why transfer essay example

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:

Key Takeaways

How are college transfer essays different from regular application essays?

At their core, college transfer essays have a lot in common with regular college application essays. They are both opportunities to showcase your potential, your passions, your story, and the plans you have for your future at the school you’re applying to.

That being said, there are some circumstantial differences between transfer essays and regular application essays. Transfer essays are a great opportunity to showcase what you’ve accomplished at your current school and how it’s helped you to hone your goals and skills. You can talk about the lessons you’ve learned at your current school and build upon that to demonstrate why these experiences have led you to believe you would be even more successful at the school you’re hoping to transfer into.

So, the main difference between transfer essays and regular application essays is that transfer essays build on your experience of already having completed some college. Use your experience at your current school to pitch yourself as a candidate to your desired school.

Do all schools require transfer essays?

Not all schools require specific transfer essays. Some schools will have transfer students fill out just the same application as incoming freshmen would.

That being said, most college essays touch on a student’s ambitions and experiences. Since you have already attended college for some time, your experience and skills have changed. That means that as a transfer student, even your regular application essays should reflect the fact that you are transferring. Try to fit your time so far in college into your essays even if there is no specific transfer essay.

Can I reuse my old college essays for a transfer?

It’s not a good idea to reuse your old college essays as transfer essays verbatim. That being said, it is a great idea to use them as inspiration and a solid base for your new essays. Since your circumstances have changed in the time since your first applications, you’ll want to update these essays to reflect your time in college and the lessons you’ve learned.

Plus, with a year (or more) of school under your belt, your writing will most likely have improved. Use your new skills to maximize your chances of admission!

What should you not say in a transfer essay?

It’s very important to maintain a positive tone and focus on possibilities and ambitions in a transfer essay. Students who are transferring because they are dissatisfied with their current school may be tempted to voice that dissatisfaction, but it is best to keep it out of your essays.

Think about it from the perspective of an admissions officer. Will reading about how unhappy you are at your current school make them any more likely to admit you? Especially since all of these essays have word limits, any complaints about your current situation are only taking up valuable space that you could use to discuss your potential and ambitions.

So, instead of airing any grievances about your current situation, try to explore the ways that your intellectual or personal goals have changed in your time at school and how your new school will offer a great fit for you.

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Read 2 Transfer Student Essays That Worked

Strong transfer essays can help pave the way to admissions offers.

Read 2 Transfer Essays That Worked

Though it isn't a golden ticket, a strong transfer essay may boost an applicant's odds of admission. (Getty Images)

There are as many reasons to transfer colleges as there are transfer students. But regardless of why someone wants to move to a new institution, the process for doing so usually requires an admissions essay.

Colleges With the Most Transfer Students

Josh Moody Jan. 28, 2020

Though it isn't a golden ticket, a strong transfer essay may boost an applicant's odds of admission.

In a 2018 National Association for College Admission Counseling survey , 41.5% of colleges polled said a transfer applicant's essay or writing sample is of either considerable or moderate importance in the admission decision.

A compelling, well-written transfer essay doesn't guarantee acceptance – many other factors are at play, such as an applicant's GPA. However, a strong essay can be a factor that helps move the odds in the applicant's favor, says Kathy Phillips, associate dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University in North Carolina.

Know What Colleges Are Looking For In a Transfer Essay

Some schools have prospective transfer students use the Common App or the Coalition Application to apply. In addition to the main essay, students may be required to submit a second writing sample or respond to short-answer questions, though this isn't always the case. Prospective students can check a college's website for specific guidance regarding how to apply.

Whatever application method they use, prospective students should be aware that writing a transfer essay is not the same as writing a first-year college application essay, experts advise. First-year essays are more open-ended, says Niki Barron, associate dean of admission at Hamilton College in New York. When applying as first-years, prospective students can generally write about any experience, relationship or goal that has shaped who they are as people, she says.

This contrasts with transfer essays, where the focus is typically narrower. Barron says she thinks of transfer essays as more of a statement of purpose. "We're really looking to see students' reasons for wanting to transfer," she says.

Katie Fretwell, the recently retired dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College in Massachusetts, says prospective transfer students are in a position to be a bit more reflective about their educational goals because of their additional year or years of experience post-high school. The essay helps admissions officers get a sense of whether an applicant has done "an appropriate level of soul-searching about the match," she says.

Transfer Essay Examples

Below are two transfer essays that helped students get into Duke and Amherst, respectively. Both institutions are very selective in transfer admissions. For fall 2018, Duke had a transfer acceptance rate of 8% and Amherst accepted 4% of its transfer applicants, according to U.S. News data.

Hover over the circles to read what made these essays stand out to admissions experts.

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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!

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Tags: 2016-2017 college applications , 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

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How to Write a Successful College Transfer Essay

Transfer essay tips for you and your friends so you can go to the same school again! Learn how to write a transfer essay from beginning to end with my brief guide. How was your college application journey? Let us know over at collegeessayguy.com

It’s hard to write a one-size-fits all approach for college transfer essays . Why? As Dan Nannini , Transfer Center Director at Santa Monica College , pointed out to me last week, “Every student is just so darn different.”

He’s right. And given the great variety of reasons for students transferring—from military deployment , moving from community college to a university , to simply not vibing with a particular school—it may seem impossible to create a method that can work for everyone.

But I’d like to try.

So below, I’m going to lay out steps for writing a strong college transfer essay, and offer some college transfer essay examples.

And, as with all my other resources, take this is not The Only Way but instead A Pretty Good Way .

As a transfer student wondering how to start a transfer essay, you’re probably dealing with some version of this prompt:

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

I happen to believe there are…

Seven Essential steps for writing a transfer essay:

Establish some of your core values.

Explain why you chose your current school (the one you’re leaving) in the first place.

Offer specific reasons why you want to leave your current school.

Show how you’ve made the best of things in your current situation.

What do you want to do/be/study? (aka: What’s your dream?)

Outline how the new school (the one you’d like to transfer to) will help you realize your dream.

Close it out short and sweet. Bonus points if it’s in a memorable way.

IMPORTANT: The key to presenting each of these qualities isn’t just in WHAT you say (your content), but in HOW you say it (your approach). What follows is a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of what to do and how to do it, followed by some great example personal statements—and yes, I’m suggesting you focus on establishing one quality per paragraph. Here it goes:

how to start a transfer essay- Paragraph 1:

Establish some of your core values

What you’re trying to do here: In the opening paragraph you want to make an awesome first impression. And, given that first impressions are often established in the first 30 seconds and that this impression isn’t likely to change (even when, studies show , people are presented with facts that contradict their first impressions!) your first paragraph better be on point.

How to start a transfer essay: One efficient way to make a great first impression is to focus on establishing a few core values or, if you can, the essential part of you that is suffering in your current (school) situation.

How do you identify your core values? Do this 5 min exercise .

How do you decide which part of you is suffering in your current (school) situation? Well, just ask yourself, “Which part of me is suffering in my current (school) situation?” and, if you wanna’ get deep, ask yourself, “Which of my deeper needs isn’t being met at this school?” Click here for a list of Feelings and Needs. But here’s the key: you may not want to just come out and say it, as that can be boring.

How can I express my core values in a way that’s not super boring? Come up with an essence image that captures that value (or those values). In the sample below, for example, the student 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.

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.

See how each example immerses us in the author’s world? And note how their descriptions awaken the senses. So much more interesting than if the authors had simply said, for example, “the values that are important to me are connection, intimacy, family, and listening.” Instead, each author shows us. And I’m not by the way just advocating for “ show, don’t tell, ” because you’ll notice that both authors show AND tell. In the first example:

First the author shows the value:

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.

Then, to make sure we get it, she tells us what that value is:

Listening is how we take care of one another

And in doing so, offers a bit of insight (for some specific techniques for adding insight/reflection to your writing, head there).

Now that's how to start a transfer essay. Okay, let’s move on.

Paragraph 2: Explain why you chose your current school (the one you’re leaving) in the first place.

What you’re trying to do here : Let the reader know how/why you are where you are. Because, y’know, the reader might wonder.

How to do this: Simply. Factually. Succinctly.

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.

See how simple? Just the facts, ma’am.

I was obsessed with Top Chef as a kid. While most of my friends were thinking about which expensive summer program they’d attend or whether or not they should take the SAT for the sixteenth time, my mind was on how to whip eggs to create the perfect "lift" in a soufflé and developing a long term strategy to create my own food television network. So I originally chose Drake Colonial University for its Culinary Arts program. And because it was two miles from my house.

Note the specifics. Also note how the reasons are clearly different and could be bullet pointed.

Wanted to be close to home (take care of mom)

Help dad at work

Drake’s Culinary Arts program

Two miles from me

This part doesn’t have to be flashy, but you could use a couple succinct examples to add a little something (“take the SAT for the sixteenth time” vs. “how to whip eggs to create the perfect "lift" in a soufflé”). Notice also how Example 2 above could serve as the opening paragraph, as it also establishes a couple core values (creativity, excellence, entrepreneurship, practicality). Which leads to an important point: Don’t take this as a strict by-the-numbers guide. Take what’s useful; discard the rest.

11 Essential Tips for Transferring Colleges

Paragraph 3: offer specific reasons why you want to leave your current school..

Heads-up: This is probably the most important part of the essay. Why? Essentially, you’re explaining to someone (a college) with whom you’d like to be in a relationship why your last relationship (with that other college) didn’t work out. In short, you need to talk crap about your ex but still be really nice about it.

NO I’M KIDDING. You’re not talking crap about your ex.

What you’re (actually) trying to do here: You’re trying to articulate, with specifics, why you want to leave your current situation.

How to do this:

Three tips:

Consider describing your expectations and then letting the reader know whether or not those expectations were met (you don’t have to do this—it’s optional)

Use specific reasons (to avoid sounding like you’re just talking crap)

Consider including an a-ha moment (in which you discovered something about yourself)

Let’s address these one by one:

1. Let the reader know if your expectations were or were not met.

Some students want to transfer because they had a plan and it worked out, and some students transfer because they had a plan that did not work out.

The “My expectations were met and the plan worked out!” Example:

I originally chose Pasadena Community College because I wanted to a) stay close to home to take care of my mother, who was recovering from cancer when I graduated high school, b) save money by living at home and completing my general ed requirements for under $50 per credit, and c) help my dad at his TV repair business. Achievements unlocked! Now that my mom is cancer free, I’ve finished my general ed requirements (with straight As!) and my dad has hired my uncle (in other words: he doesn’t need me anymore), I’m ready to move on.

Notice how in this example the author seems to say, “Great! I did what I planned to do and it’s time to move on.” That’s one way to do it. Sometimes, however, things don’t work as planned—and, in this next example, it’s no one’s fault:

The “My expectations weren’t met (and it’s not the school’s fault)” Example:

I originally chose Northwestern State Tech for its renowned global health program and looked forward to studying under Prof Paula Farnham, a titan in the global health world. Soon after my arrival, however, Prof Farnham took an indefinite leave of absence when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Notice how in this example things didn’t go according to the author’s plan, but it’s not the school’s fault; it’s just the way things turned out. But that’s not always the case, and sometimes you honestly just want out.

“My expectations were not met, this was NOT the plan (and I’m not saying it’s the school’s fault but honestly I just don’t want to be here anymore)” Example:

Initially, Drake Colonial University stood out to me for its culinary arts program and I looked forward to working side-by-side with top-rated chefs, experimenting with gastronomy and Sous-vide and finding others who shared my geeky passion for Transglutaminase. Unfortunately, my experience after arriving differed greatly from the one I’d imagined in at least three important ways: 1) the DCU culinary arts program was focused much more on the theory of cooking than actual cooking (all my finals last year, for example, took place in a classroom using pen and paper rather than in a kitchen); 2) access to supplies and facilities was extremely limited and most were off-limits to underclassmen, and 3) no one here had even heard of Transglutaminase.

Pulling this one off is a little trickier. Why? First of all, because there may be a lot more emotions wrapped up in your decision to transfer than in the two examples mentioned above. As a result, some part of you might honestly feel that it IS the school’s fault you’re so unhappy and some part of you may actually want to talk crap about the school. Here’s a tip: DON’T. It won’t make you look better or smarter—it’ll just sound like you’re complaining. Here’s your greatest ally is in this situation: concrete, specific reasons. Let me say this a little more boldly:

2. Provide specific evidence demonstrating how your expectations were or weren’t met.

If your expectations were met, great! Just outline your plan , then show how you rocked that plan—maybe even throw in something bonus that happened (and I even did it while keeping a full-time job!).

But whether your expectations were met or not, you MUST give specifics to support your points. In the sample above, for example, it wouldn’t be enough to say, “Unfortunately, DCU wasn’t all it was cracked up to be…”

Why? We need proof! Examples! Specifics! So in that example above the author first lets us know what she expected (hands on! experimentation! other food nerds!) before letting us know specifically what she found instead: theory instead of hands-on (boo) limited access to experimentation (aw) no other Transglutaminase nerds (I am sad).

Why it can be useful to clarify what your expectations were:

It kinda’ lets the school that you’re leaving off the hook, essentially saying that it’s not the school’s fault entirely, it’s just that you wanted something else, which makes no one the bad guy.

The more specific you are with exactly what you want, the easier it can be for the readers at your potential future college to imagine you on their campus (hopefully the readers will be like, “Oh! We have a great hands-on, experimental Culinary Arts program filled with food nerds!”) and maybe even start to root for you (i.e., want you to get your needs met).

Side note: Actually, I guess it is kinda’ like talking about an ex, but instead of saying “He was awful because of X,” you’re framing it in a positive way, saying in effect, “It’s not his fault, I just realized I was looking for Y.” (And, hopefully, your reader will be like, “Ooh!! We have LOTS of Y at our school!”) And sometimes, let’s be honest, we didn’t know what we were looking for until we got the opposite.

You didn’t know how important hands-on experimentation was until you ended up in a culinary arts program where all the “cooking” tests were done with pen and paper.

You’re a girl who didn’t know how important freedom to hold hands with your girlfriend in public was to you until some people at your school told you that you couldn’t do that (see example essay that follows).

Just to clarify: You don’t have to act like you had it all figured out before you got to your first school. You could:

3. Consider including an a-ha moment (one in which you discovered something about yourself)

Template for this:

It wasn’t until I experienced X that I realized Y [this core value] was so important to me.

It wasn’t until I sailed through my first semester with no homework and straight As that I realized how important intellectual challenge was to me.

Someone once said, “We don’t recognize our home until we lose it,” and the same was true for me. Not until I moved 620 miles away to X school did I realize that Y school—which had been in my backyard all along, just 20 minutes from the church I was baptized in, the grandmother who raised me, and the one I love most in this world (my dog, Max)—was home after all.

Got the idea?

And by the way: if you don’t get 100% specific here with your desires, don’t worry—you’ll have a chance in two paragraphs. You can keep your desires a little vague here.

Paragraph 4: Show how you’ve made the best of things in your current situation.

What you’re trying to do here: Show the reader you’re not the kind of person that just rolls over when confronted with adversity or goes in the corner and pouts when you don’t get what you want. Instead: how did you work to meet your needs? What did you do about it? (Note that if your expectations were met—if, in other words, this first school was all part of the plan—this is your chance to brag about all the cool stuff you’ve done!)

How to do this: By being creative. Positive. And by reframing everything you’ve been involved in since graduating high school (even the tough stuff) as preparation for your big awesome future.

Some examples of making the best of your experience at a school you’re about to leave:

There was no formal Makeup Department, so guess what. I STARTED ONE. WE’VE GOT 16 MEMBERS. BOOM.

My classes were so much bigger than I thought they’d be AND there were no formal study groups set up, so guess what. I ORGANIZED ONE. AND I EVEN BAKED BROWNIES. #glutenfree

There were no legit dance studios on campus OR in the dorms open after 7pm, so guess what. I PETITIONED TO LIVE OFF-CAMPUS AS A FRESHMAN, FOUND A TINY APARTMENT WITH A BASEMENT THAT OUR TEAM COULD REHEARSE IN, AND WE GOT TO WORK. #werrrrk

You get the idea. How did you make the best of a just-okay situation while you were waiting (or before you decided) to fill out your transfer application? If you’re thinking that the part-time job you took, the decision to quit school, or even the Netflix shows you binge-watched wasn’t ultimately preparing you for your big awesome future, you’re just not thinking creatively enough—yet. Ask yourself: could it be that I was gaining other skills and values along the way? Could it be that I was doing more than just earning money (hint: learned organizational skills, or discipline, or collaboration), more than just quitting school (hint: learned to put your health first), more than just binge-watching Netflix (hint: learned how much you value productivity by being totally unproductive for three weeks straight).

Here’s a list to get you thinking.

And if you’re like, “Um, well, I didn’t do anything,” chances are that either a) you didn’t really think carefully or creatively enough yet, or that b) YOU DON’T DESERVE TO TRANSFER.

I’m kidding about that last one. Kinda’. Keep thinking. This part’s important.

Paragraph 5: What do you want to do/be/study? (aka: What’s your dream?)

What you’re trying to do here: Paint the Big Picture—the vision for your life, or a dream job. Don’t have one? Uh-oh. Quit now. (I’m kidding.)

How to do this: By dreaming. Ask yourself, What would a dream job be—even if it isn’t your only dream job, and even if you aren’t 100% certain that this is what you’d like to do—and use it as a placeholder, like these students did...

I’m particularly concerned about beauty waste because I am morally disturbed by the fact that my personal grooming is damaging the environment for everyone. The problem is that cosmetics are often objects of desire—we want to be pampered and we crave a luxurious experience—and packaging reflects these consumer instincts. My dream is to rally college communities nation-wide in a drive to reduce packaging waste. As a community of passionate learners and intellectuals we can spread the message to student groups in colleges that protecting the environment trumps our desire for the most wrapped-up, elaborate, expensive packaging.

My dream is to become a special effects makeup artist with a specialty in fantasy-based creature makeup. Through an extensive process that includes concept design, face, cowl, and body sculpting in clay, molding the pieces using liquid latex or silicon, applying the products to the human model, hand-painting and airbrushing, and fabricate addition components if necessary, I will create original characters that will be featured in movies and television shows.

I know, that’s pretty specific. But again, these were written by students who weren’t 100% certain that they wanted to do this—they picked something they loved and built an argument (read: essay) around it.

If it’s hard for you to think in terms of careers or dream jobs, try asking one of these questions instead:

“What’s one Big Problem I’d like to try to help solve in the world?”

“Why do I want to go to this other school anyway?” Have you ever stopped to really articulate that? Have a friend ask you this and see what you say. And it can’t be simply because it’s more prestigious, or because you like living by the beach, or because you just really (like really) want to live in a big city. You need more specifics and more specific specifics. (That’s not a typo.)

A Really Good Tip for This Paragraph: Think of this as a set-up for a “Why us” essay , in particular the part where you’re talking about YOU… your hopes, dreams, goals, etc. Because if you can pick something specific—and even if it’s a placeholder (like the examples above)—this can lead directly into the next paragraph. How? Because, once you pick a Thing you’d like to do/study/be, then you can ask yourself, “Okay, what skills/resources/classes will I need in order to do/study/become that Thing?”

For more “Why us” resources: Click here for the Why This College Essay Guide + Examples . Or click here for a Complete Guide to the “Why Us” Essay.

To recap: In Paragraph 5, you’re setting up the specifics that you’re seeking. Then...

Paragraph 6: Outline how the new school (the one you’d like to transfer to) will help you realize your dream.

What you’re trying to do here: Depends. On what? On which of these two options you choose:

Write one essay for ALL the schools you’re applying to . Why do this? Maybe you’re short on time. Or maybe you’re kinda’ lazy (sorry, efficient!) and don’t really see the value in writing a different essay for each school. That’s fine.

Write a different essay for EACH of the schools you’re applying to. Why do this? It shows each school you’re applying to that you cared enough to spend the time researching and have really, really thought this through. I also think it gives you a better chance at WOW-ing the school and demonstrating why you’re a great match.

FAQ: Can you write and submit a separate essay for each school? Yes, as of this writing (2022), Common App allows you to edit your personal statement as many times as you like. So you can write an essay for School X, then submit to School X. Then go back into your Common App, copy and paste in the essay for School Y, then submit to School Y. And so on.

WARNING: If you choose to use this method, you MUST make sure not to submit the wrong essay to the wrong school. That’s a really quick way to get you into the “no” pile.

How to write one essay for ALL the schools you’re applying to (Option A):

If you opt to do this, you’ll want to mention the kinds of classes you’d want to take the kinds of professors you’d like to study with, etc. But I don’t want to say too much more about this, as I’d actually prefer to spend more time on the other approach (Option B) because I happen to think it’s a better way. So here’s:

How to write a different essay for EACH of the schools you’re applying to (Option B):

By researching. A lot. This paragraph is basically a mini “Why us” essay, and you’ll want to include as many specifics as you can find. Click here for a list of resources. But you won’t find the content for this paragraph in your beautiful amazing brain. Why? Chances are you don’t KNOW yet what specific opportunities the school you’re hoping to transfer offers. So go find out.

Here’s a great example of what great research might yield (excerpted from the Complete Guide to the “Why Us” Essay ):

A journalist cannot reach the peak of his craft if his knowledge of literature and critical thinking skills are weak, which is why I’m excited to explore what the Department of English has to offer. I look forward to courses such as 225: Academic Argumentation and 229: Professional Writing, as I believe these will provide me with a firm basis in journalistic writing technique and improve my abilities to write analytically and develop well-supported arguments. In addition, the Professional Writing course will teach me how to write in a concise, straightforward style, a skill vital to a journalist.

See how specific he is? And how he says why he wants each course? Also, notice how his separate reasons can all be bullet pointed. We could break down the paragraph above, for example, into a What I Need/What You (the school) Have list that might look like this:

WHAT I NEED:

knowledge of literature and critical thinking skills

a firm basis in journalistic writing technique

ability to write analytically

ability to develop well-supported arguments

ability to write in a concise, straightforward style

WHAT YOU (THE SCHOOL) HAVE:

225: Academic Argumentation

229: Professional Writing

Professional Writing course

And bonus points if you can find stuff that is closer to unique to that school (or maybe even actually unique). For example:

I would also like to be able to contribute my experiences with neurotechnology to support the cutting edge research in Cornell’s brand new NeuroNex Hub. I would love to work with Dr. Chris Xu in expanding the current three-photon microscope to be applied on various animal models. I also look forward to helping Dr. Chris Schaffer, whose research on deep neural activity is not being done anywhere else in the world. I freak out at the possibility of helping him develop a tool to look at multiple brain areas at the same time.

If the school you’re hoping to transfer to is maybe the only one that has certain opportunities that fit your goals … say so. Show them how you’re perfect for each other.

Paragraph 7: Sign off.

What you’re trying to do here: Close it out. Hopefully in a memorable way. But honestly it doesn’t need to be amazing. It needs to be short.

How to do this: Succinctly. Ask yourself: Is there anything else I need to say? Like, really need to say? Hopefully you’ve said it all already. If so, just close it out with 1-2 short lines.

Here are a few options that other students have used:

The “bringing it back full circle” ending:

My pulse will always race when I'm creating my grandmother's cacio e peppe for a party of eight. Yet cooking wasn't meant to be my career or my college experience. I learned I truly, deeply, profoundly love chemistry, and only through transferring to [insert school here] can I [name specific skills/resources you hope to gain], becoming a world renowned chemist specializing in global nutrient efficiency and bringing an end to world hunger.

The “my experiences made me who I am” ending:

Once I thought about it, I realized that if I hadn’t dropped out, I would have never [insert formative experience here], and I would have never [insert positive value here]. Looking back on this part of my life, I realized that dropping out was actually the best decision I could have ever made.

The “I have a dream (and you can help!)” ending:

I’m inspired to continue my work spreading nutritional information and resources to low-income communities like the one I was raised in and am committed to helping create not only a healthier future for my own family, but for the larger Latino community. I believe [insert school’s name] can help.

The “I’m looking for a home” ending:

Finally, the students and faculty that I met on my visit were [insert positive value here]. They made me feel that [insert college here] was a place I could call home.

Obviously don’t copy these word-for-word; let these inspire you. Or write something else altogether ( you have lots of options for endings )!

My advice: Aim for the heart. But be concise.

Ready to see how it all comes together?

Here’s an example essay—and I’ll put tiny notes in bold and italics in between the paragraphs so you can remember what to look for.

1. Core values: experiential learning, multiculturalism, embracing differences

2. Why she initially chose X school

One of the things that initially attracted me to Biola University was the Torrey Honors program. I also appreciated the welcoming attitude of its students, and, initially, its emphasis on Judeo-Christian values. But the past year and a half has given me time for introspection, and I have begun to see that Biola and I are not the best match.

3. A polite articulation of why she and the school are not the best match

I believe, for example, in the freedom to express love for whomever one chooses. But on at least one occasion at Biola I’ve been reported to my resident director for displaying physical affection toward another girl and have been told I could risk expulsion if we were “caught” in the act. I also believe that one should be free to express her spiritual beliefs in any way she chooses. At Biola, however, students are required to attend a minimum of 30 chapel events, and must pay upwards of $300 if this requirement is not met. I’m also interested in a diversity of perspective, but faculty are required to teach through a Biblical lens, and over 90% of the students in my department (Anthropology) are seeking to do missionary work following graduation. Finally, I didn’t feel the Torrey Honors Program provided the kind of experiential learning environment I was looking for.

4. How she made the best of things — and learned some great lessons and skills!

Two highlights of my time at Biola included debate, and the experience of founding BQU, a safe, but underground group for queer students. Working with the debate team has taught me how to be accountable for my own work and more humble in my losses. Working with BQU has shown me not only the necessity of being vulnerable with others, but has also taught me skills in creating a group constitution, designing a website, and advertising our cause in a non-inflammatory way.

5. What she wants to do (a.k.a.: the dream)

I’ve always been interested in psychological or environmental root of motives, and I see myself one day working in public policy. I’m seeking science and social science departments that offer both excellent research facilities and opportunities for practical application.

6. How she’ll pursue her interests at her new school: a mini “Why us” essay

I am interested in the debate team at Fordham because its Jesuit tradition inspires an intellectually rigorous environment. While my current team is very skilled, it does not fulfill my intellectual values; I want classmates who want to explore controversial topics despite their personal stances, and who want to take debate as seriously as their social lives. My desire to explore diversity is also reflected in my major (Anthropology), and draws me to the Irish Studies department. I am personally looking to revive my cultural heritage, and I am also interested in helping oppressed cultures thrive. I see a need to promote how Celtic culture shaped current American society, and want to explore the gender roles of early Celtic culture.

7. And we’re out.

Although my time at Biola has been challenging, it has given me time to discover my own values, ethics, and priorities. I am ready to find a place where I can feel at home, and Fordham is a place where I can picture myself reading Nietzsche in my dorm room or working on progressive debate resolutions with the squad. I hope to contribute my interests and values to the Fordham tradition.

For what it’s worth, here’s an alternate ending that she wrote for another school (Haverford):

Because of my childhood—learning history experientially through travel—I am hoping for a similar style of learning through my college experience. I believe that Haverford can provide this through its independent college programs, bi-college programs, and Ex-Co. My interests in criminology, environmental public policy, and gender studies are not normally included in traditional learning. I hope to take advantage of courses that exist outside of a strict department, such as Epidemiology and Global Health, which “examines the interplay of biomedical, societal and ethical concerns in global health.” This is important to me, because as a current anthropology major, I believe it is important to take into consideration all aspects that affect decision making in government and humanitarian efforts. Restorative Justice: A Path to Criminal and Social Justice is also a class that piques my desire to promote rehabilitation of the incarcerated population. Because I understand that social systems are intertwined, my interest into other topics grew. Furthermore, I am interested in advocating for the LGBTQ community in relation to the legal system. I wish to take Haverford’s bi-college program in gender and sexuality in order to view criminology from an LGBTQ lense. As a student who intertwines academics with extracurricular involvement, I am impressed by the Ex-Co’s ability to provide learning opportunities outside of class. Additionally, I am drawn to extracurriculars that can also increase my knowledge of the world, such as the Debate Team. While Haverford’ current team is out of commission, I hope to get it up and running, and give students another place to speak their opinions confidently. As a member of the LGBTQ community myself, I am looking forward to a place where I can openly express myself, not only in a social arena—through the QDG- but also in a political arena—through the SAGA. The two women’s centers also address these two important needs, one a need for activism, the other a need for a safe space, including that for male feminists. As an individual with various networks, it will be nice to continue having a religious community, but Grace Covenant Church Fellowship appears to be more inclusive than the one I have previously been involved with, as well as providing an opportunity to expand my own network to other schools in the area. Because of my focus on activism, I was impressed by Haverford’s Honor Code and the Plenary. These encourage students to acknowledge the importance of civic involvement, and inspire students to improve campus policy. This particularly appeals to me as a student who feels my voice is currently not heard at Biola University. I hope to contribute ideas on how the school can help students continue to feel part of the community and celebrated for their differences.

For those wondering, this student ultimately ended up at Reed College in Portland. She’s very happy there.

And why shouldn't she be? Nice campus, right?

What should you do next?

Before you begin writing your essay, ask yourself:

Is there a way I can visit the campus(es) of the school I’d like to attend?

Can I set up an interview with an admission officer from the school (s)—either in person or via Skype/Zoom/etc? (Call or email the school to find out.)

If yes to either, you can use the info you gather there in the “Why us” portion of the essay.

If no to both...

Copy and paste these questions somewhere and begin your essay...

What are my core values ? In particular: which ones are suffering most in my current situation? (But don’t say that they’re suffering yet—just stick to the positive in your first paragraph.)

Why did I choose my current school (the one I’m leaving)?

Why do I want to leave my current school?

What are the specific things I’ve done to make the best of things?

What do I want to do/be/study? (aka: What’s my dream? Or: What’s one big problem I’d like to solve in the world?)

What specific skills and resources will I gain at this new school that will help me in realizing my dream?

What else do I need to say before signing off?

If there’s nothing left to say, just sign off.

Bonus: Two example college transfer essays with analysis

Note: the student requested that the name of the original college be anonymized.

I will never forget being eleven years old and skiing in the countryside, away from downtown Beijing. With little air pollution, the sky was dark and the Milky Way was mesmerizing. In the endless starry sky, I saw endless possibilities. It was then that the most basic human drive started to dominate me: curiosity about the world. I have been an amateur astronomer and a science nerd ever since.

W College offered me a substantial scholarship and an invitation to a special program, which provided me with a chance to work closely with professors and the college’s president. Looking forward to meeting more people with geeky enthusiasm for astronomy and harboring the dream of becoming a scientist, I decided to attend W College.

While at W College, a number of events altered my career goals. The loss of a family member due to severe air pollution made me see the brutal reality of the world—there are people suffering from disease, pollution, and millions of people can’t even get an education. I realized that the focus of being a scientist should be to help others and contribute to society. Moreover, my experience of being a TA helped me find a new passion—teaching and inspiring others to pursue their curiosity. Meanwhile, I also began to develop a deeper passion for astronomy and theoretical physics. Finally, I came to understand that by pursuing a Ph.D. and coming back to China to become a professor in these fields, I can help other people and contribute to education while also doing research to satisfy my own curiosity at the same time.

Therefore, I shifted my priorities and sought teaching opportunities as well as opportunities related to studying astronomy and theoretical physics. However, at W College, there is no Astronomy department, and, by the first semester of my sophomore year, I had taken the highest level astronomy courses that are offered at W College. Looking for more opportunities, I found Prof. M who is providing me with an opportunity to study Relativity. Since many external research opportunities are not available to international students, I reached out to Professor M and began to undertake research on an asteroid, a black hole system, and several other topics in astronomy.

Even though I made some progress, I knew that I needed to be challenged more; I needed a university that would assist me in my later pursuit of graduate studies in astronomy and physics and that would provide deeper academic offerings and more research resources. So I decided to transfer.

After visiting Wesleyan, I knew it is an ideal place for me. Academically, Wesleyan provides deep academic offerings in astronomy and physics, including advanced courses like Mathematical Physics and Radio Astronomy. During my visit to Wesleyan, I met with Prof. William Herbst, and his research interests in star formations really inspired me to work with him on this research topic, which is possible at Wesleyan due to Wesleyan’s strong research-focused environment. Wesleyan also has some of the best research facilities in astronomy of any liberal arts college. Prof. Herbst gave me a tour of the Van Vleck Observatory, and the 24-inch research telescope amazed me. Furthermore, the graduate program at Wesleyan also makes my pursuit of graduate studies possible, perhaps even collaborating with the same professors.

From my conversations with several students at the Astronomy department, I felt their curiosity and enthusiasm for astronomy, and being able to study with them excites me and makes me feel a sense of belonging. They emphasized how they closely collaborate together every day. This close community between students as well as the cooperative study environment would really help me, a transfer student, adjust to a new school.

While my time at W College has helped me discover my own priorities, values, and goals, I believe that Wesleyan will best help me achieve these goals.

Tips + Analysis

Hook into your values. Above, the author uses some simple, beautiful images as a quick hook, but does so in a way that allows them to fairly quickly lead into one of their core values (curiosity) while also setting up their primary academic focus (astronomy). You have a lot of options for possible hooks , but if you’re having trouble, a quick, specific image can be your go-to move (especially in an early draft—you can always experiment later), since you can almost always find some kind of image linked to your values, and can frequently just reverse-engineer your hook this way: What values are you going to end your first paragraph with? What are some images that come to mind from your life that illustrate them?

Be clear and direct with why. In the third and fourth paragraphs, this author does a great job of condensing what some students might have taken several hundred words to write into a clear, direct structural component that helps us understand why they are transferring (realized what my values/priorities are → my goals shifted and I can’t do what I want to do where I am). As mentioned in the guide above, it’s great to write this in a way that makes clear that there’s no animosity or resentment for your current school—you simply don’t fit together. That’s ok.

Get super specific in the “why us”. This example is packed with nice “why us” details—I count at least 12 in the span of 194 words across 2 paragraphs. The author does a nice job of helping us see a) that they’ve really done their homework on Wesleyan, and have clearly thought out why they and the school fit together academically; and b) that they’ll make a great addition to the community, and have already engaged with the students whom they’ll join. Details like these make it easier for your reader to picture you on campus, engaging with professors and other students and adding to the school’s vitality.

Three countries, eight cities, 11 houses with six families, and ten schools. During my frequent moves from Korea, Canada, and the U.S., fashion has provided a consistent creative outlet. In elementary school, I painted magazine covers; in high school, I got creative with my strict dress code; in college, I built my own jewelry brand “Horizon Jewelry” for a marketing project which sparked my interest in marketing.

I attended Chapman for its programs in communications as well as its proximity to L.A., which offered internships in fashion. However, as a full-time student who planned to work an on-campus job and lived an hour away, I was unable to apply for my desired internships that required their interns to be locally based and dedicate at least 15 hours.

Furthermore, my major Strategic and Corporate Communication did not incorporate my interests in fashion and film. Recognizing the incompatibility between my major and intended career path, I applied and was accepted as a PR and Advertising major at Chapman University Dodge College. However, the school did not offer any fashion courses.

I found opportunities for development by joining a professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. Through events, I learned professional interview etiquette and received feedback on my resume and elevator pitch. I developed my leadership skills as an organizer of our social events. These experiences taught me the value of constructive criticism and improved my public speaking skills.

I also worked for Chapman’s Disability Center. I assisted disabled students and served as a liaison between students and professors, which led me to join my fraternity’s service committee where I volunteered at the City Net Bake Fest, serving the homeless population.

After discovering my interest in marketing, I began a telemarketing position for Chapman Fund. I call Chapman community members to build relationships, provide campus news, and raise money for the university. This job has allowed me to possess excellent communication and customer service skills.

While working on-campus, I continued to search for opportunities in fashion. In January 2019, I discovered a remote marketing internship with Relovv, a sustainable fashion marketplace. Through Relovv, I’ve learned how to create content to advertise on Relovv’s Instagram stories, recruit members, and contribute to organizing influencer collaborations.

Now, I’m ready to move onto the next phase of my education studying Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU Steinhardt.

My dream is to create global campaigns for fashion or film organizations that prioritize conveying underrepresented messages, and ultimately work at Refinery29 or Kenzo. Outside class, I plan to gain more experience in the fashion industry as a fashion marketing intern at Lie Sang Bong, a brand originated in Korea. I believe NYU’s unique communications degree which incorporates fashion and marketing will provide me with the necessary tools for my career path.

Show growth and trajectory. In the intro, this author quickly ties into their primary focus (fashion) and beautifully builds through some brief “ why major ” details, showing impressive growth (from painting magazine covers to building their own jewelry brand). This specifically and directly sets up why, sadly but clearly, they need to break up with Chapman…

It’s not you, it’s me… well, it’s kinda you, too. In the body, the author offers several clear details for why, ultimately, they need to break up with Chapman—unable to apply for internships, didn’t actually have courses that fit specific career path, etc. And the author does a nice job of demonstrating how they tried to make it work, by engaging with the opportunities they did have—joined a business fraternity, organized events, contributed to the community through the Disability Center and service committee, worked for the Chapman Fund, interned with Relovv—but that they need to find a partner (NYU!) that aligns with their interests (communications degree which incorporates fashion and marketing!).

Show what you bring to the new relationship. As mentioned just above, the author spends a good chunk of word count discussing ways they tried to make the best of the situation with Chapman. But notice that these kinds of details work a double shift—they help us see how the student will be an asset to the NYU campus and community by showing how they’ve done so at Chapman.

Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples and Writing Guide

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Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples and Writing Guide.

Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples: It’s hard to write a well fit why I want to transfer essay for some students.

However, as a transfer student wondering how to start a transfer essay, note. You shall read about how to put up a great why I want to transfer essay in this article.

Also, you shall be given some why I want to transfer essay examples to guide you.

Some Tips for Writing Why I Want to Transfer Essay

Before looking at some why I want to transfer essay examples , note. The most frequent essay question for transfer applicants is “Why do you want to transfer to X School?”

This is a two-sided question. As such, it’s asking not only why you want to go to X school, but also why the school you currently attend isn’t a good fit. Below are some tips for writing a good why I want to transfer essay:

Do Not Slam the Institution You’re Leaving

Even if you hate it with a passion and can’t understand, don’t be negative. That will be the kiss of death for your application. However, be honest when you can. But be kind to the institution you are leaving. It is a good fit for some, just not you.

Make a Solid and Specific Point as to Why X School Will be a Better Fit

If you think a University was “too big” and “too impersonal” but you’re applying to transfer to another equally as large, you can’t use those as reasons. The admissions officer ultimately wants to know why their school is a better fit. And what you’re going to bring to the table.

Don’t Let Your Application Reader Guess Why You Flunked Four Classes

Don’t let your application reader guess why you flunked four classes . Or why your high school transcript is a disaster even though you have fabulous SAT scores. However, be honest, be genuine, and tell your story.

Also, don’t whine and don’t skirt around answers. Take ownership. But also tell your reader why she should take a chance on you. Admissions officers love the comeback kid. If that’s you, tell your reader!

Visit Your Prospective School

The best way to be able to answer “Why do you want to transfer to X school?” is to have visited and be able to give a very specific answer.

The application reader wants to know that lots of thought and consideration has gone into your transfer process. And that you’ve really clarified what you need out of an institution.

Some Essential Steps for Writing Why I Want to Transfer Essay

Before looking at some why I want to transfer essay examples, note. In a nutshell, below are some essential steps for writing the why I want to transfer essay:

Some Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples

Below are some why I want to transfer essay examples:

In the example below, for example, the student wanted to communicate her core values of connection, intimacy, family, and listening. As such, 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. This is 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… 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.

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.

If you follow the above instructions, then you will surely leave a smile on the face of whoever reads your essay.

Also, one of the ways you can only help your pursuit of getting admitted into that desired school is to keep you’re the reader of your essay excited. You can learn from the why I want to transfer essay examples given above.

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Transfer Application Essay Example 1: Dad Says...

Need a little inspiration? Check out the sample essay, and don't forget to check out our tips!

by CollegeXpress

Last Updated: May 3, 2019

Originally Posted: Jun 20, 2011

Need a little inspiration? Check out this sample transfer essay, and don't forget to check out our tips below! (And if you need help getting started on your transfer application essay, go here .)

“But Dad, I can do both!” I pleaded, doing my best not to raise my voice. He’d always been sure to remind me of the importance of not making a scene.

“I’m sorry, bud. We just signed you up for baseball. The answer is no. No.”

“Dad, you don’t understand. I need to take painting lessons.” I tried to look as defeated as possible, hoping his heart would break just enough for him to agree.

“Yeah, well you said that about skiing and guitar too. Baseball is your top priority right now, and it’s going to stay that way. Besides, sports teach you how to work in a team. Painting teaches you...how to mix colors.” He turned back to the television and cranked up the volume, and I knew I’d lost this one. I retreated to the kitchen table to finish the jigsaw puzzle I’d abandoned moments before.

I couldn’t really argue with my dad. As a kid, I frequently bounced from activity to activity, often hurrying from one to the next. It wasn’t that I got bored with what I was doing—I just couldn’t wait to try something new. Everything was interesting and everything was fun.

In high school, I became involved in as many extracurricular activities as I could, getting elected to student council and playing varsity baseball, joining groups like the school improvement team, and yes, even the art club. I was intrigued by nearly every class I took, eager to dissect things in physiology or pick apart the ideas of Faulkner in American literature. I’ve wanted to be everything from an engineer to a chef to a professional baseball player. A friend once described me as a guidance counselor’s worst nightmare.

Years of searching, experimenting, and learning have brought me here.

When my classmates crossed the stage at graduation, it felt like nearly everyone knew which direction they were headed. Friends were moving across the country to pursue their dreams, and I couldn’t even figure mine out. I had a strong academic record and plenty of experiences to shape my application, but watching my friends leave for four-year schools with such determination reminded me of how lost I actually was. It was time to figure things out for myself.

Enrolling at a two-year community college gave me the opportunity to sift through different areas of study and find what worked for me. General education courses and a varied curriculum offered a wide lens through which I could see what different fields had to offer and find a true fit. It wasn’t easy. I took classes ranging from applied sciences to ceramics, and—of course—I liked almost everything I tried! Then I took an anatomy and physiology course during the spring of my first year at ABC Community College, and it hit me. I realized that the medical field would allow me to help people while constantly learning, exploring different facets of the work.

After two years of studying, researching, and homework, I received an associate degree in pre-physical therapy, and I believe XYZ University is the next stop on my journey to achieve my dream.

It may have taken me longer to get here, and my path probably had a few more twists and turns in it than most, but every activity I begged my dad to let me do and every extracurricular club I joined complemented my course work and shaped who I am. XYZ University’s physical therapy program will lead me to the necessary bachelor’s and doctoral degrees I need to succeed in a profession I know will leave me fulfilled—and hold my interest—throughout my professional life.

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The Admissions Essay Guru

The Personal Approach to the Personal Statement

This Just In

The latest news, tips, & tricks for surviving the college admissions game

10 College Admissions Essays That Worked—And Why

7 Dos & Don'ts When Writing a College Transfer Essay

You kicked butt during four years of high school, survived a crazy intense senior year, and matriculated at your dream school! But what happens if the dream turns out to be sort of a nightmare? Transferring schools is more common than you think, especially if you’re applying from a community college. Because your chances of getting accepted as a transfer might be harder than regular admissions, however, make sure your “why transfer” essay avoids these common college transfer application essay mistakes. Consider that for 2021-2022, the median rate of acceptance for transfers to Ivy League schools was less than 5% . As most transfer deadlines are February 15, start drafting your essay now to make sure you have time to fix these transfer essay issues I see all the time.

1) Don’t Sound Negative or Dismiss Your Current College

Even though you’re leaving your current school for obviously negative reasons, you have to be strategic in how you explain your reasoning to the admissions team so you don’t sound like you’re complaining. It’s a difficult balance to strike, for sure, but you have to be very concrete in what change you’re looking for so it doesn’t sound like you’re bad-mouthing your current situation (or worse, not appreciating it for superficial reasons like rankings).

You don’t want to sound like you're making excuses and not taking the initiative to make your current college work for you. You want it to seem like you've exhausted every resource and really belong somewhere else. Listing specific examples of what is missing will help with this, in addition to listing what kinds of resources, classes, research, opportunities, and/or professors you hope to have at your next college.

If, for example, you find your current curriculum constraining, explain in concrete detail how it limits your ability to take additional classes outside of your major. Maybe giving an example of the type of liberal arts curriculum you prefer is more effective.

Or if you feel that your current school is not academically challenging, that alone feels very negative. Instead, name specific types of challenging classes that are missing or specific types of classes that you hope to take in your next school. Not sounding negative is the #1 key to transfer essay success.

No: “UW created an intellectually demanding environment but lacked in learning to advance outside the classroom that had a mission to change the world.”

Yes : “UW has offered me a fantastic education, but with huge lecture courses and an undergraduate enrollment of over 31,000 versus Stanford’s 7,060, I feel starved for engaging seminar discussions.”

2) Add Specific Examples of What’s Missing In Your Current School

For example, if you’re looking for a better Silicon Valley connection, instead of saying your current school doesn’t have a strong entrepreneurial focus, it would be more effective to explain how there are no resources for future entrepreneurs and you've exhausted all the options in finding them.

Are there no entrepreneur clubs or business-oriented classes? Is there no tech hub in your current school? By naming specific facts like these, you're making your case objectively instead of sounding subjective.

You don't want to sound way holier-than-thou, like you’re better than your current school. The more specific your examples are, the less negative this comes across.

No : “I haven’t felt as challenged in class as I hoped I would be. While I have been enjoying some classes, I don’t feel as academically stimulated as I want to be.”

Yes : "While stimulating and exciting, the liberal arts curriculum does not focus on career-oriented classes for entrepreneurship, which is the key to success in my future field."

3) Focus on Your Transfer College’s Advantages

Another solution to not sounding negative in your transfer essay is to flip the perspective to say what type of environment you're hoping for so you don't come across as complaining. For example, are there any professors you’re interested in working with at the new school? Does your new school have a unique internship program or research opportunity that most undergraduate schools don’t offer? Flipping the perspective and focusing on what you’re hoping to find next is a great way to avoid the negative trap. Remember to be super specific and avoid the “ why this college essay ” common mistakes of being generic enough that your description can apply to any college.

No: “Cornell provides its students with an academic experience that is second to none. Cornell is a community of students who are smart, ambitious, and committed to making the world a better place.”

Yes : “Beyond the utopian surroundings, Cornell’s ‘any person, any study’ mission spoke to me. Cornell Engineering’s collaborative and hands-on culture is the perfect place to design world-changing products.”

4) Show How You’ve Changed Since High School

Perhaps you’ve had a revelation freshman year about your new career path—and unfortunately, your current school doesn’t have a strong program for this new major. You have to be really clear about this sudden change. What changed since you first applied senior year of high school? What changed in the past year that you've been at your current college?

No: “Cornell had been always my dream school. The only college I want to transfer to is Cornell because of its prestige and rigor in academia.”

Yes: “With Cornell’s unique interdisciplinary major, I hope to be a part of the new class of innovation. Beyond these few classes, however, BU does not have an ORIE major.”

Another crucial thing here is to answer the deeper “why” of the career or major change; otherwise, it will sound hollow and superficial. If you decided you want to focus on social impact, for instance, tell us what made you realize you wanted to make a difference. Why all of a sudden did you care about how many people you could impact? That's a pretty major paradigm shift - major decisions like these don't happen lightly every day.

It’s harder to be invested in your growth without that necessary self-reflection. Remember that admissions officers expect a higher level of maturity in a transfer essay, so diving deeper into your past motivations is crucial in showing that. Those self-aware details make all the difference in which types of stories leave an impression on the admissions officers and which types of stories get skimmed and forgotten.

5) Add Clear Objectives For Your Transfer Essay

If you’re transferring colleges to pursue a different major or career, be really specific about your future goals. Let’s say you decided to change your major from literature to gender studies. Give the admissions officers a sense of how you will pursue this new academic passion.

How do you hope to develop this topic and educate others? Do you want to pursue a master’s or Ph.D. in the topic, for example? There’s no pressure to stick to this plan of course, but it would be good to reference some kind of path, if possible, so you seem forward-thinking. Knowing that would also help you explain your reasons for transferring more effectively since the new school might have a better path and resources for a Ph.D., for example.

No : “It’s through these opportunities that I hope to develop a deeper understanding of Asian American topics.”

Yes : “With these opportunities, I hope to eventually pursue a Ph.D. researching the Korean American population of my hometown in Los Angeles.”

6) Don’t Waste Any Of Your Precious 650-Word Count

Instead of listing extracurriculars they will see in your Activities List or classes they will see in your transcript, dive deeper into one of the activities that relate to your reason for transferring. Your transfer essay should present or develop new information they can’t find anywhere else in your application.

For example, did you pursue your new passions by enrolling in summer school or reading books outside of class for your own curiosity? Definitely make that clear since that shows initiative.

Any recent accomplishment should be added to your application. You want to impress the admissions officers and not taking credit for your wins seems like a missed opportunity.

No : “Having taken Principles of Financial Accounting and currently taking Management & Organization, Strategic Analysis, and Managerial Accounting, I have learned so much financial knowledge.”

Yes : “Foundations of Finance and finance electives will arm me with in-depth and well-rounded financial knowledge, while the Management Consulting track’s Dealing with Data and Competitive Analysis will train me to think like a professional consultant.”

7) Own Your Mistakes in High School

When explaining your reasons for transferring, aim to sound less negative and more proactive. Everything is about tone and you want to sound like you take accountability for any past mistakes in addition to doing everything you could to make the most of your current situation. Anything else will read like a red flag to admissions officers.

If you have poor grades in high school, be specific about why. If you were busy with other projects, take accountability by owning your mistakes.

No : “Unfortunately, my time spent doing projects had an effect on my high school performance.”

Yes : "My grades suffered as I spent most of my time building and running three apps and two websites."

Details like these are important to show that you weren't just delinquent in high school, but a passionate and talented inventor who had trouble balancing finals on top of being your own CEO. Quantifiable details like these really make a difference.

And whatever you do, make sure you take accountability. Instead of saying you were pressured into attending a lower-tiered school, rephrase that loaded language a tad more sensitively. What kind of high school did you go to? Was it a large public school with few guidance resources? Why were you discouraged from applying to other schools? Who specifically discouraged you? Why and how exactly were you pressured to choose this school? Saying you were pressured to go deprives you of agency, and does not make you look good because you are blaming people and finding excuses instead of taking responsibility, which is a major red flag to admissions officers. How honestly you phrase this situation is key to your transfer success.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 2019 and has been updated with new relevant information.

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How to Write an Effective Transfer Essay

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

Table of Contents

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:

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.

DON’Ts

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.

Featured Image Source: Word Counter

Sources: 1 , 2 , 3 .

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Why Yale Essay Examples

Why Yale Essay Examples – Introduction

Are you wondering how to get into Yale? If you’re planning on filling out a Yale application, then you are probably searching for some Why Yale essay examples to help you begin drafting your Yale essay prompts.

Any college applicant will be familiar with supplemental essays and personal statements . But what about the “Why Yale” essay? By reading some Why Yale essay examples, you can get a sense of what’s worked for past applicants.

Before we dig into our Why Yale essay examples, let’s take a quick look at the facts. Yale University is an elite institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. It consistently ranks among the top U.S. universities alongside schools like Harvard and Princeton. Correspondingly, the Yale acceptance rate sits at just 5% as of 2022.

With the Yale acceptance rate so low, you’ll want to maximize your chances of getting in. That’s where our Why Yale essay examples come in. When considering how to get into Yale, arguably the heart of the Yale application is the Yale supplemental essays. And among the Yale supplemental essays, the “Why Yale” essay is especially important. In this article, we’ll read some “Why Yale” essay examples and discuss parts of those Yale essays that worked.

Yale Supplemental Essay Requirements

There are several different Yale supplemental essays, ranging from 35 to 400 words. In fact, the Yale essay prompts may be better divided into short answers and actual essays. The Yale supplemental essays required will vary based on how you submit your Yale application: through the QuestBridge, Common, or Coalition Application. Those completing a Yale application through the Common and Coalition Applications have a few additional Yale supplemental essays.

Also, the Yale essay prompts can change from year to year. In recent application cycles , all applicants have had to write three Yale supplemental essays, including the Why Yale essay. Furthermore, Yale applications through the Common and Coalition Applications present four additional short answer questions and a 400-word essay.

Yale Supplemental Essay Prompts

Although we’re focusing on Why Yale essay examples in this guide, you should know the Yale essay prompts from the several application cycles. The following three Yale supplemental essays required of everyone are:

Yale Supplemental Essay Requirements- Short Essays

In addition, Common Application and Coalition Application users must answer the following in up to 200 characters (about 35 words):

Yale Supplemental Essay Requirements- Short Answers

Finally, Common Application and Coalition Application users must answer one of the following in fewer than 400 words :

Additional Yale essay requirements for Common App and Coalition App

If you find yourself nervously staring at these prompts and at the Yale acceptance rate , don’t worry! We’re here to help. For a more detailed guide on some Yale supplemental essays, check out our guide from last year (2021). Keep in mind that some prompts are different, however, the key points are the same.

Furthermore, while other Yale essay prompts may come and go, there’s always a “Why Yale” essay. As you tackle this prompt, looking at some Why Yale essay examples can be helpful.

The “Why Yale” essay examples we’ll see later are from past application cycles. As a result, the Yale essay prompts may be worded a bit differently. In any case, you can still use the Why Yale essay examples we present in this guide as a model as you begin crafting your Yale supplemental essays for this year.

Does Yale have a “Why Yale” Essay?

For those wondering how to get into Yale, you’ll obviously ask if there’s a “Why Yale” essay. The answer may or may not surprise you… yes, there is! There is a “Why Yale” essay, and it’s a crucial part of any Yale application. Ideally, you noticed it among the essay prompts above. What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? No more than 125 words. Easy, right?

If your heart is hammering in your chest, take a deep breath. A “Why School” essay is essentially saying , “I know about your school, and we’re a great fit.” The “Why Yale” essay is a chance to show the Yale admissions committee that you’re ready and willing. That you’ve done your research on Yale and know that you’re the kind of student Yale looks for. And, more importantly, that Yale is a match for you and your values.

Yale essays that worked added depth to the personal narrative , connecting the writer and their background with the school. After all, you’re more than your GPA : beyond just academics, why did this school make your list ? In the course of evaluating universities, why did Yale stand out? Think beyond the Yale acceptance rate and ranking —why do you want to enroll at Yale? You can show some part of yourself that isn’t anywhere else on your Yale application.

Now, let’s look at how to get into Yale with a knockout “Why Yale” essay. First up, we have some “Why Yale” essay examples. Following each, we’ll look at parts of these “Why Yale” essays that worked.

Why Yale Essay Examples Version #1

Let’s start with the obvious “Why Yale” essay examples. That is to say, “Why Yale” essay examples that answer the classic “Why School” essay prompts. These Yale essay prompts directly ask for something like these “Why Yale” essay examples in several ways:

As we’ll see, these “Why Yale” essay examples go beyond facts and figures from the Yale admissions website. Like all Yale essays that worked, they are both specific and personal in their points. Expressing personal stake in concrete details shows the Yale admissions team that you already see yourself in Yale.

Why Yale Essay Examples #1: No Need to Name-Drop

At Yale, I would be able to immerse myself in interests I harbored but never had the opportunity to explore. With incredible resources from some of the best professors in the country, I would be able to learn directly from the best and use this advantage to further myself in my future career plans and goals. The quality of my education, though attributed to the institution, would be the most highly enriched from the students. Although from diverse backgrounds, all the students share the same thirst for knowledge and drive to make a difference. Having such classmates will push me to reach my highest potential and as a result, increase my vitality in any field of work or practice.

Why This Essay Worked

The first of our “Why Yale” essay examples discusses several qualities of Yale’s academic and campus life. Not all Yale essays that worked necessarily name-drop clubs and courses! While yes, it’s usually recommended, you can see from this “Why Yale” essay that it’s not always required. Note that this “Why Yale” essay focuses on community and how Yale’s environment will support their future. Looking at the big picture is usually a good thing in Yale supplemental essays.

Effective “Why Yale” essay examples reference certain aspects of the university that interest the author. This writer clearly values education and community: not only professors, but also fellow students will enrich their learning. Despite the low Yale acceptance rate, the campus is incredibly diverse. Yale essays that worked demonstrated an understanding of Yale’s core value of diversity, not just rigorous academics.

Why Yale Essay Examples #2: Painting a Picture

No problem in this world can be solved by a single person: whole communities are what drive innovative solutions. Thus, what draws me to Yale is its research opportunities and collaborative community. Whether it’s the STARS II program, Women in Science at Yale, Yale Scientific Magazine, or peer mentoring, the prospect of extending my research experience while collaborating with my peers in Yale’s scientific community seems very fulfilling.

I find myself excited by the opportunities Yale has to join communities that can impact campus and beyond. I’m particularly intrigued by the Yale College Council, Yale Arab Students Association, Yale Refugee Project, and Women’s Leadership Initiative. I’m excited by the prospect of joining the academically-driven, collaborative, and passionate community of Bulldogs at Yale.

On the flip side, some Yale essays that worked go all in with naming particular offerings at Yale. This can also make for a great “Why School” essay; it shows you’ve dug deep in your research. With that said, you have to be strategic in reeling off clubs and courses.

Now, look more closely at this “Why Yale” essay. What can you infer about the author from the facets of Yale they chose to highlight? We know they are interested in science, identify as a woman, and want to mentor others. Furthermore, we can see they identify as Arab and are interested in working with refugees.

Although this writer doesn’t say exactly how they identify or want to study, the reader still gets it. That is to say, we understand how the author’s background influences how they’ll participate in campus life. If you’re struggling to include all these amazing things at Yale in your Why Yale essay, follow this example! By being very intentional with the interests you write about, you can still paint a full picture.

From a structural perspective, this “Why Yale” essay works well by connecting the introduction and conclusion. Yale essays that worked sometimes close the loop by addressing a similar point at the beginning and end. These “Why Yale” essay examples will be tied up in a neat package that leaves an impression on the reader. Like most things, this structure isn’t strictly required, but it can definitely strengthen “Why Yale” essay examples.

Why Yale Essay Examples #3: It’s the Little Things

Following my time volunteering for a mental health charity, the Cognition and Development Lab, amusingly nicknamed the Panda Lab, piques my interest with research like that of one Yale professor concerning mental disorders and depression among children. I am fascinated with the connection of biology and behavior. Among students, academic competition seems deemphasized; undergrads instead emphasize their connections forged, for example, through acapella groups like Proof of Pudding (I Won’t Say I’m in Love a favorite of mine from Hercules). Finally, the Residential College system is reminiscent of my high school magnet program’s Harry Potter House sorting – but Yale’s includes College Teas!

The third of our “Why Yale” essay examples is perhaps a bit more typical. There’s a bit of the writer’s resume in the opening line about volunteering. That experience flows into the writer’s academic interests and a professor’s research area—and the lab’s nickname. From there, this “Why Yale” essay seamlessly swivels to non-academic offerings, specifically a capella. In particular, the author indicates they’ve researched the group, too, by naming an arrangement they liked. The conclusion ties the author’s school with Yale’s residential system.

Like our other Why Yale essay examples, this essay highlights particular details about Yale’s programs. It’s clear from the little details of this “Why Yale” essay that the author has really done their research. They point out the Panda Lab’s cute nickname, a particular a capella performance, and College Teas. Above all, they’re not just thrown in there; these details connect logically with the writer’s interests and pursuits.

Our Why Yale essay examples also aren’t all the same. You can paint in broad strokes with campus culture or intense spots of color with groups meaningful to you. There are as many Yale essays that worked as there are admitted students . How you approach your “Why Yale” essay is up to you and your reading of the “Why Yale” essay prompts. But did you know another one of the Yale essay prompts is a second “Why Yale” essay in disguise?

Why Yale Essay Examples Version #2

Take another look at that list of Yale essay prompts. Aside from the obvious “Why Yale” essay prompt, another is subtly asking for a kind of “Why Yale” essay. Can you find it? If you picked the second one, you’re correct!

Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected [in the first prompt]. Why are you drawn to it?

What? This? A “Why School” essay? Well, not exactly.

With that said, let’s look at some more Yale essays that worked for different Yale essay prompts. Namely, “Why Yale” essay examples that talk about academic interests. Again, these past prompts were slightly different—their word limit was 100 words, not 200.

More Why Yale Essay Examples

Why yale essay examples #4: solving big problems.

I’m fascinated by the chemical processes that drive life, which has led me to find opportunities to gain hands-on research experience. Biochemical sciences provide an explanation for disease-driven problems as well as the capacity to find creative solutions for these problems. For all four years of high school, I performed biochemical research at various labs. Ultimately, these experiences helped my find my passion for applying biochemistry and the scientific method to problems we face, whether it’s hunger or leukemia. Through biochemical sciences, I hope to continue to tackle the biggest problems facing humans today using a creative, scientific approach.

Yale essays that worked, regardless of prompt, are as particular as they can be. What do you like, and what do you want to do with it? This author details both their interest in biochemistry and their experience with it. With Yale’s reputation for research, it hardly needs saying that this student will continue their work at Yale.

But when reading Yale essays that worked, you’ll also find a lot of big-picture thinking. How can experiences at Yale help you explore your interests in impactful ways? The second of our “Why Yale” essay examples highlighted work with refugees. The third briefly mentioned mental disorders in children. And this author is clear about their intent to face big problems.

Yale supplemental essays don’t need a 12-Step Plan to End World Hunger. Don’t compare yourself to Why Yale essay examples that seem to solve everything. You can dream big and be vague about how exactly you’ll tackle these issues. What matters in Yale essays that worked was genuine passion for Yale and the doors it’ll open.

Why Yale Essay Examples #5: Personal Aspirations

With plans to attend medical school after my bachelor’s degree, I want to study something that not only interests me, but would come as a great asset in the medical field. Neuroscience and how the brain makes decisions has been a long standing interest for me growing up as a Ugandan moving from place to place. Witnessing the thought processes of people in various locations made me realize that the mind is a complex puzzle that I would like to solve. Combined with an ability to speak multiple languages, communication with patients will be much more efficient and diagnoses accurate.

Of our five “Why Yale” essay examples, this final one is perhaps most specific about future plans. This “Why Yale” essay opens with the writer’s post-grad plans for medical school, which connects with their interest in neuroscience. While not necessarily a make-or-break in “Why Yale” essay examples, post-graduation goals can show Yale admissions that you’re thinking ahead.

This writer also personalizes this “Why Yale” essay by linking their interest in the human mind with their background. Introspection reveals the root of their interest in the mind in their past. Although this kind of reflection isn’t in all Yale essays that worked, it can speak volumes when used appropriately. Remember that Yale essays that worked were personal and show some (or a lot!) of your interests or background. And the best “Why Yale” essay examples relate all of that to Yale and the world at large.

While this writer doesn’t explicitly mention Yale, it’s clear that they’re interested in complex problems. With their lofty ambitions and dreams of medical school, it’s clear that they want the rigor of Yale. Although this essay is perhaps not a conventional “Why Yale” essay, it’s still effective. It conveys the author’s academic interests and makes clear that Yale’s rigorous academic environment is a good fit.

How do you answer “Why Yale”?

We hope those five “Why Yale” essay examples and our discussion of their strengths were helpful. As you embark on your college application journey and draft essays, it’s always good to refer to essay examples. But remember they’re just a guide—try to find your own voice and style as you respond to Yale essay prompts.

There are endless ways to write “Why Yale” essays, just like there are endless answers to how to get into Yale. Some great Yale essays that worked talk about post-grad goals, while others focus on Yale’s campus life and offerings. Other strong Yale supplemental essays may directly address the writer’s experiences or background. Then again, more implicit mentions of the author’s life might make up other Yale essays that worked.

Even so, there are a few constants in the Why Yale essay examples. Each of the essays had elements that were:

We’re all guilty of copy-pasting a few lines from one essay to another. However, a “Why School” essay is not one you’ll want to copy-paste. When looking at “Why Yale” essays that worked, you’ll usually see several Yale-specific features, courses, and organizations. Yale essays that worked showed Yale admissions that the author knows more than just the Yale acceptance rate. By being specific, you prove that your decision to apply to Yale is well-informed.

The Yale admissions committee wants more than just smart people: they want dynamic, critical thinkers. Good “Why Yale” essay examples show this side. In particular, they illustrate how they’ll contribute both to Yale and to the world. What goals do you have that Yale can help you achieve? How will those goals inform your time on campus and once you’ve graduated? While you don’t have to be super specific about post-grad plans, you should show you’re already thinking ahead.

We know, we know, everyone says this—but it’s true! Firstly, although Yale is indeed a prestigious institution, its programs or campus life may not be for everyone. If you’re only applying because the low Yale acceptance rate obviously means it’s the best school, maybe reconsider. If you’re dead set on studying economics or architecture or business , look for schools strong in that area.

Secondly, assuming you’ve decided Yale is your dream school , be honest about what excites you. If you want to know how to get into Yale, the answer is to be true to yourself. Don’t try to write about what you think Yale admissions wants to see. They want to see you and your interests!

What other schools have Why School Essays?

Short answer: many!

Long answer: schools like Northwes t ern University , the University of Chicago , and New York University , just to name a few. The “Why School” essay is one of the most common college essay prompts, and for good reason. “Why School” essays are where you can explain why the school is on your college list .

Especially for reputable colleges, “Why School” essays can really elevate your application. Did you see the Yale acceptance rate and think you should apply just because it’s selective? Or maybe you read somewhere that Northwestern was pretty good and are applying based on that? Ideally, you did your due diligence reading the school’s website—maybe even visiting—before applying. Trust us, when you do your research, it really shows.

Tips for other “Why School” essays are the same for how to get into Yale: be specific, thoughtful, and genuine. Why do you personally want to spend the next several years at this school? What particular opportunities on campus resonate with you, your interests, and background? At the same time, many prompts have different wording that will inform your approach to the essay.

Let’s take a look at UChicago’s essay prompts for some more inspiration.

Writing to the Prompt: Why UChicago?

For instance, UChicago asks:

“ How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago. ”

Here, they’re asking you to answer in regards to learning, community, and future. You’ll want to speak directly to UChicago’s curriculum and social life while also establishing future goals. When planning this “Why School” essay, look into UChicago’s student life, both in and out of the classroom. Are there any unique features of academic life at UChicago, like an emphasis on collaboration or experiential learning?

Of course, you can also rely on pointing to distinct offerings both extracurricular and curricular. But make sure you address the prompt by drawing clear links among these things and your long-term goals. Finally, pull them all together by directly stating how the institution will facilitate all of these experiences.

Writing to the Prompt: Why NYU?

Next, let’s look at NYU .

“ We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? … We want to understand – Why NYU? ”

Remember how we said that an academic interest essay can be a “Why School” essay prompt in disguise? Some “Why School” essays are framed around your area of study, like this one. In these cases, many will focus more on the academic side of things. You don’t have to eliminate any mention of non-academic activities, of course. The prompt asks about campuses and schools, so feel free to mention campus traditions or social events.

If you’re zeroing in on a major, program, or college, you can absolutely bring up faculty, courses, and research. With that said, keep in mind that “Why School” essays should still be personal. Try to ensure your excitement for that subject area shows through. For example, you could use a personal anecdote or quality that threads through your academic history. Again, there are no limits to the ways you can approach a “Why School” essay.

How Important Are Essays For Yale?

When thinking about how to get into Yale, essays are front and center. Given that there are so many Yale essay prompts (however short), you can bet they’re important for your Yale application. As stated above, Yale is a highly esteemed and world-renowned institution. It follows that it gets a ton of applicants—why do you think the Yale acceptance rate is so low?

With so many applicants, the Yale admissions team needs to be able to distinguish the most qualified ones. By reading Yale supplemental essays, they learn about you not only as a student but also as a community member. Imagine if every admitted student had a 4.0 GPA but never joined any clubs or student organizations. Yale student life would probably be pretty boring! So these Yale supplemental essays help the Yale admissions committee choose students who’ll enrich Yale even beyond their undergraduate years.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yale—as well as many other schools—is test-optional for the 2022–2023 admissions cycle. While this policy is doubtless beneficial for many, it also means there’s some information missing. Especially while Yale admissions is test-optional, essays are considered very important on every Yale application.

Even once test-optional policies expire, essays will be incredibly important for college applications. It’s getting harder every year to stand out in college admissions, so make sure you start early and edit often. So don’t skimp on any of the Yale supplemental essays if you’re serious about overcoming the Yale acceptance rate. That means the 35-word ones, too!

More Yale Essay Resources from CollegeAdvisor

In this guide, we only looked at “Why Yale” essay examples, but there are several other Yale essay prompts. Luckily for you, CollegeAdvisor.com has several other Yale supplemental essay resources. We even have more general guides on how to get into Yale!

College Panel: Yale University

We have a webinar panel with Yale students. Watch this if you’re still wondering whether to apply to Yale. If you’re set on applying but looking for material for Yale supplemental essays, this is also a good resource.

Linked above was our Yale supplemental essays guides from 2021 . We also have more advice in our 2020 guide. These guides cover each Yale essay prompt, what it’s asking, and how to approach it. If you’re more into webinars, take a look at this Yale supplemental essays workshop .

Yale Supplemental Essays Workshop

Lastly, we have our general How to Get Into Yale guide . This has advice on every part of the Yale admissions process, from Yale supplemental essays to recommendation letters . If you’re applying to Yale and want advice on the application as a whole, this guide is for you.

CollegeAdvisor.com also hosts webinars and releases new resources all the time. Keep an eye on our blog for more college essay guides and examples .

Why Yale Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

It’s never easy to put into words exactly why you want what you want. “Why School” essays ask you to do just that. Your “Why Yale” essay needs to be finely tuned to maximize your odds against the low Yale acceptance rate. Successful “Why Yale” essay examples show the Yale admissions team why you and Yale are a good fit. They’re both specific to the school and personal for you, tying together you and the school.

Here are some reflection questions as you leave this guide and start drafting your “Why Yale” essay:

Why Yale Essay Examples Reflection Questions

Readers of your “Why Yale” essay should be able to answer all three of these questions. You can always read more Yale essays that worked to find areas for improvement in your own work. Additionally, you should use examples that show you’ve done your research, whether they’re classes or labs.

There’s a lot of pressure in trying to craft the strongest Yale application possible. It can feel like there’s too much Yale to fit into the word count. Nevertheless, if you’re strategic with your details and concise in your wording, and use the Why Yale essay examples above to help guide you, you can do it. And if you’re still unsure after reading our resources on Why Yale essay examples and other Yale essays that worked, you can always connect with our team for personalized admissions help.

This article on Why Yale Essay Examples was written by Gina Goosby . 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.

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USC Transfer Essay Success: An Example

The USC transfer essay can be quite daunting, especially if your GPA and extracurriculars are not very impressive. Fortunately for you, dear reader, you may still fulfill your dream of becoming a Trojan!

Below we have a successful USC transfer essay from a very fortunate and generous applicant. They were able to get accepted into USC with some rather average scores. No, not average compared to a lot of students; we mean average as in average for the rest of the transfer applicants to USC. So, what did their stats look like? Their college stats before transferring were something like this compared to the competition.

Professional College Application Help.

Their GPA: 3.8

Average USC Transfer GPA: 3.7

Okay, so that’s not exactly a large advantage amongst the rest of the admissions pool. With that said, our applicant must have had something to compensate for their competition.

Remember: it’s not enough to be average to get in to your dream school (unless you want to rely on the luck of the draw), you want to have something to show you are better than the rest of the admissions pool to maximize your admissions chances.

With that said, they did in fact have something to compensate for it! And no, we don’t mean bribes. They were able to play the college admissions game right by constructing their story for the college essay as well as possible. Though they do not have all of the traits that we put in our college application services, due to their having consulted us only after their submission, they were a fantastic writer who nonetheless hit most of the good points.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at our applicant’s successful USC Transfer Essay.

USC Transfer Essay: The Prompt.

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. You can type directly into the box, or you can paste text from another source. (Approximately 650 words)

I want my success to be determined by what I do, not who I am. Growing up as a Vietnamese-born immigrant, I have been influenced by the culture of my parents as well as that of my peers. At a youth conference that I attended in Vietnam, two businessmen proclaimed that a woman’s appearance was more important than her professional capabilities in defining her potential for early career success. This unfortunate yet earnest piece of advice, stemming from years of cultural and societal conditioning, had been impressed on me as the status quo, complicating an already convoluted path for a young aspiring lawyer like me to navigate. I was not born with privilege, nor was I expected to become particularly successful in my future career, but I had always wanted to be self-made and a professional involved in law and politics. Relying on my grit, and with my husband’s support, I forged a plan that involves attending a University to realize my goal to become a lawyer. After a tumultuous experience in High School, I had seized the opportunity to attend Pasadena City College so that I could better prepare both financially and academically for the opportunity to transfer to a leading University to study Political Science. It had become clear at the end of High School that I needed such a stepping stone in order to build a stronger foundation and strived to improve my study habits, while using the experience I gained from a part-time job as a fashion model to build confidence and fearlessness as a woman. My academic interest was in political affairs and I was especially drawn to how externalities influence political outcomes, such as how the appearance of a woman running for office can become a deciding factor over her campaign platform. Just like how the social sciences have double blind studies and the life sciences have experimental controls, I would like to learn about the science of politics and how we can apply scientific principles to the development of greater political competency. I also want to be better prepared for entry into a law school, where what I accomplish as an undergraduate will help me secure the strongest opportunity forward. I believe that the world class faculty at USC and perhaps a scholarship or two would allow me to proudly accomplish my goal and represent the next generation of young professionals who are what they do.

Here we will show you some of the positive attributes that make this college essay so powerful. We will show you what they did in their essay (that is covered in our editing services) that gave them the competitive edge to get accepted by USC.

Interesting Intro: The introduction here could be optimized more to bring out some of the gravity of the situation. Nonetheless, it’s a rather well-written part. The first line suggests that there was a problem with the way the our applicant was seen and she later clarifies it by describing the businessmen. The introduction should have something interesting in it that makes the whole admissions essay stand out. Having a good topic to write about, especially if it is about social pressures and fighting against the status quo, will help you have an incredible advantage against other applicants. There are plenty of ways to find good topics to make your intro look good.

On the topic of good introductions and good admissions essay topics, you can find our articles about it here.

Topics Article

Good Introduction Article

2. More Questions than Answers: This is a technique that is implemented by more talented writers, so it may be rather difficult to execute properly. The gist of this is that the writer answers a question, or begins to answer a question, with background information that obscures. This means that they made the admissions officers more confused than they are informed. This may sound like a rather bad idea; after all, who would want to just make the admissions officers more confused than necessary. Bear with us here.

The goal of doing this is mostly in the intro. The writer writes enough about their background to inform eh admissions officers but leaves out very critical context to make the situation seem more dynamic than it may be.

Our applicant here does exactly this. Instead of just spilling all the tea by saying “People said a woman’s anatomy is more important than their business sense, then I proved them wrong”, she puts more detail into suggesting the disgust she feels about this viewpoint and, in the end of the paragraph, implies that something will happen where she prove them wrong.

Note: As effective as this is in convincing admissions officers (it certainly helped with our applicant) this is very difficult to do properly. We’ve seen plenty of rough drafts fail to do this without our intervention or help. Thus, we suggest that if you are looking for a good introduction with this stylized writing, you should consult with one of our expert admissions editors first.

3. Rising From Ashes: In the USC transfer essay, and in just about every admissions essay at that, it is vital to have a description of personal growth or development. The only exception to this is if the essay prompt asks something of you that makes it impossible to bring up personal growth. (which is very rare since it’s such a common topic!) This doesn’t mean just getting better at something: everyone has that. A good moment of personal growth is going through a “fall” or “dark times” that inspire you to make yourself better. A wealthy student from a nice neighborhood in New York working through personal struggles may not be as impressive as one who had been living through oppressive forces all their lives.

Now, this does not mean you have to have had a bad backstory in order to demonstrate personal growth. However, it does mean you should find an instance of “lacking” in your life that had become the catalyst to your personal growth. Everyone has one, no matter how big or small; you just have to be able to dig through it and write it in the right way to make it work for you.

We do understand that this may be very difficult for people who have a hard time finding “low-points” in their lives; for that we recommend that you shoot us a message! We deal with situations where students cannot write their admissions essay to its maximum capacity all the time. When you talk with our admissions experts, you will have a better prepared USC transfer essay that will maximize your chances of admission.

114 thoughts on “USC Transfer Essay Success: An Example”

I liked the course very much. It extended my knowledge about USC transfer essay writing. Thanks a lot for the great post! I liked how detailed and helpful it is..!

Hi there Anna! We’re glad that this was helpful! Let us know if you’ve any questions and let’s keep in touch!

I want to apply to USC so bad! Is there any way you can give me more advice and tips to get in as a transfer?

Hi there Isa! No problem. I can send you an email and we can discuss your current application there!

Best, Jason Xie

I’d love if you can also do the same with me. Im currently applying and figuring out the right approach on how to write my essays.

Hi Yonathan! I just sent you an email. Thanks!

Hey Jason, I am also looking for help on how to write my USC essays properly. I would love it if you could do the same with me.

Hi Mahmut! I just sent you a message to your email. Thanks!

Hey Jason! I am also applying and wanted to see if you could help me out as well?

Hi Audrey! Thank you for the reply. We can help you, no problem! I just sent you an email and we may discuss further from there.

Hi Isa, I am planning to apply to USC for transfer can you help me too?

If you’re looking for help with your USC transfer application, I can certainly help. I just sent you an email!

Hi! I would love some more info on the transfer applications as well. Can you also send me an email?

Hi Kwon! Just sent a message. Thank you!

I’m writing a transfer essay to USC could you help me please?

Hi George! No problem. I just sent you an email!

Hello Jason! I’m working on my essay for the transfer application too, can you send me some help with my essays? Thank you!

Hi Jeff! I just sent you an email. As a reminder, please reply to our email with the best callback number for my team and I to reach you! Thank you!

Hello! I am interested in getting feedback on my use transfer essay

Hi Kassidee Avila! Thank you for your response. I sent you a message to your email.

Hi Jason, can you please help me on my USC application as well? Thank you so much.

No Problem Claire Kim! I just sent you an email!

Hi jason, I am currently applying to transfer to USC as well! do you think you could help me with my application? Thank you so much

Hi Nate! I just sent a reply to your email. Please take a look. Thanks!

I am writing essay for transfering to USC. Could you give me more sample essay? I am stuck that I don’t know what to write.

Hi Connie! I sent you a reply through your email. We may discuss further there. Thanks!

I am applying to USC and would move some help with my transfer essay.

Hi Kēhaulani McAllister. I just sent you an email. Thank you!

No Problem Kēhaulani McAllister! I sent you an email just now. Thank you!

Hi Jason, I’m applying to transfer to USC, and was wondering if you can help me also with my transfer essay? Thank you

Thanks for the comment Nicole! I sent you an email just now and we can talk about how we can help!

Hello, thanks for this informing article, I need some help with this essay in particular.

No problem Dan! I just sent you an email!

Hi I am in the process of applying to USC and would greatly appreciate any help possible, thanks

Hi Danica! Just sent you an email. Thanks!

Hi I am in the process of applying to USC and would greatly appreciate any help possible, thank you

Hi Danica! I sent you an email and you can take a look. Thank you!

Hi there! Would you be able to help me with my transfer application by chance?

Hi Lauren! We certainly can! I just sent you an email and we may discuss our services there. Thank you!

Hello: I am applying to USC as a transfer and I would love some feedback.

Hi Freddy! Great! I just sent you an email and we can work from there!

Hi there! Would it be possible to assist me with the essays or take a look at it? Thanks.

Hey Fernando! We certainly can. We just sent you a message to your email. Thank you!

Hi! I am currently applying to USC as well and would love to receive any sort of help or additional sample essays.

Hi Joey! We can definitely help with your essays. I sent you an email. Thank you!

Hello! I am currently applying to USC and I would love to receive any help with my essays or just an overview of my application if possible.

Hi Lila! We can help with your USC essays! I just sent you a reply to your email!

Hello, I also need some help with my USC why transfer essay.

Hi Tommy! Thank you for your comment. We can help and we’ve just contacted you through email. Thanks!

Hi. This helped me a lot! I would love to attain some more advice for my transfer essay.

Hi Sabbi! Thank you! We’re glad you liked it! We can certainly talk more about how we can help you. I just sent you an email.

Hi I need some help with my college essay.

Hi Tadashi! Thank you for the comment! We can help and we just sent you an email.

Hi, I would like some advice for my transfer essays as well! Thank you 🙂

Hi Dianne! We just sent you an email so we can talk about how we can help you out. Thanks!

Good morning! I would love some help with my essays.

Hi Alexis! We just sent you a message through your email and we can discuss how we may help you there. Thanks!

Good morning!

I would love some help with my essays

Hi Alexis! *See previous comment* Thanks!

Hey! Can you also help me with my transfer essays? I will be trying to transfer into the CSBA program.

Hi Emily! Thank you for your request. We can certainly help with your transfer essays. We just sent you an email and we can help you from there. Thanks!

Could you help me with the transfer essays too? I am trying to transfer as a CSBA major.

Hi Emily! *See previous comment* Thanks!

Can you send me an email? I need help with my essay.

Hi! Can you please help me with my transfer essays too? I would really appreciate it!

Hello Kristina! We just sent you a message to your email and we can go from there!

Hi! Can you please help me with my USC transfer essays too? I would really appreciate it!

Hi Kristina! We can certainly help! We just sent you an email.

I am applying to USC as a transfer student. Can you check it out?

Hi Jacob! No problem. I just sent you an email, thanks!

Hey Jason! I enjoyed your insight and breakdown on the USC prompt. I would love to get more wisdom on my application from you!

Thank you Samuel! I just sent you a reply to your email.

Hi, I’m planning on applying as a transfer as well! Can you guys take a took at my application?

Hi Alan! Of course! I sent you a message to your email.

I am a transfer applicant and would love to get some support with my application

Thank you for your reply. Because we are in the last few days of the admissions season for USC Transfer, we are experiencing high volumes of clients and requests. As such, the available services may change. However, we may still help you and anyone coming after in whatever way we can! I sent you a message to your email!

This is great! I also would love to get more tips on essays!

Thank you! We’ll be sending you a message to your email.

Hey Is too late to get feedback on my responses?

Hi Michael! You reached us when the deadline had already passed. However, we can still provide feedback! We just sent you an email.

I am applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022.

Can I please get guidance with my essay?

Thank you, Zayn

Hi Zayn! No problem. We just reached out to you through your email. Thanks!

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022. I would very much appreciate some guidance on my essay

thank you, Dai

No worries. I just sent you an email and we can work through it from there. Thank you!

Hi Jason I see that loads of students are interested in feedback. I’ll be transferring for the fall semester of 2022. May I receive some guidance? Best, David

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022 as a CS major. I would very much appreciate some guidance on my essays.

Thanks, Rohit

Hi Rohit! I can certainly help you through a free consultation over the phone (or zoom depending on what you prefer). We actually get quite a few CS majors requesting help, so I’d be glad to help however I can! I sent you an email.

I am also applying as a transfer student to USC for Fall 2022 as a Business Administration major. It would be amazing if I could guidance.

Sincerely, Daymen

Thank you for your request for help! Some of our advising and guidance services have changed indefinitely and we won’t expect services to return to their original format until around mid-March or so. I’ll provide more info on this through email. I’ve sent you an email!

Need help with transfer essay

Thank you for your request for help. We apologize for the late reply; we’ve been quite busy with helping clients on their USC essays due to the close deadline! The deadline has been extended to the 16th, though, which gives us some spare time. We can provide some advising and guidance services, but some are limited indefinitely. I’ve sent you an email!

I am not sure if this page is still active, however, It would be beyond appreciated if I could receive some help. I am applying to Transfer to USC for Fall 2023. I have already composed my essays and have been editing!

Thank you for your reply! We’ve recently been swamped with requests for hourly and package services; so, replies for free consultations had to slow down a bit. However, we still have space and can help with your essays. I sent you an email!

Hi! I am applying to USC for fall 2023. Would I be able to request some feedback on my essay?

Hi Jolie! No problem; I just sent you an email!

I am applying to USC for 2023. I would appreciate to have some advice on my essay:)

Thanks for the request; I’d be happy to help! I sent you an email!

Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC and hope for some help!

Hi Naya! Thanks for requesting help with your USC application; I can certainly help. I just sent you an email!

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Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC and would love any assistance!

Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC and would love some help!

Hi Emma! Thank you for requesting help! I would be glad to help with your USC transfer essays; I just sent you an email!

Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC and would love any help I can get!

Hi! I am applying to transfer for fall of 2023 to USC. I would love some help!

Thanks so much for the request! I’d be happy to help and I just sent you an email, thanks!

Hello, I am applying for transfer for Fall 2023 and could use help with my essay. Can you please give me information on your process?

Hi Francesca! Sure! However, the deadline is quite close so I may be limited in how much help I may provide! I sent you an email!

Hi! I am nearing the deadline but would love some last minute pointers. I am close to being done- could you help me out a little bit?

My apologies! We received your request quite late into the deadline and thus don’t have any available spots for reviews! However, we are still available to help out with other colleges that are past the February 15th deadline! I just sent you an email about that!

Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples and Writing Guide 2022 Update

– Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples –

Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples is actually hard to come by. Writing a well-fit why I want to transfer essay can be difficult for some students. So if you also find it difficult, then you should read this article.

However, as a transfer student wondering how to start a transfer essay, note. You shall read about how to put up a great why I want to transfer essay in this article.

Some Tips for Writing Why I Want to Transfer Essay

Before looking at some why I want to transfer essay examples , note. The most frequent essay question for transfer applicants is “Why do you want to transfer to X School?”

1. Do Not Slam the Institution You’re Leaving

2. Make a Solid and Specific Point as to Why X School Will be a Better Fit

3. Don’t Let Your Application Reader Guess Why You Flunked Four Classes

Don’t let your application reader guess why you flunked four classes. Or why your high school transcript is a disaster even though you have fabulous SAT scores . However, be honest, be genuine, and tell your story.

4. Visit Your Prospective School

The best way to be able to answer “Why do you want to transfer to X school?” is to have visited and be able to give a very specific answer.

The application reader wants to know that lots of thought and consideration has gone into your transfer process. And that you’ve really clarified what you need out of an institution.

Some Essential Steps for Writing Why I Want to Transfer Essay

Before looking at some why I want to transfer essay examples , note. In a nutshell, below are some essential steps for writing the why I want to transfer essay :

➛ Establish some of your core values.

➛ Also, explain why you chose your current school (the one you’re leaving) in the first place.

➛ Furthermore, offer specific reasons why you want to leave your current school.

➛ Also, show how you’ve made the best of things in your current situation.

➛ Additionally, say what you want to do/be/study.

➛ Furthermore, outline how the new school (the one you’d like to transfer to) will help you realize your dream.

➛ Lastly, close it out short and sweet. Bonus points if it’s in a memorable way.

Some Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples

Below are some why I want to transfer essay examples:

In the example below, for example, the student wanted to communicate her core values of connection, intimacy, family and listening. As such, she chose the dinner table.

This is 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…

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.

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.

If you follow the above instructions, then you will surely leave a smile on the face of whoever reads your essay.

Tags : creative transfer essays examples , how to start a transfer essay , successful ivy league transfer essays , upenn transfer essay example

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Transfer Essay Writing Guide: Craft a Winning Paper Fast

EssayEdge > Blog > Transfer Essay Writing Guide: Craft a Winning Paper Fast

Whether it is to transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year school or to pursue a program that is better aligned with their academic and career goals, transferring schools is becoming increasingly common. Although the negative stigmas of the past regarding transferring schools has largely faded, transfer students still tend to be given low priority in the admissions process. Because of this, you’ll need to make the most of your transfer essay in order to make a big impression on the admissions officers. Also, transfer essays usually have short word counts. In creating this limitation, the school is looking for you to provide them with your unique reasons for applying to their program.

The most successful essays always have the same basic qualities: maximizing the space available, staying specific, and showing enthusiasm.

Table of Contents:

Formulating your essay

Planning ahead is essential for creating a great transfer essay. Without it, you’ll likely run out of room very quickly and either shortchange the conclusion or wind up with an essay that doesn’t have enough depth to be meaningful to the admissions officers. Therefore, use the first part of the essay to provide the admissions officers with sufficient background information from your school, work, and volunteer experience to show that you have the qualifications necessary to succeed at their school. Show the admissions officers why you now have the skills and experience to make the right choice and join a school where you will thrive while making a meaningful contribution.

In the second half of the essay, go into detail about why you want to be part of the program. Name classes that will fill knowledge gaps that you have. Provide the names of professors whose work interests you and how their interests are similar to your own. Finally, remember to write about life outside of the classroom. Are there clubs or organizations that you look forward to joining? What about the campus setting? If you’re applying to schools in metropolitan areas, you might want to write about the cultural offerings. If you’re applying to a school in a college town, write about the benefits of being part of a tight-knit community. Most of all, let the admissions officers know that you will be proud to have a degree from their school.

Tips on How to Write a Transfer Essay

While we covered what’s most important in crafting a transfer essay, there’s still a list of other things you need to consider if you want to succeed. Like we mentioned earlier, this essay is your chance to make an impression on admission officers and may land you a class seat in the school that you want. As you don’t have a lot of space, everything counts.

Do a thorough research and show that you are interested . Learn more about the school you want to transfer to by reading about it online. In-depth analysis may provide you with unexpected insights that will bring additional weight to your writing, strengthening your essay. The more you know about the subject, the better.

Start and close memorably . Transfer essays are usually short, but quickly grabbing admission officers’ attention makes all the difference: they may put essays to the “Rejected” pile after several sentences and a glance at the content. Start with something unexpected but connected to why you transfer, weave it into the main body and close with a curious question or a joke (but pick one carefully).

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

Write, edit, proofread . Writing is always hard, more so if you need to be concise and specific at once. Do your research, think through about what you’re going to write, and get to drafting. An excellent essay won’t come out of the first draft, or maybe even the third, but it’s normal. If you did your research, know what to say, and read the tips, you’d make it to the final dot with a solid result. After, make sure to proofread your essay carefully a few times. Asking someone to take a look at your essay — a friend or professional editor – will help you improve it.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Transfer Essays

Writing about the school’s reputation.

Admissions officers are aware of their school’s reputation, so writing about reputation is probably a little too general to be meaningful in your transfer essay. Instead, focus on aspects of the school that are more personal to you. What does the school have that other schools don’t? Only you know why you have chosen a particular school, and different applicants can have widely different ‘most important reasons’ for applying. By writing about specific details, the admissions officers will be able to see that you have fully researched their school and made an informed choice in submitting your transfer application package.

Criticizing your previous school

Regardless of how bad things were or are, never criticize your current/previous school. While it is okay to write about how certain aspects of the school or program weren’t the right match for your goals, values or personality, always maintain a positive tone. Taking a negative tone will reflect badly on you as a person and not the school or program. There are good aspects to your current school. Be sure to briefly praise the school or highlight positive experiences you have had there but then quickly move on to why the school to which you are applying is the right place for you to take the next steps in your academic progress.

Good & Bad Transfer Essay Examples

As you can see from the tips, crafting a winning transfer essay isn’t an easy feat. If you need inspiration or don’t like how your draft is shaping up, it’s always a sound idea to compare it to someone else’s writing. Here are two transfer essays examples , good and bad. The schools and people mentioned in them are purely fictional.

Luckily for me, I had to learn that your dreams can quickly turn 360 degrees early on in my life. After a year in a coding school, I am now eager to acquire comprehensive knowledge of modern marketing in the California School of Digital Age Advertising & Marketing. I find that the school’s unique, adaptable approach to the curriculum will allow me to become a digital marketing expert who is ready to help brands and organizations market and promote themselves effectively in our changing times and the future. At CSDAAM, I want to learn Experiential Marketing and design customer journeys based on Augmented and Virtual Reality. I have been following the work of Professor Kate Chan for a long while and wish to learn from her exciting work at CSDAAM classes. I am also looking forward to adjacent classes, including Basics of Video Editing and Modern Visual Arts. They will help me learn the necessary tools, be more creative, and always get new perspectives on incoming challenges. Although my experience in learning how to code put my skills and mind to the test in an exciting way, I do not regret leaving the school to go down a completely different path. As I was learning programming languages and writing my first lines of code, I realized that I wanted to devote myself to a creative career fit for our times. After Visiting CSDAAM’s campus, learning more about its culture, and getting familiar with its professors’ work, I am confident that studying in this school is the best way to build a foundation for my new career. My mother was an English professor, my father was an insurance broker, and no one, even me, would have thought my life leads me to experiential marketing and eagerly submitting my application to CSDAAM.

Now that I think of it, I always wanted to be a part of a place like the California School of Digital Age Advertising & Marketing. While Tuscan Public Communications School has a reputation, it certainly did not turn out to be the dream school I had been hearing so much about. Most professors seemed to be preoccupied with themselves, not the students or, sometimes, even the subject itself. They were not the guiding beacons in the sea of knowledge, and sometimes it heavily influenced my grades and drained inspiration from me. CSDAAM, on the other hand, looks like a vibrant place that infuses its students with a go-getter attitude. I also realized that I was always highly enthusiastic about digital marketing, social media advertising and fake news, modern visuals arts, and other sophisticated subjects. I am eager to study with fervor every day and dive into what CSDAAM has to offer its workshops and challenges. Sometimes, you need to take a wrong turn to find the right road into the sunshine. I am sure CSDAAM is my real dream school.

As you can see, the first essay is focused, clear, and shows that the applicant knows what they want and puts their determination in choosing the school on display. It also exhibits a high level of detail, indicating that the person learned a fair share of the school. In the “bad” one, the applicant flounders too much in what he disliked about their educational establishment, over relies on metaphors, and does not explain why he wants to join this school.

No matter what made you decide to transfer from one institution to another, our task is to warn you that it’ll be tough. This process always requires a transfer student to submit an outstanding essay. If your writing skills aren’t good enough to present yourself well, order essays edit here.

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Tips for Writing a Winning College Transfer Essay

The essay for a college transfer application presents students with challenges that are quite different from a traditional admissions essay. If you're thinking about transferring, you should have specific reasons for doing so, and your essay needs to address those reasons. Before you sit down to write, make sure you have clear academic, personal, and professional goals in mind to explain your desire to change schools.

The prompt for the 2019-20 Common Application for transfer makes this clear. Unlike the regular Common Application , the transfer application has a single essay option: “The personal statement helps colleges get to know you better as a person and a student. Please provide a statement discussing your educational path. How does continuing your education at a new institution help you achieve your future goals?” Even if the school to which you are applying does not use the Common Application, the prompt is most likely similar. The school will want to know how the transfer fits into your educational and career goals.

The tips below can help you avoid common pitfalls.

Give Specific Reasons for Transferring

A good transfer essay presents a clear and specific reason for wanting to transfer. Your writing needs to show that you know well the school to which you are applying. Is there a specific program that is of interest to you? Did you develop interests at your first college that can be explored more fully at the new school? Does the new college have a curricular focus or institutional approach to teaching that is particularly appealing to you?

Make sure you research the school well and provide the details in your essay. A good transfer essay works for a single college only. If you can replace the name of one college with another, you haven't written a good transfer essay. At selective colleges, transfer acceptance rates are extremely low, so a generic essay isn't going to be good enough.

Take Responsibility for Your Record

A lot of transfer students have a few blotches on their college records. It's tempting to try to explain away a bad grade or low GPA by putting the blame on someone else. Don't do it. Such essays set a bad tone that is going to rub the admissions officers the wrong way. An applicant who blames a roommate or a mean professor for a bad grade sounds like a grade-school kid blaming a sibling for a broken lamp.

Your bad grades are your own. Take responsibility for them and, if you think it's necessary, explain how you plan to improve your performance at your new school. The admissions folks will be much more impressed by the mature applicant who owns up to failure than the applicant who fails to take responsibility for his or her performance. This doesn't mean you can't mention extenuating circumstances, but you do need to own up to the way in which you dealt with those circumstances on the academic front.

Don't Badmouth Your Current College

It's a good bet that you want to leave your current college because you are unhappy with it. Nevertheless, avoid the temptation to badmouth your current college in your essay. It's one thing to say your current school isn't a good match for your interests and goals; however, it's going to sound whiny, petty, and mean-spirited if you go off about how terrible your college is run and how bad your professors have been. Such talk makes you sound unnecessarily critical and ungenerous. The admissions officers are looking for applicants who will make a positive contribution to their campus community. Someone who is overly negative isn't going to impress.

Don't Present the Wrong Reasons for Transferring

If the college you are transferring to requires an essay as part of the application, it must be at least somewhat selective. You'll want to present reasons for transferring that are grounded in the meaningful academic and non-academic opportunities afforded by the new college. You don't want to focus on any of the more questionable reasons to transfer: you miss your girlfriend, you're homesick, you hate your roommate, your professors are jerks, you're bored, your college is too hard, and so on. Transferring should be about your academic and professional goals, not your personal convenience or your desire to run away from your current school.

Clearly personal issues often motivate a college transfer, but in your essay you'll want to emphasize your academic and professional objectives.

Attend to Style, Mechanics and Tone

Often you're writing your transfer application in the thick of a college semester. It can be a challenge to carve out enough time to revise and polish your transfer application. Also, it's often awkward asking for help on your essay from your professors, peers or tutors. After all, you're considering leaving their school.

Nevertheless, a sloppy essay that's riddled with errors is not going to impress anyone. The best transfer essays always go through multiple rounds of revision, and your peers and professors will want to help you with the process if you have good reasons to transfer . Make sure your essay is free of writing errors and has a clear, engaging style .

A Final Word about Transfer Essays

The key to any good transfer essay is that it be specific to the school to which you are applying, and it needs to paint a picture that makes the rationale for the transfer clear. You can check out David's transfer essay for a strong example.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a stand-out "why columbia" essay.

College Essays

One of the essays you'll have to write when applying to Columbia University is the "Why Columbia" essay. In this essay, you'll need to convince the admissions committee that Columbia is your dream school and that you'd be a great fit on the campus.

The "Why Columbia" essay question can be intimidating for students. You might be wondering: what should I mention in it? What does the admissions committee want to hear from me?

In this article, we'll break down the "Why Columbia" essay, explaining what the prompt asks and what the committee wants to hear. We'll also show you a real, successful "Why Columbia" essay example and explain why it works. Finally, we'll suggest potential topics for your essay and offer tips on how to write your own college admissions essays.

The 411 on the "Why Columbia" Essay Prompt

Here's the current "Why Columbia" essay prompt for the 2022-2023 application cycle :

Why are you interested in attending Columbia University? We encourage you to consider the aspect(s) that you find unique and compelling about Columbia. (200 words or fewer)

As you can see, the "Why Columbia" essay prompt asks a specific question: why do you want to attend Columbia University over any other school?

The admissions committee wants to see that you are genuinely interested in attending Columbia specifically and that you value it more than all other colleges out there.

As an applicant, you might be thinking that everyone applies to Columbia for the same reason: it's an Ivy League school and one of the best universities in the world.

The admissions committee knows all these facts about Columbia and knows that all applicants will know these facts, too.

What the Columbia admissions committee wants to learn is why you specifically want to go to Columbia rather than another amazing university.

From their perspective, students who really want to go to Columbia are more likely to enroll when they're accepted. This increases the university's yield rate and ensures that the freshman class will be full. If you can show in your essay that you’ve carefully considered the unique things about Columbia that make it the perfect school for you, you’ve got a good shot at getting an acceptance letter!

What Is the Purpose of the "Why Columbia" Essay?

Why does Columbia require applicants to answer this essay question? And what is the admissions committee really looking for in your answer? Let's analyze the "Why Columbia" essay prompt.

No matter which schools you're applying to, "Why This College" essays are perhaps the most common essay prompts you'll find on college applications because colleges want to see that you really want to attend their school.

But why exactly do colleges care that you want to go to their school?

Students who are passionate about their college or university are more likely to feel that the school is a good fit for them. They'll be more likely to commit to their studies, participate in on-campus activities, and become an active alum after graduation.

Therefore, if you show in your essay that you really love Columbia, it will make admissions officers feel more confident that you're going to have a significant and positive impact on their school.

If your reasons for attending Columbia are vague or even plain wrong (for instance, say you claim you'd like to take a major that isn't actually offered at Columbia), the admissions committee will think that you don't care about the school and aren't really interested in it.

Basically, the purpose of the essay is to suss out whether your interest in Columbia is genuine and to see whether you're ready to take advantage of Columbia's many opportunities.

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We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools .

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

What Should You Write About in Your "Why Columbia" Essay?

There are a number of different topics you can pursue for your "Why Columbia" essay. Ideally, you'll want to explore specific topics that you can talk about in-depth.

Here are some suggested topics for your essay:

When it comes down to it, make sure to choose something about Columbia that no other school offers.

For instance, Columbia is in New York City and therefore has relationships with lots of businesses and organizations in the area. You could use your essay to examine how these Columbia-specific opportunities in New York will positively affect your education.

What you don't want to do, however, is wax on about how you love city-living— you need to make sure to describe how Columbia's specific relationship with NYC will help you to further your goals.

Match opportunities at Columbia to specific goals you have. For example, you could talk about how a particular professor's course aligns with your career objectives.

You need to be very specific in your answer: every single thing you say should relate back to a certain feature of Columbia. The entire focus of your essay should be what Columbia offers and how you'll take advantage of the school's academics and activities to get the best college education possible.

4 Tips for a Great Response to the "Why Columbia" Essay

Regardless of how you decide to answer this prompt, there are four tips everyone should keep in mind to ensure that they are fully answering the question, giving the information Columbia wants to see, and standing apart from other applicants.

#1: Do Your Research

Before you begin writing your response to this essay prompt, you should know exactly why you want to attend Columbia University. There are multiple ways you can do this research:

Every college campus has its own vibe, and visiting is the best way to get a sense of how Columbia might work with your personality as a student.

#2: Be Specific

From your research, you should have come up with specific reasons why Columbia is a great school for you. The more specific you can be when answering this prompt, the better.

Don't say Columbia has great academics, caring professors, and an interesting student body. The vast majority of schools have that!

Instead, try to mention opportunities only Columbia can provide, such as specific professors, courses, extracurricular activities, or research opportunities.

The things you discuss should be things your other top schools don't offer—things that really make Columbia stand out.

#3: Show Your Passion

Columbia wants students who care a lot about their studies and their school, so be sure this comes across in your response.

A bland statement such as "I am impressed by Columbia's strong engineering program" doesn't tell the school anything about you or help you stand apart from other applicants. Show your passion by naming specific professors or features of the program.

You've done your research to mention certain qualities Columbia has that have enticed you, and now it's time to discuss specific qualities about yourself, too. Why does the engineering program make you so excited? What do you want to get out of it? Be detailed, specific, and honest.

#4: Proofread

Your Columbia essay should be the strongest possible example of your writing skills. Before you turn in your application, take time to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your "Why Columbia" essay, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend.

Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure that you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it can be.

"Why Columbia" Essay Example

If you're stuck on what to write for your own essay, looking at "Why Columbia" essays that actually worked can be helpful. Below, we examine one "Why Columbia" essay that got a student accepted to Columbia and talk about what specifically made this piece of writing so strong.

The following essay comes to us from an accepted Columbia 2020 student via AP Study Notes :

At a college visit this year, I met a Columbia alumnus named Ayushi, whose stories helped me develop a thorough understanding of Columbia. Ayushi told me that Columbia funded both her summer trip to Syria to interview refugees and her seed money for a start-up she launched. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I'm impressed by a university that encourages students to pursue their own independent creations instead of simply offering the option to work on faculty projects. Columbia's four entrepreneurship organizations, among them the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, provide a dynamic start-up community for me to launch my own business.

In addition, when I explored Columbia online, the emphasis put on interdisciplinary studies particularly excited me. The Columbia Engineering website is rich with stories of engineering students who are also involved in Shakespeare troupes, service projects, and multicultural groups. In my opinion, diverse experiences are the foundation of creative thinking. At Columbia, I will continue to diversify my experience by not just joining the Parliamentary Debate Team, but also by making new friends on the intramural soccer field and starting a cultural club for Italian heritage students who wish to learn more about Italian history, language, food, and current events.

Columbia Engineering stands uniquely apart from other programs by incorporating several in-depth humanities and writing classes into the graduation requirements. I believe that looking at critical issues with an open mind and sophisticated grasp of the humanities is extremely important to being an engineer. For example, I could not imagine exploring the future of quantum cryptography without considering the political ripple effects of Edward Snowden, the moral ramifications of the quantum encryption revolution, and the relationship between technology and income inequality. I am confident that I will thrive in the Columbia culture of passionate engagement and vibrant, energetic conversation.

Why does this essay work?

It answers the prompt specifically.

This essay gives examples of personal experience with the school and proves that the applicant did their research: they present clear evidence as to how engineering students are involved on campus and talk about specific academic courses.

There are many impressive details in this essay, and the section that addresses extracurriculars is cleverly written to showcase the applicant's diverse interests. This student's mention of certain extracurriculars they want to do indicates that they looked at many facets of Columbia University, not just the engineering department.

It's clear from this essay just how the author views their fit at Columbia. They've talked about specific organizations they would like to be a part of, such as the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, while also showing why they want to join that organization.

Additionally, the applicant mentions a Columbia University student they spoke with, which means they took getting to know the student body seriously and really wanted to find out what Columbia students were like to see whether they, too, would fit in.

The conversation with the Columbia alum also emphasizes the applicant's initiative: they're willing to go above and beyond to learn about the school.

Conclusion: Writing a Great "Why Columbia" Essay

The purpose of the "Why Columbia" essay is for you to prove to the admissions committee that Columbia is the best school for you

In your essay, you could write about multiple topics that are specific to Columbia, such as academics, the student body, extracurriculars, and research opportunities.

When writing your "Why Columbia" essay, make sure to research the school extensively and be specific about activities and opportunities that really make you want to attend.

If you're stuck on how to proceed, analyzing a successful "Why Columbia" essay example might help you get inspiration for what to write.

What's Next?

How tough is it to get into Columbia? For answers, read our expert guide on how to get into Columbia and the Ivy League , written by a Harvard alum!

Should you apply early or regular decision to college? Find out the pros and cons of early decision .

Want to see some more college essay examples? We have links to 100+ great college essays that includes our expert analysis on how you can write a stand-out essay of your own.

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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SpeedyPaper help is different from outsourcing your homework to freelance writers or asking your classmates for assistance. We take our job seriously to ensure you get unparalleled paper writing service that compels students to come back for more papers and keeps our online reputations intact.

Over the years, we've perfected every aspect of getting help with writing a paper. We streamlined the order form to make it intuitive and lightning-fast, ensured our support agents are online round-the-clock, and added dozens of services, from crafting the paper from scratch to editing, proofreading, and formatting. As a result, you won't find the same level of customer care and support with any other paper writer or service.

Fast Paper Writing Service

Timing is everything. And our writing team knows better than anyone that a few minutes can mean the difference between success and failure. So we pride ourselves on the ability to deliver top-grade paper help with the tightest deadlines possible. For example, you can order paper help at midnight and receive the finished draft at 6 AM, with plenty of time left to preview, revise, and submit the project for grading.

At the same time, we beg you to be realistic about your SpeedyPaper help expectations. We won't promise to deliver a Master's thesis or capstone project within 24 hours because it's impossible to complete a task that vast and hope for good feedback with less than a few days to spare. On the other hand, any fast essay writer on our team can muster a short piece within six hours. If you're unsure how realistic your deadline is, get in touch with our support team, who will help you evaluate the project requirements and fill in the order form to fit your submission deadline and budget.

Affordable Help with Paper Writing

At SpeedyPaper, we believe that hiring the best paper writing helper should not make you go broke. That's why we carefully balance our rates to ensure they remain student-friendly while providing our experts with respectable fees to keep them motivated to do a good job.

You may notice the price estimate change as you fill in the paper order form. You should know it depends on multiple actors, and it is in your power to make every order fit your budget. Let's go over the major components of the order that will affect your bottom line, aside from the obvious (number of pages):

Our transparent, student-friendly pricing may not be the cheapest on the market, but we would not be able to lower the rates without compromising writing quality. So instead, we deliver the best value for money, as hundreds of our clients can attest to.

Helpful Paper Writing Service Tailored to Your Needs

The first time you come to SpeedyPaper for quick essay help, the order form may seem confusing and intimidating, even if it's split into three simple steps for your comfort. Many students get annoyed and overwhelmed by the number of fields and questions we ask. Please understand we only do so to ensure we provide the paper you want and need to get the best grade possible.

For example, although your paper writer can come up with a dozen topics, only you can pick the one that fits your class and syllabus. The same is true for the number of sources. Even if our writers rely on academic best practices, your professor may have other ideas of what is an appropriate number of references for each assignment.

To ensure you get customized help tailored to your class and assignment, we suggest you follow a few simple guidelines:

All these details are vital for getting the perfect paper on the first try. But don't think it's a lot of work. You can upload the most pertinent information in PDF, JPEG, and other comfortable formats, even if it's a quick photo of the whiteboard with all the major requirements or a screenshot of your Zoom class presentation.

24/7 “Help Me Write My Paper” Service

We've already talked about the value of timing when it comes to writing paper help. But we believe getting help when you really need it, even in the middle of the night or at the height of the holiday season, is equally important. After all, we've all been unable to fall asleep after forgetting about the paper due in the morning.

Luckily, the SpeedyPaper writing and support team does not keep office hours. Our experts and agents are spread across the globe in all time zones. So whenever you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or angry and unable to deal with assignments, all you need to do is reach out. We'll respond within minutes and assist in any way we can.

To get instant SpeedyPaper help, you can reach us via email, phone call, or live chat. We promise not to bother you with useless chatbots and connect you to a human agent capable of understanding your problems and finding solutions as soon as possible. Even if you have uncomfortable questions, need a free revision, or want a quick status update, you're welcome to drop us a line or give us a call. We'll be happy to answer all your questions.

Besides chatting with our friendly support managers, you can also contact your expert directly once you place an order for writing assistance. You'll be able to message the writer via your personal dashboard. But please remember that, unlike our support team, writing experts are not always online and available to answer your questions. They may be busy working on your project and unable to respond. So if you need an urgent update or have a burning question and your expert isn't online, you can try to reach them via the support team. Call or fire up live chat, specify your order number and your question, and we'll try to get a response from your writer as soon as possible.

Paper Writing Helper That Gets Results

You've probably come across writing services that guarantee you'll get an A for the paper you buy from them. But SpeedyPaper is not one of them because we are 100% honest with you.

For one, the promise to return your money if you don't get an A is nothing but a marketing trick. They offer full refunds only for failed papers, while Ds and Cs only produce partial refunds. Moreover, those companies usually have astronomical rates, as some of the money you pay goes towards upholding the grade guarantee.

So when you get help writing a paper from SpeedyPaper, we can't guarantee you'll get an A+ because only your professor can deliver it, and we can't get into their head. And we can't promise full refunds without doubling or tripling our rates or losing our top experts.

Instead, we offer you a good, honest deal. Whenever you want help with paper, we'll throw in three free revisions within seven days of getting your order. That's usually more than enough time and modifications to correct minor mistakes or make the tweaks necessary to get your paper from good to perfect and ready for submission.

And if you want to be extra sure your paper will be picture-perfect, you can make the most of the add-ons you'll find in the final step of the order form. For example, if you need a lengthy assignment done, you can opt for progressive delivery and receive each section of the piece as soon as it's done. You can also request a Grammarly or a plagiarism report to ensure the paper is free from errors and similarities that might tank your chances of scoring the top grade.

In the unlikely event you're unhappy with the project you receive, the extras and revisions don't help, you can claim a partial or a full refund. Our money-back guarantee is transparent and straightforward, so you'll get your money back as long as your case falls under one of the clauses.

Why Outsource Homework at All?

It may seem we're trying too hard to convince you to get paper help from SpeedyPaper. But there's nothing we'd like more than an education system free of useless classes, frivolous writing assignments, and dull projects that have nothing to do with real life. In an ideal world, you'd never need to use our services because you'd love each class and assignment and have enough time to enjoy them.

In the real world, even the best universities still rely on century-old teaching methods and approaches, and writing assignments are still a staple you can't get away from whether you're an English or a STEM major. Besides, college students are notoriously short on time because they have multiple engagements outside the classroom. You need to network, intern, and practice, and that's before you consider your family obligations or love life.

To paint you a vivid picture of how much you can gain from getting professional SpeedyPaper assistance, let's imagine you've come to us to get research paper writing help. It will take you 30 minutes at most to study our website, chat with a support agent, gather your files, and fill in the order form. The writer will start working on your assignment immediately, and the preview will drop in your inbox right on time.

As you submit the paper, you'll notice the positive changes and

Of course, your reasons for getting help writing paper may be completely different. But, even if you only want to pass a class to forget about it, you'll still benefit from a few hours of extra free time to take a breather and relax while our experts work in your stead.

Ready to Start Your Academic Success Journey?

Whichever scenario fits your situation best, your first step should be getting in touch with our support team. The agents will answer all your questions, whether you want to learn more about our writers, expertise, or revisions. They can also help you fill in the order form if you feel lost or intimidated by all the fields and checkboxes. So give us a call or drop a line in live chat.

But if you feel ready to get one step closer to academic success and trust SpeedyPaper to support you through midterms, finals, and capstones, jump straight to the order form. Use the tooltips and follow the cues to detail your requirements and expectations, share your contacts, and confirm the order to get your expert started on the project.

Gain the benefits of professional writing assistance by SpeedyPaper—more time and better grades—and succeed in school and beyond.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

How do i hire an paper writer here.

Getting help with your assignments is simple. All you need to do is share your prompt. The more information you provide, the better our expert writers will stick to your instructions. The moment you finalize the order, we will match your requirements with the best-suited paper writing expert for your topic, academic level, and deadline. We’ll drop you a line the moment your assignment is complete, at which point you can download the draft or call for a free revision.

How much does it cost to hire someone to write a paper?

Our prices start at $9 for high schoolers and $11 for undergrads. The price per page goes up when you choose a higher academic level or a shorter deadline. It has to do with the amount of research and writing style necessary to complete the assignment. Admission essays and resumes are more expensive because our writers require more time to get to know you and craft the best piece to secure your place in a dream program or land your dream job.

Is SpeedyPaper help legit?

SpeedyPaper help is a legit service. We will provide free revisions to work out the kinks of your paper. Refund terms should be clear and precise, without ambiguous promises. It’s also a good idea to check the company’s online reputation on Reddit and beyond. Check out reviews to learn what’s in store for you before placing the order, and post your feedback once you receive the paper to help others make the right choice.

Is it safe to use SpeedyPaper help?

Yes! SpeedyPaper help is a safe academic assistant. If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a writing company, trusting another one takes courage. There’s always a risk of losing time and money and getting a useless paper. It usually takes a few tries to find a reliable writing help service online. But once you do, you’re set for years to come. We hope our writing service can become your trusted academic partner. All you have to do is give us a chance to prove ourselves, and we won’t let you down.

Can I hire someone to write my paper?

Yes, you can hire an expert to do your paper writing. The trick is to find a reliable writer or academic assistance company that will deliver on its promises. At SpeedyPaper, we take pride in providing the best value for money thanks to an extensive writing talent pool and an eagle-eyed quality assurance staff, along with an ever-helpful customer support team.

Who can help me write a paper?

SpeedyPaper - the best writing helper service! We employ hundreds of writers to cover every possible topic, and we can handle urgent orders. Besides, legit writing companies protect your personal data to safeguard your academic record, and revisions and refunds are possible. You won’t get the same security with a freelance writer.

How do I get help with my paper fast?

It takes a couple of minutes to get expert help on our website. Skip to the order form and fill in as much info as possible. Within minutes, we’ll assign the best writer to your case, and you can download the finished paper in six hours if you’re in a rush. You can also contact our support agents to help you tackle the order form if you’re new to the website and can’t wrap your head around some of the fields.

Is it a good idea to seek writing assistance?

It’s not all black and white in the business of getting paper help online. In a perfect world, you would not have to deal with as many useless assignments, or you would have enough time to work on all of them on your own. In the real world, hiring an author is sometimes the only way to stay sane and get a degree without losing it. If you feel stressed, stretched thin, and overwhelmed with schoolwork, it’s a good idea to seek help from a professional writer. And use the few hours of free time to meet with a college counselor to get the extra help you need.

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Why Egypt Wants the Pralay Missile with TOT and Why India Should Arm Egypt
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Trista’s Tips: Writing Your Essays
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How to Write a College Transfer Essay (With Examples)
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.
Sample College Transfer Essay for Admission
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.
Read 2 Transfer Student Essays That Worked
Transfer Essay Examples Below are two transfer essays that helped students get into Duke and Amherst, respectively. Both institutions are very selective in transfer admissions. For fall...
The College Transfer Application Essay: "Why Transfer" Example
Brief examples should be included to show how Northern State "fosters a unique intimacy" and how it is "lively throughout the day." To conclude this paragraph, the applicant writes, "As a transfer student, I would appreciate this style of living even more."
Common App Transfer Essay Guide
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?
How to Write a Successful College Transfer Essay
Example 1: 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. See how simple?
What's Your Story? A Guide for Transfer Admission Essays
Your transfer admission essay is just that: your essay. The goal is to make it personal and leave the admission readers with a good impression of who you are as a person, why you want to transfer out of your school, and why their school is the right one to transfer to. This is your opportunity to control the narrative of your application and ...
Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples and Writing Guide
Below are some why I want to transfer essay examples: Example 1 In the example below, for example, the student wanted to communicate her core values of connection, intimacy, family, and listening. As such, she chose the dinner table. Breakfast isn't the most important meal of the day. In my family the most sacred meal is dinner.
Transfer Application Essay Example 1: Dad Says...
Check out this sample transfer essay, and don't forget to check out our tips below! (And if you need help getting started on your transfer application essay, go here .) "But Dad, I can do both!". I pleaded, doing my best not to raise my voice. He'd always been sure to remind me of the importance of not making a scene. "I'm sorry, bud.
Why Transfer Essay Examples
Transferring schools is more common than you think, especially if you're applying from a community college. Because your chances of getting accepted as a transfer might be harder than regular admissions, however, make sure your "why transfer" essay avoids these common college transfer application essay mistakes.
PDF Writing 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: 1) how you have grown from your time at your current university and ... Below are some examples that can help you understand how these Do's and Don'ts look in practice. Essay Prompt: Please ...
12 Effective "Why This College?" Essay Examples
Essay 3: UW Madison Prompt: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major (s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (650 words) Essay - # Day 117 7:30 am…
How to Write a Transfer Essay
Example: Source: US News 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.
Why Yale Essay Examples & Yale Essays That Worked- Best Guide
Why Yale Essay Examples #3: It's the Little Things Following my time volunteering for a mental health charity, the Cognition and Development Lab, amusingly nicknamed the Panda Lab, piques my interest with research like that of one Yale professor concerning mental disorders and depression among children.
USC Transfer Essay Success: An Example
That's the thing: a great story and identity, especially one that involves facing adversity, makes for a great USC transfer essay. I want my success to be determined by what I do, not who I am. Growing up as a Vietnamese-born immigrant, I have been influenced by the culture of my parents as well as that of my peers.
Current School News
Why I Want to Transfer Essay Examples and Writing Guide 2022 Update. Filed in Education by TMLT Editorials on January 14, 2022. Tags: creative transfer essays examples, how to start a transfer essay, successful ivy league transfer essays, upenn transfer essay example.
Transfer Essay Writing Guide: Craft a Winning Paper Fast
Yellow Editor's Podcast by EssayEdge. Transfer Essay Writing Guide: Craft a Winning Paper Fast. 00:00 / 9:08. 0. Whether it is to transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year school or to pursue a program that is better aligned with their academic and career goals, transferring schools is becoming increasingly common. Although the negative stigmas of the ...
Tips for Writing a Successful College Transfer Essay
A good transfer essay presents a clear and specific reason for wanting to transfer. Your writing needs to show that you know well the school to which you are applying. Is there a specific program that is of interest to you? Did you develop interests at your first college that can be explored more fully at the new school?
How to Write the "Why this Major" College Essay + Example
3. Explain your school choice. Finally, a "Why This Major?" essay should reveal how the college in question will help you achieve your goals. Your reasons should extend beyond "the college is highly ranked for this major," and should dive into the curriculum, teaching methodology, and specific classes or resources.
How to Write a Stand-Out "Why Columbia" Essay
Why does this essay work? It answers the prompt specifically. This essay gives examples of personal experience with the school and proves that the applicant did their research: they present clear evidence as to how engineering students are involved on campus and talk about specific academic courses.
Why transfer essay examples: Common App Transfer Essay Guide
Why transfer essay examples - Intro. And if grammar isn't your greatest strength, be sure to work through your essay with someone who does have strong grammar skills. The last sentence regarding student guidance does not seem to be substantiated anywhere in the paragraph or essay. My reasons for transferring are almost entirely academic.