r/CollegeTransfer • u/Visible-Canary-778 • 1h ago
r/CollegeTransfer • u/ScholarGrade • Aug 17 '20
Introspection Is The Key To An Outstanding Transfer Essay
Introduction
Many transfer students struggle with identifying a good topic for their essay. Conventional wisdom says to just answer the prompt, but the transfer prompts can be very tricky. They usually ask about your reasons for wanting to transfer and many students end up being overly negative in their response. Other advice says to start by brainstorming a list of potential topics related to your educational path and future goals, and chances are you have already started a mental list of ideas. You might think you only have a few choices for topics, based on your problems with your current school or things you love about the schools you’re considering. You may have even started writing a rough draft or two. I advise, however, that you put down your list of topics and back away from it. Forget that exists for a moment. Seriously, thinking about this initial list tethers you to certain ideas that might not actually be your best options. Take a minute to let go of those.
Now you can begin brainstorming with a clean slate.
My strategy is this: start with thinking about what you want to show in your entire application, not just one essay. Every single thing in your transfer app has one purpose - to tell more about you and show how you will fit the new school. Filling out the application by rote and tackling each section independently is short-sighted and will leave so much potential untapped in your application.
About Transfer Application Review
An admissions officer’s goal is to understand you fully, in the context of your background and the rest of the applicant pool. Throughout this process, their focus will be primarily academic. They will begin by assessing your academic abilities and potential. This is chiefly done through analysis of your college transcript - your course selection and performance, especially in core/major classes. These include English/writing, math, hard science (e.g. biology, chemistry, or physics rather than say, psychology) and some social sciences as well as any courses you’ve taken in your major.
Next, they will evaluate how you will fit into the student body and campus community. This relies heavily on your letters of recommendation, activities, and essays. They want to see that you will contribute to the vibrant intellectual scene they’ve worked so hard to build through freshman admissions. The last thing they want to do is bring in “problem students” who will struggle academically or drag down the culture and social dynamics on campus.
They will want to see that your interests have focused and that you’re pursuing them with more depth than you were in high school. This is especially true of your intellectual and academic interests.
All of this can be somewhat broad and diverse and touch on several institutional goals. But they will dig deep to find out what each applicant is like, what your core values and motivations are, what kind of student you will be, how you will contribute, etc. Two key questions many reviewers seek to answer are 1) what will this student bring to campus? And 2) what will they take away? They want to clearly visualize the ways you will add to the campus community and the ways you will benefit and grow from the experience.
Introspection
Your goal with your essay is to powerfully tell your story in a manner that will fit these criteria. The entirety of your application (again, not just one essay) aims to showcase your abilities, qualifications, and uncommon attributes as a person in a positive way. You need to show passion for your chosen academic path and present a compelling case for how both you and the new school will benefit from your enrollment there. Before you begin outlining or writing your application, you must determine what is unique about you that will stand out to an admissions panel. All students are truly unique. Not one other student has the same combination of life experiences, personality, passions, or goals as you do; your job in your application is to frame your unique personal attributes in a positive and compelling way. How will you fit on campus? What personal qualities, strengths, core values, talents, or different perspectives do you bring to the table? What deeper motivations/beliefs or formative experiences can you use to illustrate all of this? How will you impact the classrooms, labs, campus organizations, etc?
You might not immediately know what you want to share about yourself. It’s not a simple task to decide how to summarize your whole life or academic arc and being in a powerful and eloquent way on your application. Therefore, it is always helpful to start with some soul-searching and self-examination. This takes additional time and effort rather than jumping straight into your first draft. But it is also a valuable method to start writing a winning application that stands out from the stack. By the time you're finished, you should have several different topics or stories around which to build your application.
You cannot gracefully fit all you want to communicate into one essay. Instead make sure your vision is clearly conveyed somewhere in your application. Each component only needs to carry a small part of your message. Your essay is the most dynamic component, but every section is vital to the overall effectiveness of your application.
Note: once you begin writing, remember that you shouldn't address any of this directly. Be indirect and subtle, and use examples/stories and details to make your main points. Don't chisel them into stone tablets and bash the reviewer in the face or yell "Look how smart I am!" That also means you shouldn’t say "I'm a great team player and I can't wait to contribute at X College!" Instead, show an example of a time you worked on a team effectively and let the reviewer form their own conclusions. I cover this in greater detail in my essay guide, but it’s worth noting here as it’s part of the process of picking a topic.
Introspection Questions
The list of questions below is excerpted from my full transfer student introspection worksheet. These questions will help you examine yourself and discover potential topics, stories, or characteristics to highlight in your essays and application. It will also help you decide how to present yourself. As you consider each of these questions, focus on your core values, aspirations, foundational beliefs, personality traits, motivations, passions, and personal strengths.
There are a lot of questions, and I DO NOT expect you to answer them all. You should only respond to the ones that speak to you, spark a memory, or inspire some facet of yourself that you want to share. I recommend that you read through all of the questions first, then go back and write down answers to a couple from each section. Don’t write long answers to these questions; simply jot down your thoughts. The goal is not to actually write your essays now, but to brainstorm your thoughts in an unfiltered and natural manner, to start ideas flowing. I suggest that you spend about an hour on this, then stop and re-evaluate. If you finish and feel that you don't have enough material, review the questions again and brainstorm some more.
Superlatives
Introspection is challenging, but it's often easier to start thinking in terms of superlatives. Think about some of the superlatives in your life – what are the most meaningful things about you?
What moments were most memorable, formative, enlightening, enjoyable, or valuable? What are your favorite memories? Why? What are your favorites since high school?
What physical possessions, experiences, dreams, or lessons could make your superlatives list?
Think about what things, people, or circumstances in your life are really unique, fascinating, different, or outlandish. Are there any that really have a lot of "cultural flavor" (whatever your culture is)?
What items or stories from this list could make up your “two truths” in “Two Truths and a Lie?” "Two Truths and a Lie" is a game where each person lists two truths about themselves and one lie. The other players have to try to identify the lie. Which two truths would be most interesting to someone who just met you?
List three of the strongest or most controversial opinions you have. What have you done to stand up for these beliefs or opinions?
What opinions, beliefs, or ideas do you have that have changed since you finished high school? How and why did they change? What did you learn from that experience?
List two ways you stand out from your peers. Assume 50 students are randomly selected from your college. List one or two subjects, disciplines, or topics for which you would likely have the most expertise in that group.
What do you value the most in your life? What would be the hardest to lose or give up? What things are you most grateful for? Why are these things important to you?
What are you most passionate about? Why? What do you wish you were more passionate about?
Do a quick Google search for “core values”. Pick a list and identify at least five that you connect with the most. Sometimes it helps to start with ten or more and then narrow this list down. Now that you have a list, think about why each of those is important to you. What stories or examples from your life illustrate your dedication to these core values?
Your College Experience So Far
Take some time to think about what college has been like so far. Many transfer applications will ask about what challenges you’ve faced or what has led you to desire transferring, so it can be helpful to reflect on this.
What have you appreciated most about college so far? What have you gained from it?
What has surprised you the most since high school? These can be positive or negative. Try to think of some things that are academic in nature and some that aren’t.
What do you wish you had done differently with your educational journey to this point? How have you grown or learned from the challenges or setbacks you’ve faced?
What are the top three strengths of the college or program you’re currently enrolled in? What do you like or value the most about it? What are its weaknesses? What is missing that your potential transfer destinations might fulfill? Do you feel these shortcomings are endemic, or specific to your particular situation (i.e. do you think everyone has these issues or just you)?
Regarding your academic trajectory, do you feel a greater sense of purpose, increased specificity / clarity, or more focused scope than you had when you started college? What does this new arc look like? Where do you want it to lead? What experiences brought that clearer view or pointed you in that particular direction? If you don’t feel like your interests/pursuits have narrowed, spend some time thinking about what that might look like. If you had to pick a career or graduate program today, what would you choose? How will transferring help you solidify and progress down that path?
Attempts to transfer can be unsuccessful for a variety of reasons - course/credit equivalency issues, financial aid, failure to gain admission, etc. If your transfer doesn’t work out, what is plan B?
A Brighter Future - Your New College and Beyond
Now turn your focus on your new college specifically. Transferring colleges is among the biggest decisions and investments you will ever make so analyzing your process and rationale can be very illuminating into how you think, prioritize, and plan. Thinking beyond college can also help you see the big picture of your life and what you want from it. These questions can be especially helpful for the “why do you want to transfer here” essay prompts.
List three things you like about your current major. Rank them if you can. Why are these appealing to you?
List three to five things you hope to get out of transferring colleges. Keep your focus beyond prestige, career, and salary.
List five things you want to change or improve about yourself by the time you finish college. How will you pursue this?
List five colleges you are interested in transferring to. What are the most important factors to you in deciding on a college, e.g. cost, location, academics, rankings, specifics of the program you want, etc?
How do you define success? What things would make you feel successful one, five, or ten years from now?
If you were given a million dollars to drop out of college entirely, would you do it? What would you do instead of college?
List five potential careers or jobs that you might want to have someday. If you want to take this a step further, look up some job postings on Indeed.com or another job board to see more specifics.
List five goals or dreams you have for your future. These could be academic, personal, or professional.
Connecting Introspection To The Common Application
The Common Application for Transfer Students has just one essay prompt:
“Provide a statement discussing your educational path, such as how continuing your education at a new institution will help you achieve your future goals, in 1,250 – 3,250 characters (about 250 – 650 words).”
Note that some colleges that use the Common App may not require this essay or they may require other additional essays. For example, the University of Washington transfer application includes twelve prompts and allows students to respond to as many of them as they like. Visit the transfer admissions website of each school you’re considering and gather all of the prompts into a single document. The next step in introspection is to formulate a few possible answers to these in just a brief sentence or two (e.g. 280 characters or less). This will help you consider some of the various approaches you might use and how you might organize your thoughts and present a cohesive view of who you are.
Hopefully you will notice that many of the questions you've already answered or considered in this worksheet can be used as building blocks. Which prospective responses have the most potential to showcase the best you have to offer to a college? Which highlight your passions, your motivations, your core values, and your uniqueness? Try not to think about which response or topic will be the easiest to write - in fact, that might be your worst choice. Reread the introduction to this worksheet and review your application goals as this might help you focus. If there are multiple responses you feel have promise and fit your arc, go deeper into outlining each essay to see which is the most compelling and how to match these up to the various short questions or other essay requirements of your specific colleges.
If you're interested in a professional review of your essays or application, PM me or find me at www.bettercollegeapps.com. You can also get my full Transfer Introspection Worksheet and guide here.
Good luck!
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Used-Motor • 1h ago
Is it impossible for me to get a internship
I’m 18 going in to my first year of college but I graduated with my associates degree so that means I only have two years of college and only this year to do a internship. Intership applications open from August to like October I believe but I can’t apply to anything right because I don’t even have a GPA yet. So I don’t know what to do and I don’t know the typical path for a transfer student. This has been in my mind for months. And I feel like I can get a intership at BOFA because I know someone but I don’t know even when I would intern because I don’t have a resume this year and the year of 2028 I won’t be able to do a summer intership because Ill be graduated.
If there’s no solution should I double major so I’ll have more time to do interships?
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Low_Count_17 • 2h ago
finding a roommate/housing?
hello! i am currently heading into my second year at my local community college, and i’m hoping to transfer in the spring. i was wondering if anyone had any insight on how housing works for transfer students, but especially for those transferring in the spring rather than the fall. it seems like finding a roommate heading into your freshman year is super easy, most of the people that i know at four year universities found one through the “class of ___” page for their school or already had someone they knew from high school or otherwise. i’ve been having a hard time finding information on housing for transfer students, but it doesn’t seem like the same pathways of finding a roommate are really open. are you assigned someone randomly? do they try to place you in a single dorm? is there even housing open, or do most find somewhere to live off campus? i would appreciate any information or experience anyone has! i’m just trying to get a feel for how my experience will be different than if i had gone the traditional route.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/RoamingLane • 5h ago
[UPD] Help college dropped out planning to go back to college and transfer to UP
Hello! I used to study in our local university but decided to dropped out on 1st semester way back 2021. I'm planning to go back to study, but I also want to shoot my shot at my dream school.
I'm planning to study on a private college first to take required units and transfer to UPD. May I ask for your thoughts about this or if you have any experience please help me out T ^ T
Thank you!
r/CollegeTransfer • u/cns8cns • 11h ago
Is it possible to transfer for lower tuition cost
I’m an international student going into the second year in a big10 college. Even though my current school has relatively low tuition and living cost for internationals but as my family business kinda went down recently, we are struggling financially. So I’m looking to transfer to another school which I hope to get more merit scholarship and lower the total cost of attending college. I’m majoring in education and I don’t expect my salary to be high after graduation, so I wanna lower the cost as much as possible and hopefully graduate from an okay-college. I don’t hope to be in top schools, just any recognizable big colleges are fine. My GPA currently is 3.9 and have few volunteering experiences.
Any suggestion/advice welcomed.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Ordinary_Box4392 • 12h ago
How do UCs handle non-transferable foreign college records if official transcripts cannot be issued?
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Adventurous_Case7998 • 14h ago
Spring transfer GPA timing.
I’m planning on transferring from a CA junior college to ASU in the spring. My concern is my first few semesters at JC aren’t very impressive and have tanked my GPA. Even after my recent semester and two summer classes that I have just finished, my GPA still sits below the 2.5 out of state threshold.
I’m wondering if after my fall semester, most likely sitting around or above a 2.75, if it’s likely I’m still admitted in time for spring and if finding a place to live will be difficult. I have emailed with an admissions advisor but really haven’t gotten any helpful results.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/pink_shell • 16h ago
Spring transfer
**How likely am I to get in for exercise science as a freshman spring transfer** from a community college if I have **14 transfer credits from the summer** and I plan on following the some rest of the exercise science transfer pathway (all the strongly recommended would be completed) and another **14 in the fall? Total by the time I transfer: 28**
Extra info: I’m in state, mom+ other members went to vt, I applied for early action (public health) as an incoming freshman this past year, but got waitlisted and they flagged my application because I made a team there but they couldn’t help me get off bc it didn’t count as an official sport, so I never did.
Do we think I need more credits when I apply? Any tips?
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Background_Bug_2171 • 20h ago
Going from 4 year uni > 2 year CC > 4 year uni
Has anyone done this before where they go to a 4 year uni for their first year, then to a CC, then transferred to a 4 year? Like a reverse transfer?
I was planning to transfer from my current 4 year uni to another 4 year uni, but I’m not sure if I’m physically or mentally well enough for this (lots of personal life things happened over the past few months). I’ve been accepted to this new 4 year uni (which initially I was dead set on transferring to for my sophomore year), but I’m mostly concerned that I don’t have the capability to keep up right now with the academics or move away 3 hours from home with the health issues I have.
I’m on the premed/pre-pa path, so the most important thing for me is to protect my grades. Right now, I’m considering going to community college for my 2nd year (because it would be easier for me to stay at home and to protect my gpa), then applying again for my 3rd year when I’m better. But I’m not sure how admission officers would take this.
I’ve got 3 options:
1) If I were to continue my studies at my initial uni, I would have to commute abt an hour from home, waking up at 6 AM to catch my ride (this may take a hit to my health).
2) I simply transfer to the 4 year uni I wanted (away from home, with no one really to look out for me in the case I do encounter a health episode).
3) go to cc, finish up my intro classes and gen-eds. Reapply and hope I can get in a second time.
Idk what to do rn. Any advice is welcome. TIA.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Head-University3917 • 23h ago
Incoming PCC freshman aiming for UCLA Biology transfer—what should I do NOW to make my application stand out?
Hey everyone!
I’m an incoming freshman at Pasadena City College, and my goal is to transfer to UCLA in two years as a Biology major. I’m really trying to be intentional with my time at PCC and make the most of these next two years.
So far, I’ve joined EOP&S, the Honors Program/Honor Society, and JAM. I know maintaining a strong GPA is the biggest factor, but I’m wondering what else I can do to make my application stronger and stand out.
I completed most of my general education requirements in high school, so the main GEs I have left are English and math. Because of that, I have a little more flexibility in my schedule and want to use that time wisely.
This fall, I’m taking two honors classes (English and Calculus), General Chemistry, and College Seminar. I’m really trying to build a strong foundation from day one. I’d love to create a roadmap for the next two years, not just academically, but also through leadership, extracurriculars, and opportunities that will help me become a stronger UCLA transfer applicant.
For those who successfully transferred to UCLA (especially Biology, STEM, or pre-med majors), what are some things you wish you had done sooner?
I’m especially interested in:
- Clubs or organizations that are actually worth joining
- Leadership opportunities
- Research opportunities
- Internships
- Volunteering (especially in healthcare or biology)
- Transfer programs or campus resources I should take advantage of
- Ways to build a stronger extracurricular profile
- Scheduling strategies or classes that helped you succeed
I genuinely want to be as involved as possible instead of just going to class and heading home. I really want to challenge myself and use my time wisely at PCC.
Any advice, tips, or even things you wish someone had told you as an incoming freshman would mean a lot. Thank you!
r/ucla, r/UCLA_University, r/PCC, r/PasadenaCityCollege_, r/pasadena, r/premed, r/biology, r/TransferStudents r/Advice r/ApplyingToCollege, r/college, r/UCLABruins
r/CollegeTransfer • u/fishingseiran • 23h ago
To transfer or not to transfer...
I've attended a college less than twenty minutes away from my house for the past three years and I'm tired of this, Grandpa!
When I graduated from high school I only applied to this one school because I knew it would save the most money and be the least hassle for my family, but alas, now my mental stability is the one paying the price. My dad that I do not get along with is doing his masters here in the same program as me so he knows way too many of my classmates and professors for comfort. I've wanted to transfer elsewhere since my first year, but I've been trying so hard to stick it out. Still, when I fantasize about going to a shiny new school in a distant land far, far away... it is a glorious feeling.
But I feel like I've missed my shot. I'm in my twenties now, going into my 4th year, and my GPA is only getting worse—last time I checked it was 2.something. Probably on the lower end of something. I know the best thing would probably be for me to tough it out to the end, but I also know I'm going to have at least two more years of school ahead of me, and the idea of finishing it here fills me with so much dread.
I think maybe I'm just looking for someone to tell me to take the leap despite all reason telling me I shouldn't lol
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Worldly-Slice-5899 • 1d ago
Transferring from CC
Hello, I am kinda nervous since I never use reddit but I seriously need help!! I am planning to transfer from my local CC after the spring. I want to transfer to Georgetown University, I have been plotting on it since my senior year of HS (I am now entering my second year of college). I have spoken to many people that have transferred from a 4-year institution, but none from a CC. I was hoping to find some kind of community in the process? I am a Public Health major, and currently pre-med as well. I have taken interest to the Global Health program at Georgetown's School of Health, which I know is very hard to get into. I have done many EC's for this, such as being VP of a medical careers club, joining an honors volunteer program that teaches children STEM, shadowed doctors, and also done 150+ volunteer hours as a phlebotomist, medical scribe, and even translator. Adding on, I am currently working on getting my CNA since I got a job offer. I also babysit my younger sibling, which is one of the reasons I chose to go to a CC. I was a bum in high school, I would usually settle for average and barely graduated. When I realized my dream school was simply unattainable because I didn't work hard enough, I decided going to a CC would be my second chance. I have also done 2 honors programs, got an award for my research, and my plans for next year are running an immigrant rights committee (since I was involved last year, I was nominated this year), and making a Women in Medicine Society (since my experience as the VP was not the best in the medical careers club, I decided to make my own). Other ECs I am doing are dance company, and finally I also am part of a Bolivian Folkloric dance team (I am half Bolivian), and this team gave me a leadership role to teach others this dance. Overall, I have been booked and busy and the grind never stops, but I am wondering if there is something missing or what your advice would be to make sure I stand out because it's rare to find transfer success stories. I also forgot to mention that many of my sciences will NOT transfer since they are from a 2-year. I have taken chemistry, but was advised not to take any other sciences like biology, physics, etc. since they will NOT transfer and it is better to not tank my GPA. Let me know if you guys have any ideas PLEASE I BEG!!! And thank you for being patient and reading my story, any help will be greatly appreciated since I am navigating this alone. If anyone has any success stories from a CC, doesn't have to be from Georgetown, I would love to hear it. Thank you again.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Necessary_Choice_690 • 1d ago
feu transfer
kapag nag transfer ba ako sa feu manila, magiging first year ulit ako kahit same course naman ‘yung itetake ko? and gano kaya katagal yung evaluation process? thank you =D
r/CollegeTransfer • u/CommunicationNice437 • 1d ago
How well does Kenyon take OOS CC and state school class credits?
I took Dual Enrollment at a Community College and thru CUNY and planned to enroll in a state school to save on cost. Until recently I never heard of Kenyon and I like the environment there.
For context the institution that I'm attending is CUNY City College and I might transfer to Stony Brook and then to Kenyon.
I also have some AP credits though most of my AP's I got a 3 on.
r/CollegeTransfer • u/ApprehensiveRoll6374 • 1d ago
University Transfer from University of Houston to Portland State University for Masters in Electricaal and COmputer Engineering,
r/CollegeTransfer • u/Opening-Banana4070 • 1d ago
How well does UCLA take OOS CC class credits?
r/CollegeTransfer • u/TailorAppropriate392 • 2d ago
pls help me out
Need advice about changing schools after already transferring
Hi everyone,
I'm a 16-year-old student, and I'm in a situation that's been causing me a lot of stress.
A few months ago, I left my Cambridge AS/A Level school (Holy Sai International School) due to family decisions. Since then, I've joined another school, but I haven't been able to adjust at all. I genuinely believe my previous school was a much better fit for me academically, emotionally, and for my future goals. I miss the Cambridge environment, my teachers, my friends, and the way I was learning there.
The problem is that my parents have already paid around ₹2 lakh for my current school. They're also influenced by a religious consultation that suggested I shouldn't return to my previous school, so they feel changing back isn't the right decision.
From my perspective, I don't feel happy or settled where I am now. I constantly think about returning to my previous school, and it's affecting my motivation and peace of mind. My former school has been willing to speak with us, but I don't know if my parents will agree because of the money already spent and their other concerns.
I'm trying to understand this from all sides.
If you were in my position:
- Would you keep trying to convince your parents?
- Is it reasonable to want to transfer back after only a few months if you truly believe it's the right educational environment?
- Has anyone here successfully returned to a previous school after transferring?
I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences. Thank you for reading
r/CollegeTransfer • u/ApprehensiveFig8106 • 2d ago
Transferring colleges/need advice
I am currently attending the university of Minnesota. I am in the college of education and human development with a major of kinesiology. I am about to start my third year of college, and do not want to stay at the U of M. The tuition is too expensive and I do not love it here. I am looking into transferring but want to stay on the kinesiology/exercise science track.
I have a lease signed in the Twin Cities, so I can’t move away. I am willing to commute, but would love to stay under 45 minutes away from my house.
I want to switch to another university/college, and am open to hybrid or online learning.
Are there any good universities or colleges that offer a kinesiology/exercise science program that I should look into transferring to?
r/CollegeTransfer • u/No_Counter_2913 • 2d ago
desperately need help
please help me my mental health is horrible and im genuinely thinking about offing myself
r/CollegeTransfer • u/hellokiggie • 2d ago
transferring schools and state
I'm curious if anyone has experience with transferring schools from a different state. I'm planning to move to Oregon in the summer and want to complete my AAS in illustration, but I'm not sure how to go about getting the credits to another community college/university that offers the same degree. I would stick it out at my current school, or even complete my degree if I moved back, but the degree is being dissolved at the beginning of 2028. I don't want the credits I've received to be in vain. Any advice is welcome!