How are high school activities included in transfer applications?

I'm getting ready to apply for a college transfer and I'm wondering if I should include my high school extracurriculars on my application or just focus on what I’ve done in college. Any advice?

In general, colleges tend to value what you've done in college more than your high school achievements, especially as a transfer applicant. The rationale is twofold:

1. College is a different environment with its own set of challenges so your activities and achievements in your current college context provide better insights into how well you'll operate at the college where you hope to transfer.

2. For transfer admission, colleges are primarily interested in applicants' course rigor, academic performance, and involvement in college since these aspects are most relevant to the college environment.

However, this does not necessarily mean that your high school activities have no place in your application. High school activities can still help present a well-rounded picture of your interests, passions, and involvement over time, particularly if you continued these activities in college.

For example, suppose you held leadership roles in high school, such as a lead role in a musical theater production or captain of a sports team. In that case, it would be relevant to include this information—especially if you've continued participating in theater or sports at your college. This helps draw a narrative about your sustained commitment and growth.

In contrast, if your high school club has little connection to your college career, it might not be as relevant.

Long story short: focus on your college activities and achievements during the transfer process, but don't be afraid to include significant high school activities, especially those continued in college, if they help to present a fuller, more cohesive picture of you as a student and individual.