How to Write the Common App Transfer Essay

Like the Common App personal statement, the Common App transfer essay is your chance, in 250 to 650 words, to show colleges the person behind your application, but with a twist. Instead of leaving the topic up to you, this essay asks two specific questions: Why are you leaving your current school? and What are you hoping to find at a new one?

Stumped about how to write the Common App transfer essay? Look no further than this step-by-step guide, your roadmap to writing a great one.

How to Approach the Common App Transfer Essay

Before you sit down to write, it’s important to understand exactly what schools are looking for from the Common App transfer essay.

Two Questions in One Essay

Although your college transfer essay answers two questions, a strong essay doesn’t treat them separately. Instead, your essay should connect the two into a clear, cause-and-effect narrative that shows growth and a deep understanding of your academic and career goals.

Question 1: Why You’re Transferring

While there’s no right or wrong reason for leaving your current school, it’s important to frame your reasons positively. If you’re miserable where you are, it can be tricky to explain your reasons without bashing your current school. The key here is to focus on academic and environmental fit, what’s not working, or what’s missing.

Question 2: What You Hope to Achieve

This is the forward-looking part of the essay, where you talk about what draws you to the new school. Be specific here: Naming particular programs, courses, and resources is stronger than offering generic praise like “beautiful campus” or “strong academics.”

Writing the Common App Transfer Essay

1. Think About Why You Chose Your Current College

I’ve worked with transfer students who chose their first college for any number of reasons. One student chose a two-year college to explore his interests because he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to study. Another chose a small school close to home because she wanted to experience college without straying too far from her comfort zone. Still another chose a school that ticked all her boxes and was surprised to find it wasn’t the right school for her after all.

Whatever your reason for choosing your current school, it’s a great place to start, since it can help you tell the whole story and often leads naturally into describing what is missing.

2. Get Specific About Why You’re Transferring

If you’ve finished two years at a community or junior college, this is easy: I’ve finished what I came here to accomplish, and I’m ready to move on. If you’re transferring for academic reasons, it’s also usually pretty simple. My student who stayed close to home discovered an interest in a major her small school didn’t offer and opted to transfer to a school with a robust program that fit her needs.

If you’re transferring because of a deeper dissatisfaction with the school, it can be more complicated—but it’s critical to frame your reasons, as much as possible, in terms of a mismatch rather than as complaints about the school.

3. Identify What You’ve Gained from the Experience

Think about the positive experiences you’ve had at your current school. If you’ve had a good experience overall, you might have a lot to draw on for this; if not, it might be harder, but not impossible. My student who discovered her dream school wasn’t what she hoped still found that she’d learned a lot about building a community for herself and how important community can be when you’re in a place that isn’t quite right for you.

If you’re moving on for academic reasons, this is also a great place to highlight what you’ve learned from your studies so far and how it’s led you to the next step in your journey: the new school.

4. Research the New School in Depth

Just as you did for any “Why College?” or “Why Major?” essays when you applied as a first-year student, you’ll want to be specific about what draws you to the new school. Dig deep here: Naming specific classes, programs, resources, and opportunities the new school offers will show admissions officers how you see the new school fitting into your path going forward. Social fit has a place here, too—especially if that’s a factor in leaving your current school—so don’t confine your research to academics.

5. Draft the Structure

Once you have all your reasons outlined in detail, it’s time to put it together into an essay. A simple four-part structure works well here.

Start with your reasons for choosing your current school—what you were looking for and what you hoped to achieve there—and note what you’ve gained from your experience there.

Next, explain your reasons for transferring schools: what’s missing from your current experience or what obstacles are in the way of what you’d like to accomplish.

Finally, describe what attracts you to the new school: what it offers that fills the holes or eliminates the obstacles.

Close the essay out with a few short lines that bring your essay full circle and tie everything together.

Conclusion

Since every college evaluates transfer students differently, be sure to check in with each school’s transfer requirements before starting your essay. And if you’re stuck getting start getting started, we’ve got you covered. Reach out today for a free consultation to learn more about how HelloCollege can help you through the transfer process.

Common App Transfer Essay FAQs