it’s a personal narrative that embodies your aspirations and showcases your potential.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll lead you through each part of the scholarship essay process: understanding the prompt, outlining your thoughts, engaging introductions, strong body paragraphs, impactful conclusions, and essential revisions. Plus, we’ll touch on those final checks before you hit submit.

Ready to turn your educational dreams into a compelling story? Let’s begin the journey of writing an essay that might just change the course of your future.

What Is a Scholarship Essay and Why Is It Important?

A scholarship essay is a written piece you submit as part of your college or university scholarship application. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate to the scholarship committee why you are the best candidate for the award.

The scholarship essay is important because it allows the committee to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. It lets you share your personal story, accomplishments, and future plans.

What Are Scholarship Essay Prompts Asking For?

Scholarship essay prompts typically ask you to discuss your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership roles, or any challenges you’ve overcome. The prompt will guide you in showcasing your unique qualifications. For example, a prompt might ask you to describe a time when you demonstrated leadership or to explain how a particular experience has shaped your academic and career goals.

How Can You Plan Your Scholarship Essay Effectively?

Effective planning is the key to writing a strong scholarship essay. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Read the prompt carefully: Start by thoroughly reviewing to understand the requirements and instructions of the essay prompt. Make sure you know exactly what the prompt is asking you to do.

2. Brainstorm experiences and accomplishments: Reflect on your academic, extracurricular, and personal experiences that might help explain the prompt. Think about your achievements, the challenges you’ve overcome, and how you’ve made a difference in your community.

3. Develop a thesis or central theme: Based on your brainstorming, determine a thesis or central theme that will help focus your essay. This statement should explain the main point you want the scholarship committee to understand.

4. Create an outline: Organize your essay by making an outline. Include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This will help you write a structured and coherent essay.

5. Do additional research: Depending on the prompt, you may need to research relevant information to support your essay. For example, if the prompt asks you to discuss a social issue, you may need to research facts and statistics to support your points.

6. Allow time for writing and revising: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your essay. Give yourself enough time to write a draft, get feedback, and make revisions . Rushing through the process can result in a weaker essay.

How Do You Create a Compelling Introduction for Your Scholarship Essay?

The introduction is the first thing the scholarship committee will read, so making a strong impression is important. Here are the steps to create a compelling introduction:

1. Hook the reader: Start your introduction with a captivating hook , such as a quote, anecdote, or intriguing statement. This will immediately engage the reader and make them want to continue reading.

2. Provide context: Offer relevant background information to give the reader context about who you are and your experiences. This could include details about your academic background, extracurricular activities, or personal interests.

3. State your central thesis : Clearly articulate your essay’s main point or argument, aligning it with the scholarship prompt. This thesis statement should be a concise and clear statement of the key idea you will explore in your essay.

4. Outline your approach: Give the reader a sense of how you will develop your essay’s central theme throughout the body paragraphs. This can be a brief overview of the main points you will cover.

5. Express your passion: Convey your enthusiasm, motivation, and personal investment in the topic and your pursuit of the scholarship. This will help the committee understand why this scholarship is important to you.

6. Keep it concise: Aim for 3-5 engaging sentences that introduce your essay in a manner that is easy to understand and compelling. The introduction should be long enough to capture the reader’s attention but not so long that it becomes overwhelming.

What Makes a Strong Body for Your Scholarship Essay?

The body of your scholarship essay is where you will expand on your central theme and provide evidence to support your points. Provide specific examples and evidence from your experiences to support your arguments. This could include details about your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, or personal challenges you’ve overcome.

Use the body paragraphs to showcase your unique qualities and how they make you a strong candidate for the scholarship. This could include your leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, creativity, or dedication to your studies. Keep your essay logically organized and focused on the main point you want to make, with each paragraph building on the previous one and contributing to the overall argument you’re making.

Vary your sentence structure to keep your writing engaging and easy to read. Alternate between shorter and longer sentences, and help guide the reader through your essay. Back up your claims and arguments with relevant facts, statistics, or expert opinions to strengthen the credibility of your essay.

How Should You Conclude Your Scholarship Essay?

The conclusion of your scholarship essay is your final opportunity to make an impression on the committee. In the conclusion, restate your thesis or central theme in a clear and understandable way. This will remind the reader of the main point you’ve been focused on throughout your essay.

Briefly summarize the key points and arguments you made in the body of your essay. This will help reinforce your main ideas and leave a lasting impression on the reader. Explain why the scholarship is important to you and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals. Demonstrate your passion and commitment to making the most of the scholarship opportunity.

Conclude your essay with a strong, memorable statement that leaves the reader with a positive impression of you as a candidate. This could be a call to action, an inspirational quote, or a final reflection on the significance of the scholarship.

How Can You Revise Your Scholarship Essay for Maximum Impact?

After you’ve written your first draft, it’s important to revise and edit your essay so it’s as strong as it can be. Carefully read through your essay to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Even small mistakes can ruin the overall quality of your essay.

Ask someone you trust, such as a teacher, mentor, or family member, to review your essay and provide feedback. They may be able to locate areas for improvement or offer a fresh perspective. Ask them to review your essay’s organization to ensure your introduction, body, and conclusion flow logically. Don’t be afraid to rearrange or add/remove paragraphs to strengthen the overall structure.

Examine your essay’s central arguments and claims. Are they supported with sufficient evidence and examples? Look for ways to develop your points further. Review your writing style and make adjustments to improve clarity, concision, and engagement. This could involve varying sentence structure, eliminating unnecessary words, or using more vivid and descriptive language.

Double-check that your essay fully addresses the scholarship prompt and showcases your qualifications in a way that aligns with the committee’s expectations. Don’t be afraid to make multiple rounds of revisions. The more you refine your essay, the stronger it will be.

What Are the Final Steps Before Submitting Your Scholarship Essay?

Once you’ve completed your revisions, there are a few final steps to take before submitting your scholarship essay. Take advantage of sources that provide essay and paper help to add to and ensure the quality you have written is up to the scholarship committee’s standards. Also, always be sure to review everything 

1. Follow instructions: Carefully review the scholarship guidelines and instructions to ensure you’ve followed all the requirements, including formatting, length, and submission procedures.

2. Double-check formatting: Ensure your essay is properly formatted according to the scholarship guidelines, including margins, font size, and spacing.

3. Proofread again : Do one final proofread to catch any lingering errors or typos. It’s easy to miss mistakes when you’ve been working on the essay for a long time.

4. Submit before the deadline: Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your essay. Allow plenty of time to complete the application process and submit your materials before the deadline. 5. Make copies: Keep a copy of your final essay for your records. This can be helpful if you need to refer back to it or make adjustments for future scholarship applications.

Here are some dos and don’ts for effective scholarship essay writing

• Understand the Prompt: Carefully read and analyze the scholarship prompt to ensure your essay directly addresses the requested topic or criteria.
• Showcase Your Unique Qualities: Use the essay as an opportunity to highlight your distinctive experiences, skills, goals, and passions that make you a standout candidate.
• Organize Your Essay Logically: Craft a clear and well-structured essay with an engaging introduction, cohesive body paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion.
• Support Your Claims: Back up your key points and arguments with specific examples, anecdotes, and evidence from your experiences.
• Maintain a Positive and Enthusiastic Tone**: Convey your enthusiasm for the scholarship and your commitment to making the most of the opportunity.
• Proofread and Edit Carefully: Review your essay multiple times to catch any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.
• Follow All Formatting Requirements: Adhere to the prescribed page limits, font sizes, and other formatting guidelines specified by the scholarship provider.

Don’ts

• Don’t Repeat the Prompt: Avoid simply restating the prompt in your essay. Instead, use your unique voice and perspective.
• Don’t Make Broad, Unsupported Statements: Avoid making claims or generalizations without providing concrete evidence or examples to support them.
• Don’t Use Clichés or Overly Formal Language: Steer clear of overused phrases and maintain a natural, conversational tone throughout your essay.
• Don’t Exaggerate or Embellish: Be honest and authentic in your writing . Avoid making claims that you cannot substantiate.
• Don’t Neglect the Conclusion: Don’t treat the conclusion as an afterthought. Use it to leave a lasting, positive impression on the reader.
• Don’t Miss Deadlines or Requirements: Ensure you submit your essay by the specified deadline and adhere to all other requirements outlined by the scholarship provider.
• Don’t Plagiarize: Ensure that your essay is entirely your own work and that you properly cite any external sources you use.

Following these dos and don’ts can help you craft a compelling scholarship essay that stands out from the competition.

Writing a good scholarship essay is important to get the funding you need for your education and career goals. By following the steps in this guide – understanding the prompt, brainstorming your experiences, writing a strong introduction and body, and leaving a lasting conclusion – you can create an essay that makes you stand out as an excellent candidate.

The essay is not just about listing your accomplishments – it’s about showing who you are as a person and why you are the ideal recipient. Infuse it with enthusiasm, personal stories, and a vision for your future. This will help you craft an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

As you prepare to submit your scholarship essay, be proud of your work and confident that you’ve presented your best self.

Stop making those embarrassing mistakes! Subscribe to Daily Writing Tips today!

You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed!

Each newsletter contains a writing tip, word of the day, and exercise!

You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free!

Leave a Comment

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

Hillary Clinton: I’ve Debated Trump and Biden. Here’s What I’m Watching For.

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

Mrs. Clinton was the Democratic nominee for president in 2016.

Last week I had the time of my life at the Tony Awards introducing a song from “Suffs,” the Broadway musical I co-produced about the suffragists who won women the right to vote. I was thrilled when the show took home the awards for best original score and best book.

From “Suffs” to “Hamilton,” I love theater about politics. But not the other way around. Too often we approach pivotal moments like this week’s debate between President Biden and Donald Trump like drama critics. We’re picking a president, not the best actor.

I am the only person to have debated both men (Mr. Trump in 2016 and, in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary race, Mr. Biden). I know the excruciating pressure of walking onto that stage and that it is nearly impossible to focus on substance when Mr. Trump is involved. In our three debates in 2016, he unleashed a blizzard of interruptions, insults and lies that overwhelmed the moderators and did a disservice to the voters who tuned in to learn about our visions for the country — including a record 84 million viewers for our first debate.

It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trump’s arguments like in a normal debate. It’s nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are. He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated. I was not surprised that after a recent meeting, several chief executives said that Mr. Trump, as one journalist described it, “could not keep a straight thought” and was “all over the map.” Yet expectations for him are so low that if he doesn’t literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential.

Mr. Trump may rant and rave in part because he wants to avoid giving straight answers about his unpopular positions, like restrictions on abortion, giving tax breaks to billionaires and selling out our planet to big oil companies in return for campaign donations. He interrupts and bullies — he even stalked me around the stage at one point — because he wants to appear dominant and throw his opponent off balance.

These ploys will fall flat if Mr. Biden is as direct and forceful as he was when engaging Republican hecklers at the State of the Union address in March. The president also has facts and truth on his side. He led America’s comeback from a historic health and economic crisis, with more than 15 million jobs created so far, incomes for working families rising, inflation slowing and investments in clean energy and advanced manufacturing soaring. He’ll win if that story comes through.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .