Vanderbilt is a dream school and a dynamic school. They offer a strong education in a super fun city, Nashville, with tons of opportunities for personal growth and career development long before your graduation date. It’s not surprising, then, that there is a lot of demand for transferring to Vanderbilt. Students get a fun college experience and a prestige college experience all in one, and that’s a strong pitch.
Most recently, 350 transfer students joined Vanderbilt. That was an increase over the year prior, and part of a continuous upward curve as Vanderbilt prioritizes transfers. What it is not reflective of, though, is a decrease in the Vanderbilt retention rate. Rather, Vanderbilt is increasing their overall enrollment through the transfer option and investments in an exceptional study abroad program.
For the fall of 2024, Vanderbilt received 3,202 transfer applications. From that pool, they accepted 698. This puts the transfer acceptance rate at 21.8%, which is a significantly higher acceptance rate than for first year admissions. For the Class of 2029, only 4.7% of applicants were accepted overall. So, is it easier to get into Vanderbilt as a transfer? Yes and no. A higher percentage of applicants get into Vanderbilt in the transfer round, but that doesn’t mean that it is easier for everyone. Transfer admissions is heavily reliant on spots opening up in particular programs, so it’s not that a fifth of all applicants for each major get in. This is all to say that transfer admission to Vanderbilt cannot be taken for granted even if you have outstanding grades and exceptional activities and eye-catching recommendations. It has to be more than that. You need to tell a compelling story.
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The first step in the Vanderbilt transfer application is to select a college to apply to. You have four to pick from: Arts and Science, Blair School of Music, School of Engineering, and Peabody College. The College of Arts and Science, though, is far and away the preferred and the easiest to get into as a transfer. Ultimately, though, you need to pick the best school for you.
Once you’ve picked a school, it’s time to write your essay.
THE TRANSFER ESSAY
You’ve done this before. You’ve written the essays, submitted the applications, and got into college one time already. Transferring isn’t the same, though. As a high school senior, they liked to see a clarity of direction and passion for an academic path. As a transfer applicant, though, a high level of certainty isn’t just appreciated — it’s expected. The essay is the best place to show this.
Vanderbilt University’s motto, Crescere aude, is Latin for “dare to grow.” In your response, reflect on how one or more aspects of your identity, culture, or background has played a role in your personal growth, and how it will contribute to our campus community as you dare to grow at Vanderbilt. Please provide your response in approximately 250 words.
This prompt is interesting in the world of transfer applications because they aren’t asking you “why.” You aren’t being asked to validate your reasoning for a transfer, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t expect to gain a level of understanding for why you need Vanderbilt to get where you want to go next. When they mention “personal growth,” and ask you to reflect on how your identity, culture, or background connects to this, that is opening the door for writing about how your path has shifted such that a transfer to Vanderbilt is necessary.
So, start with the dream. How did you end up with this dream, and how has the dream grown since you applied to college as a senior? Is it something you were basically born hungering for, or is this a dream that developed most clearly through your first year college? Help them get excited about who you are and what you want for yourself. Making the reader feel invested in your future is crucial as you move into the next part of the supplemental essay.
Next, you need to focus on Vanderbilt. While they emphasize “community,” not necessarily academics, in the prompt, we advise running community through an academic sieve — at least to start. Do some research and find two opportunities outside of the classroom at Vanderbilt but inside your major that are community oriented. These could be student groups related to your prospective major or learning programs outside of the required courses. Do not, however, emphasize study abroad. Studying abroad as a transfer is often not possible, and is highly dependent on which of your credits Vanderbilt chooses to accept. Because the opportunity to study abroad is not a given, dedicating space to study abroad in this short supplement is not advisable.
Then, zoom out. Think beyond your major. What is something that you can bring to Vanderbilt, and immediately plug into as part of the university community. Don’t focus on something that would be new for you. Instead, build on a strength. If you are passionate about a martial art, for example, you may want to join that club. If you absolutely love cooking, you could join the Vanderbilt Culinary Club. Help the application readers envision your life on campus beyond class. Remember, though, that you don’t have a ton of space to work with, so your response needs to be compact.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Do you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application? You may use the space below to provide any additional information you wish to share. (6500 characters max)
Vanderbilt also offers you a space to provide additional information should you feel like there is something that requires additional space or explanation. While you may think, “I don’t have anything to put there,” we need to you think harder. It’s super important that you use this space for something. It could be a research abstract, information on a job you’ve been pursuing or a company you’ve been building, or anything else that goes beyond what will be on your resume (more on that in the moment). Do not worry about using all of the available space, though. A compact and succinct response is more powerful than a wordy answer that they may not have time to read in full.
What you should not use this space for is excuses. Do not try to explain away less-than-awesome pieces of your application here, or describe why you want to transfer in gritty details. Excuses and gossip do not play well, so focus on your qualifications and successes.
The additional information session is especially important if you do not submit test scores. Vanderbilt is SAT and ACT optional for transfer applicants, and they say that you will not be disadvantaged for not submitting scores. However, we also know that strong scores underline an impressive application.
One last piece of your application is the optional resume. Yes, you can submit the application without it. However, we don’t consider it optional. Your resume must be one page, and it must be tailored towards your prospective major. If you’re not sure how to do that, we can help.
Transferring wasn’t the plan, but it is possible. Contact us to learn more.