People spend a ton of time and sometimes a ton of money trying to guess what a school is looking for… here’s a tip: why don’t you just ask them?
Try simply calling each of the schools you’re interested in and make an appointment to speak with an admissions counselor either in person or over the phone.
Tell them a little bit about your background (where you’re from, why you’re interested in transferring), and then ask for tips about how to make yourself stand out or how to show that you’re a good fit for the school (assuming that you’ve done your research and really think that you are a good fit).
Of course, the counselor can’t tell you if you will get in or not, but you will hear directly from the people evaluating your application exactly what you need to do to stand out to them.
Rather than being seen as a negative, we’ve heard from admissions counselors that taking action like this can only boost your chances, because not only are you learning exactly what the decision-makers are looking for, you’re demonstrating some impressive initiative by being thoughtful enough to do the obvious thing that no one does and just talking to them!
Looking back, I wish someone gave me this advice when I was applying to transfer. But I did make the call when I was applying to graduate school at Columbia.
When I met with the admissions counselor, I brought in copies of my resume and transcripts and talked about my goals and why I was interested in the program. The counselor not only gave me a better sense of the school, but he also gave me pointers on what to highlight in my application essay. I left the appointment feeling more confident and more directed because I was able to see a part of the admissions process from an insider’s point of view.
Admissions counselors are there to help you. Make use of them.
If you found this useful, please comment and/or pass this on! Thanks!
(Photo: jessemichaelnix)
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