Updated: Monday, January 5, 2026
Thinking about transferring to a new college or university? IvyWise experts will walk through the key components of successful transfer applications — from evaluating your reasons for transferring to building a balanced list of best-fit schools and strengthening your essays, recommendations, and transcripts.
Thursday, January 15 at 6pm ET
It can be difficult to choose where to go to college, and it sometimes happens that a student realizes their current school isn’t working for them. Or perhaps a student starts out at a community college before continuing to a four-year school to finish their degree. Whatever the reason, transferring to another school is always an option. If you’re considering a transfer to another school, you are not alone.
A transfer student has completed at least 12 credit hours at one college or university but has since dropped enrollment at that institution and enrolled at a different school to continue their education. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as seeking a better academic, social, or environmental fit.
Before transferring, it’s important to understand the policies and requirements of both the current and prospective schools to ensure a smooth transition. Taking advantage of transfer admissions services can help you with this.
Before starting the transfer process, consider these questions:
Transferring to another college or university is not a decision to take lightly, especially since you’ll have to go through the admissions process all over again. Most students who transfer cite one or more of these four reasons for doing so:
To save on tuition costs, many students opt to attend a community college for two years and transfer to a four-year school to complete their degree. Some community colleges have articulation agreements with public and private four-year universities, offering guaranteed admission or course equivalencies for the easy transfer of credits.
Not sure which school to attend after community college? Creating a transfer college list can help you with your decision.
College tuition and fees are expensive, particularly at highly selective, private institutions. A change in the student’s or family’s finances may make it more difficult to cover the out-of-pocket costs regardless of how much financial aid the student might receive. It is for this reason that many students transfer to a more affordable institution to complete their education.
Sometimes, location is the primary reason for transferring — if a student needs to move closer to family or the area surrounding the current college has nothing to offer. Moving from a rural to an urban campus, for example, may open up more opportunities for internships and externships, since employers typically recruit local students. However, there are various reasons a student may transfer due to location.
Many students want to start their experience on campus and attend in-person classes, but for whatever reason they decide they would rather learn remotely. If their college does not offer online classes, they may prefer to transfer to a school that offers that option.
Before transferring, it’s important to understand all the reasons why you feel it’s necessary. At IvyWise, we advise students to leave no stone unturned at their current school so they can truly understand why it’s not a good fit and they can then articulate to another college why that institution is better for them.
If you are committed to transferring, the first step is to start researching other schools so you can craft your transfer college list. Create a spreadsheet with each school’s requirements and deadlines for transfer applications. Consult with your academic advisor, who can answer your questions and help you request school transcripts, complete a degree audit, and organize any other materials you need for your transfer.
Once you’ve taken the preliminary steps, you can begin the application process. This process will look a bit different for a transfer applicant than it does for a first-time college student. Check with each school on your list to verify their transfer application requirements and deadlines — in many cases, you will need to submit a personal statement and letters of recommendation.
Learn how to transfer to an Ivy League college.
It’s important to get as much out of your current institution as you can during the transfer process so you can maximize your chances of admission at a new institution. Our IvyWise counselors offer these tips:
Make the most of your current school by getting involved in student clubs and organizations, attending events, or volunteering on campus. By getting involved in extracurriculars at your current campus, you demonstrate how you can contribute to your new campus community once you transfer.
Take advantage of opportunities to build connections with your professors by regularly attending office hours, participating in class, and communicating with them via email. You will need letters of recommendation for your transfer application, so it’s important for your professors to get to know you.
Once you decide to transfer, it can be difficult to stay engaged at your current institution. This is often because you are mentally ready to check out. However, putting in the effort and making the most of your current school’s resources will only help you when it comes to transferring.
Most college admissions websites list their transfer policies. Just keep in mind that most schools place a cap on how many credits can transfer, and the amount may vary by school. Many schools recommend a college credit transfer database like Transferology to help prospective transfer students determine which courses will transfer — others may have a similar tool available on their website.
You can apply to transfer to a college that previously rejected you, though you should confirm with the admissions office before spending time on the application. The good news is, transfer admissions are more focused on how you perform at the college level than how you did in high school. However, this does mean you need to show improved academic performance and extracurricular involvement since high school.
Ideally, students should transfer during their first or second year of college. This allows them time to complete many of their general education requirements and demonstrate how they perform at the college level before focusing on major-specific requirements at their new school. Students who transfer after sophomore year may have a more difficult time transferring credits and graduating on time.
Transfer students can apply for financial aid using the FAFSA, as well as scholarships and other forms of privately funded financial aid. Just keep in mind that the financial aid you were awarded at your current school will likely not transfer with you, including federal student aid. Your new school will determine how much financial aid to award you.
Transferring to another school can be a challenging and tedious process. It’s important to know how transfer applications are evaluated in order to have the best chance of admission. At IvyWise, our counselors are experts in guiding transfer students through the transition process. We can help you determine whether a transfer is the best way to help you reach your goals and work with you on a compelling application and essay that will give you the best chance of admission. Get started today by booking an Initial Consultation.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2023 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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