Common App for Transfer Students: A Complete Guide

The Common App is a platform widely used by high school students applying to higher educational institutes. But that's not the only demographic that can use it! The Common App for transfer students has a network of over 600 colleges and can be used by mature students looking to transfer from one college/university to another, join a 4-year program from a community college, or simply look to re-enrol. This guide will provide an overview of how the Common App for transfer students works so that you are fully prepared before you begin the application process!

Common App for Transfer Students: A Complete Guide

Before You Begin

• Finalize your college list: Be ready with a list of all the colleges you intend to apply to as a transfer student. This should ideally be a mix of reach, match, and safety schools. 

   

• Know the deadlines: Review the deadlines for each college/university you are applying to. Deadlines may differ depending from institute to institute. For a detailed guide on deadlines, see this post here.

   

• Gather your application materials: Ensure you have all documents ready before you begin your applications. Documents can include a copy of your college transcripts from your current institution, a list of your work experience, continuing education courses, standardized test scores, employer information, and extracurricular activities. 

   

• Set up an account: To submit an application through the Common App, you will first need to create an account. For a detailed account setup guide, see this post here. 

   

• Complete the Extended Profile: In addition to the steps outlined in the account setup post above, transfer students will also need to fill out the "Extended Profile" before their account gets created. This will ak you for information such as your age, college credits you will have earned when you enroll at the college you’re applying to, the degree status you will have earned, and your degree goals for the program you are applying to. 

Completing the Application

• Add programs: You can now begin adding programs to your account. navigate to the "Add Program" tab where you can either search colleges up by name at the top of the page, or use filters such as "Program Availability", "State", "College", "Start Term", "Deadline", "Application Fee", and "Country", to look for colleges that may be of interest to you. To add a program, click the plus sign next to the program's name.

   

• Seeing program information: To learn more about a particular program, click on its name. This will open an interface with information about the program’s contact information, website links, testing policies, etc.

   

• Add recommenders: Many colleges will require you to submit recommendation letters as part of your application. Each program that you add will have different recommendation requirements. To see these requirements, go to "Program Materials" and proceed to the "Recommendations" tab. If a particular program does not require recommendations, you won’t see the Recommendations tab. Click the "Add Recommendation" button to begin adding a recommender. There are four types of recommenders you can invite - Personal, Professional, Academic, and High School Officials. Select the type of recommender you are adding and fill in their name, email address and the desired date you would like them to submit a recommendation by. You can also write a personal message to your recommender if you wish. You will then be asked a series of questions in which you can choose to waive your right to view this recommendation letter. Waiving your right to view the letter might make your application more credible, although this decision is ultimately up to you. Click on "Save this Recommendation Request" to send an email to your recommender.

   

• Submit transcripts: Some colleges may ask to see your transcripts while others may not. You can check out transcript requirements in the "Academic History" section under "Colleges Attended" or "College Coursework". If the program you are applying to requires an official transcript, you will need to download the "Transcript Request Form" which can be found in the "Colleges Attended" section. You will need to submit this form to your current institution. Alternatively, your current institution could also send e-transcripts using platforms such as "Parchment" and "National Student Clearinghouse". If your current institute uses a different system other than the methods outlined on the Transcript Request Form, you may need to submit your transcripts by mail. Make sure to include your complete Common App ID number when entering your mailing address and submitting your transcript. If the program you are applying to requires unofficial transcripts, you may upload these in the "Colleges Attended" section.

   

• Submitting the application: Once you have completed all the required sections, click the "Submit Application" button. Make sure all the information you have entered is correct before you submit your application (eg: spelling, personal details, contact information, etc).