College Transfer Essays

How to Write a College Transfer Essay

If you’re applying to college as a transfer student, the process is different. Instead of writing a personal essay and a series of supplementals, you’ll need to write a transfer essay for each school in which you explain your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.

This makes transfer essays relatively rigid, at least compared to other application types. It’s no surprise students spend a lot of time trying to work out how to write a transfer essay (or searching “how to write transfer essay”) — it’s the one application type that has a definite structure. There are three things you’ll absolutely need to do in any transfer essay: You’ll need to describe how you’ve taken advantage of the school you’re currently attending. You’ll need to give a sense of your greater goals and ambitions. And you’ll need to explain why the school you’re applying to will allow you to pursue your interests more effectively. If you read any college transfer essay examples, you’ll see they all follow this approach.

But within the tighter structure of the college transfer essay, there’s still a lot of room for creativity. If you meet with one of our writing mentors, we’ll push you to think a lot more deeply about your educational journey. We’ll ask you questions that help you work out the connection between your academic interests and your personal experience, and you’ll come up with a narrative that helps the admissions committee see what makes you a unique candidate.

If you really stop and think about your reasons for transferring, and if you put down your thoughts in clear, confident language — in other words, if you follow our general recommendations — you’ll write an effective transfer application essay.