So You’re a Transfer Student
Well, I did it. I made it through mailing day. After almost nine months of training, traveling, recruiting, reading, collaborating, and selecting some of the most talented high school seniors in the country, the admitted class of 2016 has taken shape — I have seen the letters leave the building. The amount of pride and accomplishment I feel this week, both in the efforts of our office and in the remarkable achievements of our prospective students, is practically indescribable, and the smiles on my veteran colleagues’ faces prove it is a feeling that will not fade in the years to come.
The reading cycle, however, is not yet done. While letters for every Early Decision and Regular Decision freshman applicant have been mailed, the counselors in our office still have (considerably smaller) stacks of transfer applications that will now take precedence. Although the reading process for transfer applications is fairly comparable to that of freshman applications, I want to take this opportunity to let all of our transfer applicants know how the process will work for you.
First of all, transfer students serve as extremely valuable members of Vanderbilt’s diverse student body. Defined as any student who has completed one semester of college credit (12 credit hours) at another university, transfers provide a unique perspective on campus and in the classroom through their previous college experiences.
You will notice in the list of required materials that we will be looking at your academic performance and involvement from both your high school and college years. While we employ a truly holistic review process, the majority of our attention will be given to your college-level work. We have found that the majority of our successful transfer students have attended institutions similar to Vanderbilt, where they have taken a full slate of challenging general curriculum courses. With that said, we accept transfer students of varied educational experiences including those who have attended 2-year, 4-year, public, and private institutions.
Vanderbilt’s priority deadline for transfer applications was March 15. If you have not submitted your materials but still would like to be considered for transfer admission, you may submit at this point, though we cannot guarantee you will receive the same consideration as if you had completed the process before the priority deadline.
Prospective transfer students are assigned to admissions counselors based on the location of their high schools. For example, if you attended high school in Arkansas, but spent your freshman year at a university in Utah, your application will still be read by the counselor in charge of Arkansas (that’s me!). Feel free to contact your counselor with any questions regarding the admissions process or the status of your application.
In regard to transfer credit, it is important to note that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions does not evaluate coursework, and your admissions counselor cannot tell you whether or not you will receive credit for a particular course. Should you be admitted, your transcript will be sent to the school to which you were admitted, and the appropriate school officials will determine how or if transfer credit will be awarded. Transfer decisions will be mailed weekly on a rolling basis beginning in mid-April and continuing as late as August.
All of this, of course, begs the question, “What are my chances?” Last year we received a total of 1,151 transfer applications and made 366 offers of admission. This boils down to an admit rate of just under 32%, which was around 8% lower than the prior year. Just like with our freshmen, the transfer admission process is a competitive one, and is getting more so each year.
Should your application pass Vanderbilt’s holistically competitive review and you receive an offer of admission, rest assured that you will receive the same consideration in the need-based aid process as a freshman student. While we do not offer merit-based awards to transfer students, you may still submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile, at which point you will be awarded 100% of your family’s demonstrated need, completely loan free.
Once you arrive on campus, the Office of the Dean of Students, each of the four schools and several other groups around campus will hold orientations to help integrate transfer students into the Vanderbilt community. The Office of Housing and Residential Education will also work with each of you to find an appropriate residential fit on campus.
Although the transfer application process happens later in the spring and lands in the denouement of the freshman admissions process, the excitement of “meeting” potential future Commodores through the stories within your applications remains. I for one look forward to delving into the stack of shiny blue files that have been waiting patiently on my desk and into the variety of experiences and perspectives that will shine through as I read them.
All photos taken from Vanderbilt’s official Flickr feed.
March 28th, 2012
When should we expect the first letters to be mailed out?
March 28th, 2012
Per the blog, decisions will be mailed weekly on a rolling basis beginning in mid-April and continuing as late as August.
April 7th, 2012
Will you post when the first decisions are mailed out?
April 11th, 2012
It’s unlikely, though we will provide an update at some point during the mailing process.
April 11th, 2012
What are the functions of the Transfers Admission Committee? The reason I ask is because during the freshmen admissions process, the committee reviews those applications that need to be advocated by the regional counselor.
Does this also applies to the transfer committee? or Will all applications be reviewed by this commitee regardless of the counselor first review?
I hope my questions is clear….
April 12th, 2012
The transfer admission committee functions very similarly to that for freshman applications. The committee will only discuss those files that they feel warrant more discussion – in other words, those that aren’t clear admits or clear denies, based on the counselor’s initial review.
April 12th, 2012
Ok Thank you! it was very helpful…In fact, tons of students, like myself, fear that committee because we think it as a place where msot people would be denied….I hope those are just superstitions….
Now, do you know when will the first wave of decisions be sent out?
April 12th, 2012
The first round of transfer decisions will be mailed mid-April.
April 25th, 2012
Greetings! Today I received my decision letter saying that I was put in a Wait-list. In fact, I have read a series of blogs in regard of the wait-list process, but they are all in regard of freshman students.
Would you be able to give us an quick overview of how the wait-list process works for Transfer students? Chances of being admitted? Recommended actions for us to take?
Any information will be very helpful.
Again, I want to thank you for dedicating some of your time to answer all of our quesions in this blog.
April 26th, 2012
Because transfer students are admitted on a rolling basis, our wait list process is a bit more fluid than it is for our freshman applicants. Transfer students who are put on the wait list do not have to indicate their continued interest in order to reserve their spots. While we hope to begin making wait list offers in the next few weeks, there is no definitive time frame in which you are guaranteed to hear from us – we hope to admit the full transfer class by mid-July, but this is not a certainty. We encourage all wait-listed transfers to begin considering alternative plans for the fall while keeping an eye out for any communication from us.
April 26th, 2012
Thank you very much.
Now, although you probably have heard this question tons of times already, I think it would be beneficial to answer it through this blog.
How likely are wait-listed transfers students to be given a spot in the class in comparison with freshmen? and, What can we do to maximize our chances to be admitted other than turning final grades at the end of the semester?
I know I am asking lots of questions, but information is always good.
Thank you for your time.
April 26th, 2012
Unfortunately we cannot give you a concrete idea of what your chances of coming of the wait list might be. The size and competitive nature of our wait list changes from year to year, as does the needs of each of our undergraduate schools.
The fact that you have been offered a place on our wait list indicates that we were extremely impressed by your application and believe that you would be successful at Vanderbilt. We do not need any more information than your final grades, though of course you are welcome to submit any drastic changes to your grades, test scores, resume, etc that you think would significantly impact your application.
April 26th, 2012
Alright Ms. Pippen, Thank you very much.
Now, I promise this is my last question. My school will not be able to provide me with my final grades, or final transcript, probably until Mid-May. How much time do Wait-listed students have to submit any additional information?
Again, thank you very much for clarifying my inquiries.
April 27th, 2012
You can send us the final grades whenever they become available. If you would like to email your counselor with unofficial grades before that point, you are welcome to do so, but only the official report will be added to your application.
April 12th, 2012
Can our counselors inform us when if a decision has been made about our specific application and when we can expect to receive our decision?
Thanks!
April 12th, 2012
You are welcome to contact your counselor regarding the status of your application, but we cannot guarantee he or she will be able to tell you when your decision will be mailed.
April 16th, 2012
Since today is the 16th (Mid-April), are decisions ready to be sent out?
March 29th, 2012
The excitement of “meeting” potential future Commodores is probably incomparable. Great and really informative post!
March 29th, 2012
I am looking forward to getting a letter. The wait is killing me! Thanks for the informative blog.
March 29th, 2012
Thanks for sharing this information. I get a ton of students in my “How To Get Into College With A Low GPA” blog post that have attended a community college for 2 years and are now in the process of applying to 4 year universities. This information will be helpful to share with them.
March 31st, 2012
So, the admissions website says that we are allowed to submit instructor evaluations from our high school teachers. Do you keep admissions documents from previous years? I am asking because I applied last year in high school, and I am curious as to if I chose to use high school recs, whether I would have to ask for my HS teachers to fill these recs again or if you still have them.
April 2nd, 2012
Thanks for your question. We do scan in high school applications and associated materials, so should be able to track them down. However, this isn’t always the case, so I would contact your admissions counselor (http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/your-counselor/), who can tell you for sure.
I would also encourage you to have a recommendation letter sent from your college.
April 3rd, 2012
Are the decisions sent out based on how early you applied or is it random?
April 6th, 2012
We do our best to evaluate transfer applications in the order in which we receive them. Many factors play into this process, including whether or not we have received all required forms from your respective schools and how many files we have to read at that time, so we cannot guarantee that all applications received before the priority deadline will have been read by the time our first round of decisions is released.
April 17th, 2012
So if I submitted my application in late January what are my chances of receiving a letter in the next couple of days?
April 18th, 2012
We do our best to evaluate transfer applications in the order in which we receive them. As long as we have confirmed that your application is complete, you should receive a decision within 3 – 4 weeks. I confirmed yesterday that the first round of decisions were mailed yesterday and will continue to be so on a rolling basis for the next few months.
April 18th, 2012
As long as we have confirmed that your application is complete, you should receive a decision within 3 – 4 weeks.
April 18th, 2012
I submitted my application with all the required material by March 1st. Should I be concerned that I have not received a confirmation email?
April 19th, 2012
First, I suggest checking the Spam folder in your email account; sometimes our automatic notifications end up there. If you still do not find it, you can email your admissions counselor to make sure your application is complete and/or that we have your correct email address on file.
April 12th, 2012
So excited to receive a decision! I hope I will be a Commodore come fall!
April 15th, 2012
On the website it says that the decisions will be released starting mid April; however, when I called I was told that the decisions will be released starting first Friday in May. I know that the decisions are released on rolling basis, but when is the first batch released?
April 17th, 2012
Transfer decisions are now being mailed on a rolling basis and will continue throughout the next several months until the transfer class is full. We will send you an email acknowledgment once your transfer application is complete, after which you will likely receive a decision by mail within 3-4 weeks.
April 19th, 2012
I have yet to receive an email acknowledgement, but I confirmed with my admissions counselor in late February that my application was complete. Should I be concerned?
April 20th, 2012
Hi Elizabeth, have you checked your spam folder?
April 20th, 2012
I have, there’s nothing there. What would you suggest I do?
April 20th, 2012
Turns out my decision was already in the mail! Thanks for your help!
April 22nd, 2012
On a weekly basis, will decisions letters be sent on Mondays or Fridays?
Also, do acceptance letters come in the red USPS “Priority Mail” envelopes(With Congratulations! label as for freshmen)? Or will all notifications, regardless of the decision, will come through First Class regular mail??
Thank you very much for this very helpful blog!
April 23rd, 2012
Transfer decisions are mailed first class, regular mail, and will be mailed on a rolling basis. Decisions do not necessarily go out on the same day every week.
April 16th, 2012
Here we are in the MIDDLE of April. I feel like Spinal Tap, my anxiety level is sitting around 11!!!
April 17th, 2012
Hi, I received an email saying that my application was completed on March 9th and ready for review. Should I be expecting a decision before the end of april?
April 27th, 2012
I was sent the “application complete” email March 22, which was exactly five weeks ago and still have not received an admissions decision… should I be concerned? I emailed my admissions counselor but was told he it out of office.
April 27th, 2012
You can call our front office at 615-322-2561 and one of our counselors will let you know the status of your application.
April 27th, 2012
I wonder if all international students,whether currently in the U.S or not, will be notified by email first? Also, another question: does the admission office send out the decision once a week?
April 27th, 2012
It depends on the address currently in our system. If you put a domestic address on the CommonApp, we will mail you a letter, not an email. If you updated your address to an overseas address, you will get an email and a letter.
And the rate/date by which we send out decision letters isn’t the same on a weekly basis, but be assured that it’s definitely in motion.
June 18th, 2012
How does the admission committee look at transfer students with some community college credit. I attended a full semester last summer to get ahead, and also what about failing grades? Does that completely ruin my chances? please and thank you!
June 20th, 2012
We consider students from community colleges as well as those coming from four year universities, but most of the transfer students who are successful in our transfer pool have performed well in challenging cousework at colleges similar to VU. Failing grades will not automatically disqualify you, as we use a holistic review approach, but the majority of our evaluation will be focused on your college coursework.
September 21st, 2012
What if we are a high school student involved in a special program that dual enrolls us in College at the same time as high school. In fact our high school is located on the campus of the local university. I am a junior in high school and currently have 15 college credits and expect at least 8 more this year and next year. Would this make me a transfer student? I also have numerous AP classes.
September 21st, 2012
Hi Emily,
Even though you are taking college level courses at your local university, you will still be considered a freshman applicant. If you were fully enrolled at a university and had completed 12 or more hours as a full-time college student, then you would apply as a transfer. Please see our pre-college credit site for more information on our dual credit policies: http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/academics/ap-ib.php
November 25th, 2012
I keep seeing “institutions similar to Vanderbilt” pop up. What exactly does that mean?
November 30th, 2012
Question: I applied and was accepted to Vandy two years ago (class of 2011), but decided to attend the University of Florida instead (good school and closer to home). Would the fact that I had gotten in once before give me greater chances of getting in as a transfer, and would UF count as a school “similar to Vanderbilt”?
November 30th, 2012
Hi Sean, no, your transfer application will undergo the same holistic review as all other transfer applications.
December 12th, 2012
I have done my fair share of research about everything concerning transferring to Vanderbilt University, but I have one, simple question that I apologize even asking. However, here it is: What schools are considered similar to Vandy? I know that people from community colleges all the way to Ivy League schools are considered, but what is considered as “similar” to V.U.? Would UGA be considered similar? Thanks in advance!
December 12th, 2012
“Similar schools” refers to four-year institutions with rigorous academic curricula.
December 14th, 2012
I have a quick question about the transfer application process: Is the Common App Mid-Term Report paper needed? It’s not listed on the Transfer Application Check-List, but it is on the Common App webpage for documents needed to be filled out. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!
December 16th, 2012
Hi Drew,
If you submit all of the required pieces listed on our website, your application will be complete and ready for evaluation. However, we would like for all transfer students to submit their midyear reports when they become available.
December 15th, 2012
I know that an application for admission is viewed holistically and all, so I know that not one certain aspect of an application is really deemed to be x% important when it comes to making a decision. However, I was wondering if since transfer applicants are already enrolled in school if the SAT scores hold much water when making a decision. Since it’s a pre-college exam, I assume that it would be an indicator to college success that is only taken into small consideration. Do the SAT scores hold enough say-so to impact a decision for an applicant that may have everything else going for them or are “on the line”? Obviously, I am very nervous about my application, and it mostly derives from my SAT scores, so I am just looking for some clarification and to be enlightened on this subject. Thanks in advance for your help, and I really appreciate it during this very busy time. Happy holidays!
December 16th, 2012
Hi Drew,
While we do take high school performance and ACT/SAT scores into consideration during the transfer application process, the majority of the evaluation will be focused on how the student has performed at the college level.
December 31st, 2012
what is your current transfer acceptance rate??
January 2nd, 2013
As reported in the Common Data Set, approximately 32% of transfer applicants were admitted for the 2011 – 2012 academic year.
January 12th, 2013
I’m a parent of a prospective Vanderbilt transfer applicant. I just read somewhere online that Vanderbilt was eliminating 600 dorm rooms and that this would significantly impact the transfer acceptance rate. Is there truth to this rumor please?
January 14th, 2013
Thanks for your question. We actually intend to enroll approximately 210 new transfer students this fall, which is slightly more than in the past two years.
January 14th, 2013
Thank you so much for your speedy reply.
February 12th, 2013
Hello, I am a current community college student looking to transfer to Vanderbilt. I have been enrolled in several honors programs and taken a variety of honors courses. Would that in any way assist with adding credibility to my status as a two-year school applicant?
February 13th, 2013
Hi Viktor,
As with our freshman applicants, the rigor of the courses you have taken as a transfer applicant will be one of the many things we evaluate in the review process. Any opportunity you have taken to challenge yourself within the context of what is courses are available to you will certainly strengthen your application.
March 10th, 2013
I have a couple of questions. I am confused about whether or not the
Midterm Reports must be in the office by March 15th for an application
to be complete. They are not listed on the Vanderbilt required
documents list, however they are part of the Transfer Common
Application, which Is listed, of course. Must they all (for each class)
be in by the 15th? Also, how are professors to submit these reports?
May they be faxed or submitted online? Is the student to collect the
information on one form and then mail or fax it himself? Thank you for
clarifying this aspect of the application!
March 11th, 2013
While the midterm report is not required for transfer students, you are welcome to submit this form as soon as your midterm grades are available, if you feel it will strengthen your application. You can collect the information from each of your professors and then fax, mail, or email the report to our office.
March 30th, 2013
I heard that AP scores can be used as a factor in admission. While the transfer common application allows you to state the tests you took and the scores you received, should I also send the official scores to admissions?
April 1st, 2013
In terms of the admission process, we will evaluate self-reported AP scores, so you do not need to send the official scores. If you are admitted and would like that credit applied, at that point you will need to send an official report.
April 2nd, 2013
When do transfer applicants hear back? When I called the admissions office they told me that we should hear back starting this week but the admissions website says mid-late April.
April 3rd, 2013
Hi Doug,
We will send the first batch of transfer decision letters in mid-April, then continue to send letters on a rolling basis (about once a week) until the transfer admission process is complete.
April 7th, 2013
Thanks for the clarification! Also, I read somewhere that a few weeks ago people were receiving “Vandy Is Great” booklets… Is it something to be concerned about if you didn’t receive one?
April 8th, 2013
Hi Doug, we aren’t familiar with that publication, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
April 10th, 2013
Out of curiosity, why was there no supplemental essay required for VU?
April 11th, 2013
Hi Niko,
We feel that the contents of the Common Application give us a comprehensive view of your academic and extracurricular accomplishments in high school, which are the most important factors that we evaluate in our admissions process. If you would like to let us know why you are interested in Vanderbilt specifically, you are welcome to do so in the Additional Information or via direct communication with your admissions counselor.
April 10th, 2013
Hi, I’m a 2013 transfer applicant. I was wondering if I do get admitted at Vanderbilt how much time I would have to accept my admission offer. About a month or less than that? Thanks.
April 11th, 2013
You would have approximately two weeks to decide and send in the matriculation fee.
April 11th, 2013
If I was enrolled in a 4 year institution my freshmen year (Washington and Lee University), and then took a gap year to go abroad, will the gap year hurt my chances of admission? Am I still eligible to be a transfer applicant at that point?
April 12th, 2013
Hi Elizabeth,
Yes, you would still be a transfer applicant at this point. As with our freshmen applicants, students who take gap years will be evaluated in context, but taking the gap year in itself will likely not hurt your chances of admission.
April 17th, 2013
I have a question about transfer apps. I understand that the students are looked at holistically, but does the student’s state or intended major play a factor? For instance, do you try to admit a percentage of students from each state (or other geographic area….). Also, are some majors “easier or harder” than others to get into because of space or amount of apps? Thanks, Beth.
April 17th, 2013
As part of our holistic process, we consider an applicant’s fit for their intended major. Typically, transfer students have explored various academic options and can speak to their intended academic path. And, no, there is not a set number of students we admit from each state.
April 19th, 2013
Hello, I was just wondering if the first batch of Transfer decisions have already been mailed out or if they have yet to be mailed. If the former, when exactly were they mailed out? Thank you!
April 19th, 2013
Beginning today we will mail out decisions weekly on a rolling admissions basis.
April 20th, 2013
With regards to transfer applications, how is the order in which they are reviewed determined? I could not find this information on your website.
April 23rd, 2013
We evaluate everything we receive before the priority deadline first. After that applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
May 3rd, 2013
what are the odds of a student who attends a community college trying to transfer into vanderbilt. Is it even worth it. A gpa of 3.5
May 3rd, 2013
Hi Bhavik,
Because we use a holistic review process that takes into account all elements of your application, it would be impossible for me to give you any idea of your chances of admission based solely on those two pieces of information. The only way to know for sure is to apply!
May 23rd, 2013
When you will start admitting transfer student off the wait list?
May 23rd, 2013
We are unsure at this point when we will begin making these offers, as it will depend largely on how many of our admitted transfer students accept their offers of admission.