Transfer Eligibility
Transfer Preparation
Transfer Application and Requirements
Evaluation of Candidates
Financial Aid and Costs for Transfer Students
Housing Options for Transfer Students
Misc.
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TRANSFER ELIGIBILITY
Should I apply as a freshman or transfer student ?
You should apply as a transfer applicant if:
- you have been enrolled full-time in college/university after leaving high school, or
- you have attended college/university on a part-time basis and you have accumulated 26 or more semester or 39 or more quarter units of transferable course credit.
You should apply as a freshman applicant if:
- you are currently enrolled in high school, or
- you are concurrently enrolled in high school and college/university, or
- you have completed high school and are enrolled in college/university on a part-time basis and have accumulated fewer than 26 semester or 39 quarter units of transferable course credit by the time you transfer.
Please contact our office if your circumstances do not fall under either of these instances and you are still uncertain about which application to use.
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If I have earned AP credit in high school, do those units count towards unit eligibility requirements for transfer students?
Students interested in transferring to Stanford must be enrolled full-time in college for at least one academic year before entering the university. In turn, this means that college credit earned through AP scores do not count towards the unit eligibility requirements for transfer applicants.
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If I am in a vocational, technical, etc. program at another institution, can I apply for transfer admission?
Transfer students must have completed coursework at an accredited degree-granting institution and must be working towards a four-year degree to be eligible to transfer to Stanford. College coursework completed in vocational or technical programs are not considered. Please also refer to the Transfer Eligibility section of the transfer admission website.
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Is it possible to apply for admission to Stanford to begin work toward a second bachelor's degree?
No. Those who have already earned a bachelor's degree are not eligible to apply for undergraduate admission, but they may contact the Graduate Admissions Office at gradadmissions@stanford.edu for information about admission to Stanford’s graduate programs.
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TRANSFER PREPARATION
How should I prepare myself academically for transfer admission to Stanford? What courses should I take?
We expect students preparing to transfer to take a balanced course load that includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. For applicants that have been in college for more than one year, we should see that you have begun focus in a potential major of study.
Please see the College Preparation and Transfer of Credit sections for supplemental information on this subject.
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Does Stanford have articulation agreements with other colleges or universities ?
While Stanford has no articulation agreements with any college or institution, we expect students preparing to transfer to take a balanced course load that includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. For applicants that have been in college for more than one year, we should see that you have begun focus in a potential major of study.
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TRANSFER APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
I am a transfer applicant; when should I begin the application process?
You may submit an application as soon as the forms become available in the fall, but the deadline for transfer applicants is March 15.
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Does Stanford accept transfer applications for winter or spring admission?
No. Stanford does not have a mid-year admission program. Applications are accepted only for the fall quarter of each year.
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When are transfer applicants notified of admission decisions?
We expect to mail all decision letters during the third week of May. Decisions are made without receipt of the final term transcript. If an offer of admission is made, registration is contingent upon receipt and approval of a complete final transcript.
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If I previously applied for freshman or transfer admission, is it necessary to submit an entirely new application?
If you applied to Stanford previously, either for freshman or transfer admission, you must submit a new application, using the application forms designed for the fall term and year you intend to enroll. You do not need to submit new test scores if you submitted official test results to us from the SAT Reasoning Test with Writing or the ACT with the optional Writing Test; however, stronger, more recent results should be submitted. If you are applying for transfer admission, you do not need to submit a new Secondary School Report if one was submitted within the last three years from the high school from which you graduated. If you were a previous freshman applicant and are now applying for transfer admission, you will need to submit your final high school transcript to us; in most instances we will have the final high school transcripts for transfer applicants who applied within the last three years. No other parts of your previous application may be reused.
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Are all transfer applicants required to submit standardized test scores?
Yes. All transfer applicants, including international students, must submit official scores from either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT to be considered for admission. The SAT Subject Tests are strongly recommended but not required. Also, we strongly recommend that non-native English speakers submit results of either the TOEFL or APIEL to further assist us in gauging your ability to write and understand English.
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If I took the old version of the SAT/ACT, am I required to take the new version?
Yes. The current SAT/ACT includes a Writing component, which is required for admission. Exceptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis by the coordinator of transfer admission.
It is also strongly recommended that students take two SAT Subject Tests (with one being Math Level 2).
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If I have been out of high school for several years, is it necessary for me to submit high transcripts/secondary school report?
Yes. While an applicant may have been out of high school for several years, this information gives us context to your high school experience and overall transfer application. For that reason, this information is very helpful in evaluating your application.
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As a transfer student, can I have a teaching assistant or some other non-professorial instructor complete a college instructor evaluation?
We prefer for you to have a professor complete your college instructor evaluation. This preference is especially true for students applying with two or more years of prior college work. In certain situations (e.g., first year of college or enrollment only in large lecture courses), a teaching assistant may be your only option for having a evaluation completed by someone who knows you or your work reasonably well.
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EVALUATION OF CANDIDATES
How much weight is given to performance in high school for a transfer student?
This will vary from one applicant to another. First, much will depend on whether there is a significant difference in the level of performance in high school versus college (certainly it is always better to be headed up rather than down). Second, much will depend on whether you are applying to Stanford after only one year of college or after two years of college. In the latter case, much more weight will obviously be placed upon the academic performance in college.
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Does it matter whether a transfer applicant attends a public or private college or a two-year or four-year college?
We favor well-prepared and intellectually engaged students, without favoring one type of school over another. We take into account that some colleges have more rigorous grading standards than others.
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Does Stanford offer interviews for transfer applicants?
No. As is the case with freshman applicants, Stanford does not offer or require interviews.
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FINANCIAL AID AND COSTS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
Is financial aid is available for transfer students?
Please refer to the Financing a Stanford Education section of our admission website.
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How much does it cost to attend Stanford?
Please refer to the Student Budget section of our admission website.
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HOUSING OPTIONS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
What housing options are available for transfer students?
Admitted transfer students are given numerous housing options to meet their housing needs. For more information on housing, please refer to the Housing Assignments Office website.
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MISC.
Does Stanford have a special re-entry program?
No. All applicants apply through the regular admission process. For those students who have been out of school for more than one year, we recommend enrolling in several academic courses at a local college in order to provide recent academic records. If this is not possible, we will accept one work reference in place of one faculty reference. Although we accept older test scores, we strongly recommend that re-entry students retake the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT prior to applying.
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More FAQs for applicants in general
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