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expert guidance Insider Tips Top Tips transfer acceptance rates Transfer Admissions transfer guidance

Transfer Acceptance Rates and Top Tips

You know you want to transfer, and why—now it’s helpful to see where you’ll have the best odds of being admitted. Transfer acceptance rates vary widely and sometimes unexpectedly. Knowing which colleges are more transfer-friendly can help you narrow down your list and target the right schools.

SAMPLE TRANSFER ACCEPTANCE RATES (2022-23)

(BU – Vanderbilt: transfer-friendly; MIT – Rice: less transfer-friendly)

SchoolFirst-Year Admit RateTransfer Admit Rate
Boston University14.4%29%
Columbia3.7%11.3%
Northwestern7.2%13%
Cornell7.3%13.9%
Dartmouth6.4%7.3%
UCLA*8.6%24.4%
USC12%23.5%
NYU12.5%20.5%
Notre Dame12.9%26.7%
University of Virginia**18.7%35%
Vanderbilt6.7%16.6%
MIT4%1.4%
Yale4.6%1.6%
Claremont McKenna College10.4%6.2%
Duke***5.9%4.8%
Williams College8.5%3%
Carnegie Mellon11.3%7.3%
Georgetown12.2%7.3%
Rice University8.7%5%
*92% of UCLA’s admitted transfer students were from California community colleges in 2023
**Percentage is lower for non-Virginia residents
***Figures from 2021-22

With your list solidified, it’s time to drill down on the ways you can stand out in the transfer process: Should you interview? Take loads of classes now in your intended major? Join a bunch of clubs at your current college? Let us make your job easier by sharing a transfer expert’s top tips for what counts—and what doesn’t—in your transfer applications.

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Transfer Analysis & Guidance

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TRANSFER EXPERT: TOP TIPS

Academics lead the conversation: Admissions officers typically begin their review of an application with a thorough review of the applicant’s transcripts. If you are in your first year of college, your high school transcript is your primary piece of evidence that you’ll be academically successful at your destination college. You’ll need to submit your first-semester college transcript and, typically, in-progress grades for your second semester. Test scores (SAT/ACT and APs or IBs) can help validate your academic record, so submit them if they are a positive addition to your application.

Professors’ voices are louder: Teacher recommendations were important last time you applied, but professors’ recommendations carry even more weight because they can speak directly to your abilities to succeed in college classes. Make strong efforts to get to know at least two of your professors and show them how deeply you’re engaged with the class material by speaking with them outside of classes. Many schools require one recommendation, but most allow several more—two letters will benefit you. Admissions officers may not read more than that, so focus on obtaining two strong letters. If you’re at a large research university where you have little interaction with your faculty, consider asking a TA or graduate student instructor if they are more familiar with your classroom contributions and your work in the class before you rely on high school teachers’ letters.

Fly your academic nerd flag: Since there is no personal essay for the Common Application for Transfer, each school crafts its own prompt. Many are similar to Boston University’s: “We want to learn more about you and your reasons for transferring, in particular what you hope to accomplish at Boston University.” Even if you are seeking a better social or cultural fit, admissions officers want to hear your academic case for admission. Frankly, they don’t care if you want to be near the beach or in the middle of a city – they want to admit scholars whom their faculty will be excited to teach. Spend time on your destination colleges’ websites, especially pages for departments you’re interested in. What classes are you excited to take? What professors do you want to work with? Are there distinctive aspects of the major that appeal to you? Check out this sample essay of a transfer applicant who worked with Top Tier and was admitted to Northwestern:

FREE WEBINAR: TRANSFER ADMISSIONS

As Associate Dean of Admissions, I managed the transfer admissions program at Pomona College for four years, supervising application evaluations and making strategic decisions to meet College goals. This experience, and my own firsthand evaluation of thousands of applications, has given me deep insights into why students seek to transfer and how they can best position themselves in this unique—and at times uniquely confusing—college application process.

Are you curious about the transfer process? Join me for a webinar, “Transfer Admissions: Understand the Process, Maximize the Application,” on January 24th at 8 pm Eastern for a deeper dive into identifying your best-fit transfer colleges and submitting successful transfer applications.

Follow us on Instagram @toptieradmissions for more tips and the latest admissions news!

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expert guidance Insider Tips Top Tips Transfer Admissions transfer guidance

Second Time’s the Charm: Understanding the Transfer Process

Whether it’s a lack of course offerings in your chosen major or a party scene that makes you want to hide in your room, your current college may not be “the one.” For community college students, transferring is often already built into the plan, but many other students will choose to transfer from one four-year college to another before graduation (about 15% of all college students are transfers). If transferring is on your mind, you should understand how the transfer application process differs from that for first years, research your options, and allow enough time to gather all the required documents. Keep your goal in mind: finding a better fit and a college experience that will help you meet your goals.

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Transfer Analysis & Guidance

Get your Personalized Transfer Report, one-on-one guidance and more, to set your application apart.

THE TRANSFER PROCESS

Academics: Similar to the first-year admissions process, your academic record is the most significant part of your transfer application. This means if you apply to transfer during your first year of college, your high school record (grades, scores) will still be your primary “proof” of your academic potential. At most, you will have first-semester college grades and one or two faculty recommendations, but admissions officers will scrutinize your high school record more closely than if you were to apply to transfer in your second year of college. If your grades declined at the end of your senior year of high school or you had a rough first semester of college, you may want to consider delaying your transfer applications until you can bring up your grades. Showing what you have done academically since high school is a priority, so focus on cultivating strong relationships with your instructors, asking about research opportunities, joining academic clubs, and submitting work to be published before you apply.

Timeline: You may not need to wait an entire year to apply to transfer. A number of schools offer both spring (often Oct.-Nov. deadlines) and fall (often Mar.-Apr. deadlines) admissions rounds.  Consider whether you would rather transfer in the fall, when the vast majority of new students—both first-year and transfer students—will be enrolling and going through orientation, or whether you are independent enough to enter a new school in the spring, when you will be one of a small number of new students and may have little by way of orientation programming.

SELECTED LIST OF SCHOOLS OFFERING BOTH FALL & SPRING TRANSFER ADMISSION

SchoolDeadline for Fall AdmissionDeadline for Spring Admission
Amherst CollegeMarch 1November 1
Boston UniversityMarch 15November 1
Carnegie Mellon UniversityFebruary 15October 15
Claremont McKenna CollegeMarch 15November 1
Colorado CollegeMarch 1October 15
George Washington UniversityApril 1October 1
MITMarch 15October 15
Middlebury CollegeMarch 1November 1
New York UniversityApril 1November 1
Rice UniversityMarch 15November 1
Tulane UniversityFebruary 1 (early, non-binding) April 15October 15
University of MichiganFebruary 1October 1
University of Notre DameMarch 15October 1
University of VirginiaMarch 1October 1

Diversity: As a transfer applicant, you will likely be part of a more diverse pool of students than you were as a first year. Many schools, especially more selective institutions, look to advance their diversity goals through transfer, actively recruiting students who bring a wider range of life experiences to their classrooms and campus communities. Ivy League schools in particular explicitly seek to admit transfers from nontraditional backgrounds. Princeton, for example, “particularly encourage[s] applications from students from lower-income backgrounds, community college students, and U.S. military veterans.” If you are seeking to make a lateral transfer, recognize that published transfer acceptance rates often include non-traditional students, as well as recruited athletes.

Competition: Outside of large public universities like the UCs (which offer guaranteed admission to qualified community college students), colleges typically admit a very small number of transfer students. Harvard, for example, admitted just 15 transfer students in 2022, or .8% of those who applied! Other highly selective schools like Columbia, University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt have more encouraging rates (between 11-17%). Transfer can be more or less competitive than first-year admissions. To see for yourself the transfer acceptance rates at your target colleges, search on their websites for “Common Data Set,” which provides federally mandated statistics on admissions, and go to section D to find how many transfers applied, were admitted and enrolled.

college transfer student

Transfer Essay Guidance

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GATHER YOUR DOCUMENTS

Requesting and submitting all the required documents to accompany your applications takes time, so don’t wait until the week before the deadline to start the process! Transfer application requirements may include:

  • The Common Application for Transfer—sadly, you will need to start over and create a new account. Some schools (like Georgetown or MIT) use their own application, but most will require the Common App.
  • Official copies of your high school and college transcripts must be mailed, emailed, or uploaded by your high school and current college registrars to the admissions offices at your destination colleges. The Common App for Transfer has a handy Transcript Request Form you can use. Some colleges will also ask for course descriptions to assess your potential credit transfer. You can usually pull these from your college’s website.
  • The Common Application College Report verifies that you are in academic good standing at your current school and must be submitted by a college official (like your registrar or dean).
  • The Common Application Mid-Term Report asks for your in-progress grades for courses you are taking when you apply. You can often fill this in yourself.
  • Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT and AP scores) may be required or optional. If your scores are not competitive, and you have enough time to retake the SAT or ACT, strong scores will often benefit you in the admissions process.
  • Most colleges require one academic letter of recommendation but may allow you to submit up to four (this will show on the Common App). If you can provide multiple strong letters from your professors, do so! These are key indicators of your academic potential. Personal and professional letters are typically less valuable, but, if you feel they add to your application and are allowed, feel free to submit them. You will provide email addresses on the Common App for your recommenders—be sure to speak to them first!
  • There is no required essay for the transfer application, but schools often ask you to answer a prompt about why you are seeking to transfer to their institution. Avoid generalities (more convenient location, better reputation, friendlier campus) and cite specific programs, courses, professors, or research/internship programs. Keep the focus on academic reasons, but you can mention specific clubs, organizations, or community resources you would engage with if you have space.

TRANSFER PROCESS: UP NEXT

While applying to college a second time may not be easier, you should know more about yourself and your priorities this time around. Make sure this depth of understanding comes through in your essays and any meetings you might have with admissions officers or interviewers. Stay tuned for our second post in this series, “Transfer Acceptance Rates and Top Tips” to see where transfers have the best odds of admission and to learn more from a transfer admissions expert on how to craft applications and essays that will help you stand out in competitive transfer pools.

Follow us on Instagram @toptieradmissions for more tips and the latest admissions news!

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Insider Tips Top Tips Transfer Admissions

Start Your Transfer Journey: Resources and Deadlines

As college students return to campus for a new semester, some are considering what it would take to transfer to a new school. In fact, as we’ve noted before, almost one-third of students will transfer at some point during their college career. Maybe you want to be closer to home? Maybe your current school doesn’t offer the major you want to pursue? Maybe you want to take another shot at your dream school? Or maybe the campus culture isn’t what you hoped. Whatever the reason, now is the time to get organized, make a plan, and prepare your transfer applications so you have options come spring.

TRANSFER ADMISSIONS

Over the years, our blog posts have included top transfer tips and admissions data—check out the resources below as you begin your transfer journey and note upcoming transfer deadlines:

How to Transfer

Anita Doar shares her tips for tackling the transfer process mindfully so you can make the most of your opportunity.

Unsurprisingly, the more selective the school, the tougher it is to transfer in. Ivy League schools in particular seek to admit transfers from nontraditional backgrounds: Princeton, for example, only started admitting transfer students in 2017 and “particularly encourage[s] applications from students from low-income backgrounds, community college students, and U.S. military veterans.” Yale echoes this statement nearly verbatim. In 2021, Brown admitted 118 out of 2,746 transfer applicants (4.3% acceptance rate), and Stanford admitted 55 out of 3,265 (1.7% acceptance rate).  A small liberal arts college like Colby “reserves a handful of spaces” for incoming transfer students each cycle. 

Transfer Tips: Make the Most of Freshman Year

Dr. Elizabeth Doe Stone shares 5 tips to ensure you’re making the most of freshman year to be a competitive transfer applicant.

Double check each college’s transfer webpage for an exact list of application requirements, but you can anticipate needing to submit the following items:

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Official high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores
  • Two instructor evaluations from faculty who have taught you at your current college
  • The College Report
    • Once you fill out your section of this report, you need to give the form to a dean, advisor, or other college official and ask them to complete the academic portion of the form.
  • The Midterm Report
    • After you complete all the relevant questions, you will need to give this form to instructors whose courses you are enrolled in at the time you file your application and ask them to provide a general indication of your performance, including your current grade and (if they wish) additional comments.

Time to Transfer?

The Top Tier Admissions team walks you through how to understand your transfer “why” and practical next steps.

If you’re ready to make a change, then here are some key considerations:

  • Research: Do some legwork to look for schools that offer the programs, community, or change you seek. Dig into their admissions websites to see if they take transfer students and what’s required of transfer applicants. Make a note of deadlines and application pathways. Many schools will use the Common Application’s transfer application; others will have their own application portals.
  • Timing: Students seeking to transfer can apply for entry as sophomores or juniors. Entering as a sophomore gives you plenty of time to settle into a new environment; coming in as a junior typically means you are ready to hit the ground running in your major field of study. Particularly at schools that take small numbers of transfer students, you won’t find quite the same academic advising and orientation resources that are typically available to incoming first-year students.
  • Academic criteria: Typically, the transfer application process looks at both your college and high school academic records. If you’re struggling in college and your grades reflect it, it will be tough to be a viable applicant in transfer pools that are selective. Standardized testing typically isn’t as big a factor in the transfer application process, although schools may ask to see those SAT or ACT scores you took in high school. If you didn’t take the exams in high school, you won’t be asked to do them now.
  • Recommenders: You will be asked to submit at least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member, so you need to reach out to one of your professors to talk about your plans. This could be a little awkward – especially since faculty don’t like to lose great students – but be thoughtful about your reasons for seeking to transfer and share them with the professor. In addition, your academic dean (or someone in the Dean of Students’ office) will be asked to affirm that you are a student in good standing.
college transfer student

Transfer Essay Guidance

Get our expert guidance on your transfer essays.

  • Essays: Depending on the college or university, you will be asked to submit an essay or two as part of your transfer application. A typical question that you will be asked will be to explain your reasons for seeking to transfer and how a new school will help you to realize your goals and aspirations. Often times, you’ll also be asked to talk about the ways you have contributed to your current college community and what you will bring to your new school.
  • Activities: The more selective the school’s transfer admissions process, the more likely they will also look to see how you’ve gotten involved in campus life or beyond campus in your areas of interest. A clear sense of engagement in some aspect of campus life will strengthen your application.

UPCOMING TRANSFER DEADLINES

American UniversityMay 1
Amherst CollegeMarch 1
Auburn UniversityJuly 1
Babson CollegeMarch 15
Barnard CollegeMarch 1
Bates CollegeMarch 1
Boston CollegeMarch 15
Boston UniversityMarch 15
Bowdoin CollegeMarch 1
Brown UniversityMarch 1
Carnegie Mellon UniversityFebruary 15
Claremont McKenna CollegeMarch 15
Colby College April 1
Columbia UniversityMarch 1
Cornell UniversityMarch 15
Dartmouth CollegeMarch 1
Dickinson CollegeApril 1
Duke UniversityMarch 15
Elon UniversityJuly 1
Emory UniversityMarch 15
Fordham UniversityJune 1
George Washington UniversityApril 15
Georgetown UniversityMarch 1
Hamilton CollegeApril 1
Harvard UniversityMarch 1
Johns Hopkins UniversityMarch 1
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMarch 15
Middlebury CollegeMarch 1
New York UniversityApril 1
Northwestern UniversityMarch 15
Pomona CollegeFebruary 15
Princeton UniversityMarch 1
Stanford UniversityMarch 15
Syracuse UniversityJuly 1
The University of Texas at AustinMarch 1
Tufts UniversityMarch 15
University of ChicagoMarch 1
University of MichiganFebruary 1
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillFebruary 15
University of VirginiaMarch 1
Vanderbilt UniversityMarch 15
Yale UniversityMarch 1
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Admissions college admissions Insider Tips Top Tips Transfer Admissions

How to Transfer

As spring transfer deadlines approach, plenty of college students are considering making a move. Whether they’re feeling dissatisfied with their classes, switching majors, seeking a more COVID-conscious campus, or unhappy with the Greek scene, about 14% of students seek greener pastures each spring. Here are some tips for tackling the transfer process mindfully so you can make the most of your opportunity.

KNOW THE NUMBERS

Unsurprisingly, the more selective the school, the tougher it is to transfer in. Ivy League schools in particular seek to admit transfers from nontraditional backgrounds: Princeton, for example, only started admitting transfer students in 2017 and “particularly encourage[s] applications from students from low-income backgrounds, community college students, and U.S. military veterans.” Yale echoes this statement nearly verbatim. In 2021, Brown admitted 118 out of 2,746 transfer applicants (4.3% acceptance rate), and Stanford admitted 55 out of 3,265 (1.7% acceptance rate).  A small liberal arts college like Colby “reserves a handful of spaces” for incoming transfer students each cycle. 

To maximize your chances of transferring to a new school, create a balanced list including larger schools with higher transfer admit rates. Northeastern admitted 20% of transfer applicants in 2021, while the University of Michigan admitted 41.5%; but, bear in mind that transfer acceptance rates at public universities like the University of Michigan and the University of Washington are inflated by the high number of applicants taken from in-state community colleges.

CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR MAJOR IS TRANSFER-FRIENDLY  

When evaluating transfer applicants, admissions officers want to know if a student will succeed academically and make a unique contribution to the school. Not only are certain majors like biology and computer science oversaturated at most schools, but these majors also require a linear progression of coursework. Selective schools aren’t eager to gain more bio or comp sci majors, and it becomes increasingly difficult to satisfy departmental requirements the later a student applies for transfer admission in their college career. For example, if you hope to transfer as a junior, you’ll need to have fulfilled all prerequisites for that major at your new school. Credits in introductory business courses won’t transfer for a student who decides they want to study music elsewhere.

The most transfer-friendly majors? Humanities subjects, where students study a breadth of courses as opposed to a linear progression: English, art history, philosophy, religion, etc.

BEAR IN MIND: IT’S NOT A CLEAN SLATE

If you still blame your AP Chem teacher for sabotaging your shot at your dream school, you should know that grade won’t disappear when you apply as a transfer applicant. Though admissions officers will place more emphasis on your college grades, they’ll look at your high school transcript, too. For extracurriculars, they’ll put more weight on what you’ve done in college. So, you won’t get much credit for being your high school student body president if you’ve been spending your extracurricular hours on Fortnite in college; but, if you started a multifaith council at your college while advocating to make your campus more accessible for people with disabilities, your transfer school might be a bit more forgiving of a “C” you got freshman year of high school.

college transfer student

Transfer Essay Guidance

Get our expert guidance on your transfer essays.

BE POSITIVE IN YOUR ESSAYS

Save the weepy confessionals for your new roommate once you’ve successfully transferred. No admissions officer wants to read an essay about how unhappy and lonely you are. Remember: you want them to think to themselves, “This is the kind of student we need on our campus!” With that in mind, write your essays from a position of strength. Maybe you’ve outgrown your department, or your specialization has evolved, and now you’re looking for a specific set of courses that only this new school can offer.  Perhaps you’ve thrown yourself headlong into the amazing cognitive science lab at your school and now all you can think about is the chance to study epistemology with a certain philosophy professor at this other school. 

Guidelines on the admissions blog of Cornell, one of the more transfer-friendly Ivies, spell out this idea: “Essays should convey an applicant’s unique story—how did they chose their current institution, how have they benefitted from the opportunities offered there, why do they wish to leave, and why do they want to pursue their academic goals here in the College of Arts & Sciences and at Cornell more broadly?”

Put a positive spin on your experiences and focus on your scholarly interests. Leverage your essays as opportunities to show how you’ll jump right in and make meaningful contributions to your new community.

TAKE TIME TO REVIEW THE TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH SCHOOL

Almost every school has a page on their website devoted to transfer applicants, indicating information like how many credits and what supporting documents you’ll need as well as standardized testing policies, and the timeline for admissions. The Common App for Transfer Students introduced a few years ago has made the process easier.

You’ll need a recommendation from a college professor—not a high school teacher—which can be difficult for students who haven’t had a great experience at their college so far. It’s not too late to make a meaningful connection with a professor by going to their office hours.  A few trips to ask a question or continue a discussion from class can go a long way toward securing a strong recommendation. Ideally, you’ll have enough time to start these interactions early so it won’t come across as a last-ditch effort before you make your big ask.

APPLY TO NEW SCHOOLS  

Hoping you’ll get a different answer if you ask again? Not likely. Colleges will retrieve the application you submitted senior year of high school and will be looking closely at your new one for evidence of significant growth. Having been denied once, you’ll face a bit of an uphill battle trying to convince them of the “new you.”  Do some soul searching to figure out where you’d thrive. Visit friends at other schools. Set your sights on new horizons.  This is your second shot; let us help you make the most of it!

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COVID-19 Transfer Admissions

College Transfer in the COVID Era

The COVID-19 virus has completely disrupted the world of college admissions, with policy changes in standardized testing, dramatic shifts in opportunities during the school year and summer, and fluctuating statistics in college admissions.

The college experience has also been quite transformed through what experts are wryly calling “forced innovations,” although students and professors look forward to in-person learning in the not-too-distant future. Yet there is one aspect of college admissions that may not return to the status quo once things go back to normal: transfer admissions.

COLLEGE TRANSFER ADMISSIONS

This fall, 25 organizations in higher education published a call to action advocating for an overhaul of the transfer application process. Citing issues of unequal access, these organizations want to use the turbulence and uncertainty in higher education caused by the pandemic to completely rethink how colleges handle transfer admissions. The main thrust of their call urges for an improvement in credit retention: transfer students are often hindered by incoming schools not accepting course credits. This is good news for later-stage transfer students, who often find themselves in summer classes or taking an extra semester to complete a new set of divisional requirements. The call to action also predicts that transfer applications will be affected by the economic recession, with college closures, mergers, and realignments leading to greater mobility in students moving between institutions – an indication that the transfer numbers may change again.

At first glance, transfer admissions in the COVID era indicate good news for the student planning to transfer. According to a recent National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report, fall transfer student enrollment fell 8.1% last year, and student mobility across transfer pathways decreased across the board: transfer from 4-year college to 2-year college dropped 19.4%, lateral transfers (4-year to 4-year) fell 6.7%, and upward transfers (2-year to 4-year) dropped .7%. Odds are that if you transferred this fall, you found yourself in a statistically attractive situation.

GOLDEN AGE IN TRANSFER ADMISSIONS?

Entrepreneurial students will see these numbers as illustrative of a rare golden age in transfer admissions, but this is not exactly the case, particularly for students interested in ‘leveling up’ in the transfer round. While acceptance percentages will rise at small, cash-strapped schools and public universities experiencing low class retention, they are less likely to budge at elite institutions, where attrition rates will be minimal. It’s also worth noting that last fall’s numbers may swing in a wildly different direction this next spring transfer season.

Additionally, because the circumstances are so unstable, it’s not unlikely that acceptance percentages will shrink at desirable schools due to the increased student mobility that the Clearinghouse Center reports. Made to take virtual classes and unable to invest in campus life, more students may cast a wandering eye towards their dream schools, and decide it’s not that hard to uproot an already-disrupted education. According to the Washington Post, an online source that allows students to check to see if their credits are transferrable has seen a 15% increase in searches. Additionally, other online transcript-sharing services have reported increased traffic. We have definitely seen discontent in students who are frustrated that their freshman year of college doesn’t look the way they hoped it would, with limited access to professors and school resources. Yes, this is in large part a result of COVID 19, but for the student with only 3 years remaining, they are considering transferring. We have also had students whose sports were discontinued and their identity as college athletes crushed. They too are in search of a home for their athletic talents. 

WHAT IF?

So, as transfer deadlines fast approach this February and March, you, like plenty of students, may be considering the transfer option, and deciding whether or not it’s worth the age-old question: what if?

We are here to help and have a few remaining spots in our transfer programs. It’s vital that you stand out as there are obviously fewer seats than when you applied as a freshman. Get on it!

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