Transfer Possibilities Increase at Some Schools

There will be tough decisions ahead for high school graduates as they pour over college acceptances this month. Students who did not get into their top college, fear not, there are many schools where it's easier to get into as a transfer than a freshman. While it's true, the Ivies and many competitive institutions make it tougher to get in as transfers - Dartmouth accepts 7% of transfers, Yale 4%, Stanford 1-2%, and Harvard and Princeton shut their doors to transfers - other select colleges have increased their transfer acceptance rate by 50% or more. Cornell, M.I.T, Georgetown, and Notre Dame all admitted more transfers than freshmen, and Vanderbilt admits 55% of transfers as opposed to only 25% of traditional incoming freshmen. Most colleges say it's all about the transfer essay, and many campuses prefer the non-traditional route of a 2-year community college experience before the Ivy Leagues become a reality.