What documents do I need to transfer?

It can be daunting to know where to start and what you need for each school on your list, especially as many documents may occasionally be optional or sent by another office. 

Frequently asked for documents include:

• Current institution’s transcript

• High school transcript 

• Letter(s) of recommendation 

• AP score reports

• Midyear report 

• College report 

• FAFSA

• CSS profile 

The latter two (FAFSA & CSS) are covered in our blog on Free Resources for Transferring. These are solely for financial aid purposes and often follow a distinct timetable from other documents. Let’s go over the rest and make sure you know what to do when the time comes.

Current Institution’s Transcript:

Because the application season usually closes in Spring, applications will make their judgments while considering high school grades alongside currently completed collegiate coursework. For sophomore transfers, this usually only covers classes taken during the fall & winter of the school year (alongside any summer classes). This is more important for junior transfers, whose high school transcript is weighted less, with greater emphasis on grades in the first two years of college. 

High School Transcript:

Although more significant for sophomore transfers, the high school transcript is requested by many institutions (particularly private universities). For admissions officers, the high school transcript is an extended academic record beyond the limited number of college credits accrued. While less significant for junior transfers, it is nonetheless often required as part of a holistic review process. When looking to send a copy of the high school transcript, get in touch with your former high school’s registrar or administrative offices to clearly make it known you are transferring. 

Letter of Recommendation:

Recommendation letters are a common request for many applications to private institutions, and a strong letter can do much to elevate your application. We have covered procuring a letter in another of our blog posts, but the short of it is: get to know your current professors/mentors, make an impression that motivates them to help you. Institutions have their own criterion for letters (often from one STEM professor and another from a liberal arts), but it is always best to be prepared in case your writers are not available when the time comes. Ask long in advance and specify what you want to achieve–be it applying to internships or transferring.

AP Score Reports:

Although not asked for until after you have accepted an offer to transfer institutions, AP scores/credits often appear on the transcript of the institution you have received credit. For example, my AP credits from high school would be seen under my transcript at the City College of New York, but not the scores. Institutions you transfer to ask for the official AP score reports (at your own cost!) for which credits you qualify for, per their transfer policies. 

Midyear Report:

As most transfer applications are sent in the window from later winter to early spring, the midyear report, particularly for sophomore transfers, is used to determine if the trajectory of your academic performance is unaffected by all your activities and the work put into transferring. Not all schools require the midyear report, and I highly recommend checking the application portal for your school to determine if you need to send one. The report itself is to be filled out by the student and an advisor/faculty member with access to your academic records. 

The midyear report can be found here: Midyear Report 

College Report:

The college report is a form completed by a college faculty member, most frequently from the registrar’s office. It is then the faculty member's responsibility to submit the completed college report form to the relevant application. A wide net of public and private universities requires the college report as part of their application. In addition to the midterm report, the college report is a statement from the university that the student is in good academic standing, usually above a certain threshold of GPA and credit hours by the time of writing.