 Hi guys. So are you applying as a transfer student to a four-year institution? This video is for you. I have been asked by many students to share kind of admissions tips for their essays when they are a transfer student. So that is you stick around. Hi, I'm Dr. Josie. This is Write Your Acceptance. Thank you so much for joining. We're going to be talking about that typical transfer essay that most students are writing that then you kind of adapt to the few or many schools that you are applying for admission as a transfer student. So that prompt is the typical transfer essay that kind of basically most school use, right? Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. So depending on the school book, from the most part, it kind of ranges from 250 to 650 words. First, you kind of want to figure out how many other supplements that you have. If you are applying or if you're trying to transfer into the kind of more demanding, exclusive, difficult to get into universities, chances are you'll have multiple essays, right? So you want to kind of first survey how many essays and what are the questions that the other supplements are asking for each school. But this kind of essay tends to be pretty kind of recyclable in the sense of like most of it is the same. And then the last paragraph or so, you'll kind of be very school specific. And then you kind of swap that out for each school, right? So this is part personal, part why them in a more general way, especially if they have a why us essay and where you see yourself in the future. You want to break all this down because you really want to share why you want to transfer. If you are transferring from a community college, it is given that it is I'll give that you are kind of basically completing all of the academic training and preparation that they have available for you, right? So that's not kind of what I would say because everyone finishing their two years at a community college needs to move on for your institution if they want for the most part, if they want to complete a bachelor's. So you want to kind of say something different than just kind of I finished everything. Or if you are transferring from one four year institution into another four year institution, you want to kind of think about what you want to share. So let's kind of break all that down. So step one, know the pillars and I've been sharing this in a couple of videos because I really want to think about or really want you guys to think about all of the different dimensions that you could be sharing about yourself. So those pillars are intellectual curiosity, community engagement, social awareness and identity. So are you hitting one or a couple of these in different aspects of your application so that when you put all of the essays and all of the application together, the activities section, the supplements, this main kind of transfer essay, do you see all of these four in some shape or form, right? You want to kind of think about first of all reasons for transferring, right? Reasons for transferring and kind of identity or intellectual curiosity kind of go hand in hand nicely for the first half of this essay. I would start with something very personal to you because a reason for transferring, yes, it's going to be personal, but the language, the way you couch that and frame that idea and kind of argument may sound similar to other people. And so if you start with something that is kind of, you know, story driven and personal in nature, something about your identity or reasons why you stayed home to study versus going away and now you are ready. And I'll have a brief example to share with you guys. So you start with a story that is image driven, that is personal to you. It's going to jump out naturally because it's going to be unique to you and different from the other essays that they're reading. And then you can go into the wide transferring. So let's think about if you are transferring from a community college, it's a given, right? Like I said, that you have maximized your educational opportunities there, you are finishing with your two years, you can say it, I wouldn't say it because it's a given. What you can do is focus on how you have taken advantage of learning and beyond the classroom opportunities at the community college, how you have made an impact, what you have learned, how you have, and this goes for both community college transfer and transferring for your institution. How have you give something kind of positive? How have you grown as a student, as a thinker in this last year or two years before you're making this transfer? So how are you a stronger kind of more competent student and thinker now today because of this home institution, whether that was a community college or for your institution. So give something positive first. How have you made an impact? How have you kind of grown and then go into what is missing or then go into how this transfer will kind of, you know, elevate your training and better prepare you for your academic and professional future. Too many students will share negatives right off the bat. I'm missing or I was forced to take this major or I can't take this specific class. And so I want to transfer. And so I kind of coach students to step off that gas pedal a little bit and show first make a case as to why you are a wiser, stronger student, why they would want you in and of itself, like you independently and then make a case as to why this transfer is going to benefit you as a student and your kind of personal and professional aspirations. So more way to what you will gain and how you have grown unless what has been missing right now. So kind of think about that balance as you are making that case. I'm going to share excerpts of a sample student that I worked with a couple cycles ago, a cycle ago, and kind of show you how these different ideals, the pillars and how this information is kind of like coming in and out of their essay. These are excerpts, but it should give you a good idea. So this is the intro and it starts with kind of like their identity, but also their role or their decision making with regards to college first and foremost. So it starts. My mommy always told me to work hard, keep my head down and not make too much noise. I have decided to do the exact opposite. Education has given me a voice and galvanized me into using it. I think about my relatives who live with undercurrent fear in Colombia and admire my single mom who brave the unknown a new country for a better life. So there's content missing there. From soccer to book clubs to student government, I found communities where I could anchor my belonging. After high school, I wasn't ready to leave the home I both inherited and helped create through community. Therefore, I decided to delve deeper into the cultural aspects of Miami and its people by enrolling in the Honors College at MDC. So notice how this intro paragraph has a little bit of everything. We hear kind of their immigration story, their families immigration story, the mom specifically. We hear a little bit of the kind of generational distance or differences in their approach to voice and building community and kind of making some noise. We hear that they're from Colombia. So we get a lot of information in just this one very image driven, sensorial and descriptive paragraph. And then we end with their brief why as to why they attended community college, the middle part of the essay. And so remember when I especially when you are kind of transferring from a community college, less important or less interesting is that you've maximized all the educational resources available. You can mention that, but I would say that very briefly if not at all because that's a given, but you can kind of focus on how you've made a difference and how you have shaped that college experience for yourself and for others. And so that's kind of what this student does in a very compelling way. So here is an excerpt first through my presidential election for student government, I developed the relationships that would open my ass the disproportionate hardship that DACA students faced even in an immigrant friendly environment. They were inadvertently silenced by their desire not to occupy space, which inspired me to cofound MDC United to present an advocate for DACA specifics needs to best prepare for my future diplomatic career. I am looking for an institution that values innovation, diversity, community and understands the benefits of the hyphens of the world. I believe in this middle part is where they kind of brought in school specific on detail. So I believe you would enter the school University of Michigan per due to the epitome of that place as a leader in service and research that embraces those unexpected connections. I plan to major in public policy, you would name the specific major as it's listed at that school, right, which at Georgetown means having the freedom to take courses beyond politics and international security to learn how these disciplines overlap with biology, feminist studies, computer science. They looked this up, right, that they could kind of basically tailor their courses and their curriculum to see these intersections and see how these disciplines combine. And so then they would go into very specific details why a section about that school. And so this section is what you would then lift for a different school. You would use everything else that's the same and you would bring in that school specific. So if you're applying to Georgetown, you would put the Georgetown info, then you would change that for Michigan. Then you would change that for Purdue. So you would kind of adapt that section, right. And it would be a class that you found interesting or student organization and maybe the connection with that student organization and what you've done in the past at your community college or your home institution right now. So ultimately you want to make a case as to how you would be taking full advantages of your resources on campus from day one, that it is not a disadvantage that you're coming in midway through your undergraduate career, let's say the concluding paragraph, you can kind of come back to that opening image that you started with yourself, right. Because ultimately this is that as close to a personal statement as possible. So you want to come back to you, you don't want to spend too much on them. And maybe that's, you know, coming back to that opening image with newfound wisdom or something about the school that relates to that opening image or something personal to you. So kind of think about how to land the plane in a way that is as personal to you as possible so that you make a case for you individually as a student. Are you writing these transfer essays? I know they come fast and they sneak up on you. So if you are looking for assistance or guidance, comment below. I'm happy to kind of share with you any details as you need. And I am still working with students. So if you'd like to kind of learn how I work with students, I can share my address if you comment below and we can start chatting then. So just to kind of overall, right, this student, we hit identity, right? We know that she's Colombian American. We know that she immigrated to the U.S., that she's a first generation student, that she chose community college as her first best option. We know a little bit about her ethnic and cultural background. Maybe that's not something that you want to share or share, but maybe there is something in your lived experience that has impacted your education in some way. Something about education or something about your kind of lived human experience may be interesting to use in the intro. It doesn't have to be cultural background if you don't want it to be. Then notice how we hit the kind of intellectual and academic goals. We mentioned the IR, international relations type, public policy major. We mentioned kind of where we created space for courses and student organizations and a little bit about the why us. So it's a balanced essay throughout. Hope this was helpful. If you guys want more transfer videos or school specific transfer videos, comment below so I know kind of what you're needing and we can start that dialogue. Take care. Thanks for watching. Bye.