Princeton is an iconic university, most often associated with exceptional academics in a stunning environment that pushes students to expand beyond perceived intellectual limits. Students who seek to transfer to Princeton often do so because whatever college they are currently at isn’t, they feel, pushing them as far as they can go.
Transfer admissions is, unsurprisingly, extremely competitive. Like at other exceptional schools, transfer isn’t a ‘back door’ into the institution. If anything, it’s a mountain range one must traverse with neither water nor a sun hat. Princeton receives about 2,000 applications for transfer annually, and only accepts about three dozen. For the fall of 2024, Princeton accepted 1.9% of transfer applicants.
Students are permitted to enter as transfers for sophomore or junior year, and can only start in the fall of either year. If you will have less than one full-time year of college study by the time you would be entering Princeton, they direct you towards the first-year application process rather than aiming for a transfer.
But who gets in? There isn’t a formula for transfer acceptance, and Princeton likes it that way. Unlike comparable institutions, like Harvard, Princeton doesn’t expect transfers to necessarily come from liberal arts schools of high academic standing. They instead look for,
“a small group of exceptionally well-prepared students from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly encourage applications from students from lower-income backgrounds, community college students and U.S. military veterans.”
They embrace applications from students with backgrounds that will diversify and deepen the experience of the entire student body. This does not mean, however, that they lower their standards. Having an “X factor” experiences like military service and exceptional non-academic experiences can absolutely help a transfer applicant’s odds of acceptance, but they still need to be paired with outstanding grades and a strong vision for the future at Princeton and beyond.
Transfer applicants use the Common Application to submit, and we’re going to break down the core, Princeton-specific pieces of the application to help you get started.
If you want a personal strategy for Princeton transfer admissions, we can help. Learn More.
The Princeton transfer application is extensive. The good news is that this means that they really want to get to know you. The bad news is that you need to actually answer all of those questions with strong writing and compelling responses that are self-aware, insightful, and that show a clear vision for your future — at Princeton and beyond.
THE TRANSFER ESSAYS
As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (Please respond in about 250 words)
While this supplement prompt emphasizes the ability to explore and discover, the reality of a transfer experience (at any school, really) is that you will be on a more focused trajectory simply to meet all major requirements within a four-year graduation timeline. We encourage you, then, to write a response that shows an academic goal that will benefit from being able to pull from multiple fields but that is also well fleshed out. Transferring doesn’t give you much time to find a new passion, but Princeton will help you pursue your academic passion in a way you can’t currently. Share your excitement for this with specifics. This includes specific professors, courses, programs, and opportunities. Weave these specifics into your response, tying the short essay together with a personal anecdote that spotlights your deep passion for the subject(s) you are spotlighting.
Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (Please respond in about 500 words)
This question is basically asking what you will bring to campus that they don’t necessarily have already. Now, they don’t expect you to say something here that they have never heard before. However, they do want to know what makes you, well, you. And remember, you have 500 words.
Start your response with a strong moment within a bigger story, and then zoom out. To make this more granular, let’s talk through an example. If you are coming from a community college, what led you there? If you needed to stay close to family to offer support to an aging grandparent, or if you needed to save up by working nights while going to school during the day, tell that story by starting with a specific moment. Maybe it was an unexpected exchange with a customer or a lesson you have learned from the family member you care for. Use that moment as the entry point, then tell the big picture story that contextualizes this experience within your life.
Instead of going from vivid and moving storytelling to explicitly stating what your classmates would learn from you, weave the lessons you can offer your peers into the story. Aim for three key takeaways, which could be as broad as “generosity,” or as granular as “how to fold the best paper airplane.”
Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (Please respond in about 250 words)
The last long supplement for Princeton is all about how you serve others. They want students who look beyond themselves to help others, and they know that transfers often exemplify this value. So, show them. If you are a passionate volunteer, answering this question may be easy. Some students will need to take a more creative approach to find their point of intersection with service. Either way, this answer needs to be compelling and vivid.
Remember, there are so many transfer applicants for so few spots. The application readers need to say no to the vast majority, and to do that they need to review applications with a sort of mercenary mindset. They need to stay in their heads, and not feel with their hearts. In this supplement, you have the perfect opportunity to pull the reader from their head into their heart. This will make them look for reasons to say yes, instead of searching for excuses to say no.
Next, we get into the short supplements, which are only 50 words.
50 WORD PROMPTS
What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?
This question is an opportunity to think about college as more than an academic learning experience oriented towards a specific subject or career path. We love responses that are peripheral to structured learning, like focusing on study skills, organization, or community. Be specific, though. Don’t simply say you want to learn to be more organized. Instead, pinpoint something that would help you build towards being a stronger version of yourself.
What brings you joy?
This response should be 100% honest and truthful, and almost certainly outside of the classroom. You could be bent over a petri dish, or you could be watching a meteor shower. It could be reading a specific type of poem, or tackling a crossword. It could be making breakfast for your parents, or trying recipes from Great British Bake-Off. Have fun with it, and seek to bring joy to the reader along with you.
What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?
A tough question! First, release yourself from the perceived expectations of others and write down a few songs — at least three — that popped to mind when you first read this question. Then, assess what those songs might say about you. Not simply a single verse or line that resonates, but consider the full song. For example, a really inspiring song for you that is 80% about partying would not be a great option.
What are your plans during and after your higher education experience? Please respond in 150 words or fewer.
This is a bit of a strange question given that you’ve already spent a lot of time (and words) explaining what draws you to Princeton. What they are opening space for, we feel, is for you to include details of what you may plan for beyond simply going to college. If you plan to get a part-time job, to pursue a career path parallel to finishing your bachelor’s degree, or you will have to fulfill a family responsibility along with your school responsibilities, this is a good place to put that. If none of these jump out as applying to you, we recommend responding to this prompt with 150 words that share your vision for the future — and how you are going to get there.
GRADED WRITTEN PAPER
Princeton requires you to submit a graded written paper as part of your application. You may submit this material now or any time before the application deadline. If you choose not to upload the required paper at this time, you may mail, e-mail, or upload your paper through the applicant portal. Detailed instructions for our graded paper requirement can be found here.
The last piece of the Princeton supplement is the graded written paper. We highly recommend that this paper is as recent as possible, and remember to look through the requirements before deciding what to send. The most important thing, after all, is meeting the Princeton requirements. After that, you want this writing to be strong and to have received an impressive grade.
Alongside this paper, your grades, your writing, and your recommendations, you have the choice whether to submit your SAT or ACT scores. Strong scores underline a strong application, so they are definitely worth sending if strong (1550+ for the SAT, or 34+ on the ACT).
Remember, too, that there is a lot of leg work to do beyond your writing to complete your Princeton application. They require high school and college transcripts, recommendations (at least one from a college instructor), and more evidence of your good standing as a transfer-eligible student. Expect it to take longer than seems reasonable to acquire these documents, especially those from your high school.
A key piece to a successful application is often a guiding hand, so don’t try to go through this process alone. Great advice leads to impressive results.
We help strong students get into exceptional schools. Contact us to learn how.