At the risk of starting things off on a dark note, your chances of transferring into an Ivy League school are incredibly low. The numbers (transfer acceptance rates from 2014-2017) speak for themselves:
*We’re aware that Stanford and University of Chicago aren’t Ivy League schools, but their transfer admissions statistics suggest it’s just as difficult to transfer into these schools.
We do, however, have three pieces of advice for those who still want to send in Ivy League transfer applications.
Submit more than two applications. When we work with high school seniors applying to Ivy League schools, we always suggest applying to two. For transfer applicants we suggest submitting more applications, because of the grim statistics above. It’s still true that applying to more than two schools doesn’t boost your chances of getting into any single school, but if you’re serious about transferring to an Ivy then you should consider applying to at least three just based on the numbers alone.
Research, research, then research some more. You can’t apply to transfer to Harvard just to be a math major. Your reasons for applying must be well research and hyper specific. The person reading your application has to be sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you’re incredibly committed to getting in and have a detailed, thoughtful, and specific plan that can only be executed at X school. You need to become an expert about the school you’re applying to and craft your essay around those facts with details about yourself weaved throughout. Most students applying to transfer have the necessary grades and scores to get in, so your essay is truly make or break.
Keep in mind that there’s still a good chance you won’t get in. Like, a good chance. Harsh, but necessary. There’s two ways to think about this. You can either go through the application process with the knowledge that the end result might not go your way, or adjust the list of schools you’re applying to accordingly.
We help students craft transfer applications. Contact us here for help.