How Are Transfer Students Evaluated by Colleges?

I'm planning to transfer to a four-year university but am unsure how colleges evaluate transfer students. Do they focus more on college performance, or are high school grades just as important? Any advice on strengthening my application?

It's great that you're looking to switch to a four-year university and are working on crafting a strong transfer application! Admissions officers evaluate transfer applicants a bit differently than they do first-time college applicants. The weight placed on college performance vs. high school performance can vary dependent on how many college credits you've accumulated.

Generally, if you've completed more than a year of college coursework, your college performance is going to be the most crucial element of your application. Your GPA in your college courses, the rigor of those courses, and your involvement in college-based extracurriculars/music/sports will carry significant weight. If you've shown improvement and success, it signifies to the admissions officers that you can handle college-level work.

However, if you've completed less than a year of college coursework at the time of application, your high school grades and SAT/ACT scores (if the college requires them) will still be taken into consideration. Your high school performance is a larger chunk of your academic history in this case.

In terms of strengthening your application, focus on achieving excellent grades in your college courses and aim to partake in activities that align with your interests or intended major. The personal statement and any additional essays are crucial too: use these to explain why you want to switch colleges and what you hope to achieve at the prospective institution. Remember that, like first-time applicants, transfer students can also benefit from getting recommendation letters, particularly from recent professors.

Good luck with your transfer application process!