Testimonial Tuesday: Accepted to Georgia Tech as a Transfer
/When Stephen applied years ago, the Georgia Tech transfer essay consisted of two short essay prompts with a maximum of 300 words. Most students are inclined to be straightforward with such a small space, but it's all the more vital to have a creative opener even with a short essay in order to stand out.
Prompt 1: Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech? (300 words)
For the first short essay, we decided to start with an opening anecdote about tinkering from a young age to set the groundwork for his passion in engineering. We also focused on a clear career goal to show why this transfer request is serious rather than just a hope for better connections. We stayed away from superficial details like rankings or reputation. Instead, you want to show the transfer college that you've done your research and can name-drop specific departments, professors, or internships that your current college can't provide (but without sounding negative about your current school—no easy task). We also made sure to be super specific about why and how Georgia Tech would be able to deliver on this new academic goal. Instead of mentioning general resources, I asked him to name specific programs he researched like GTRI and VIP. Luckily, my advice followed the guidelines Georgia Tech itself recommends for its transfer essay.
We also spent time on journaling answers to critical questions that anyone writing a transfer essay needs to address:
—Why didn’t you pursue this major in your first degree? What do you want to do with this skill and why?
—What made you pursue it NOW?
—Why is your current school insufficient for your goals?
—Can you provide examples of professors you'd love to learn from? What classes would you love to take with them?
—Which employer excited you specifically and why? What would your VIP project be?
After he updated me on his results, he wrote:
”I’m very pleased with how things turned out. Your writing expertise was extremely helpful in getting everything dialed in and focusing on my experiences that were relevant to being an interesting/compelling applicant. I can’t thank you enough.” —Stephen, accepted to Georgia Tech as a transfer
Want to work with me on transforming your transfer essay? Claim your spot for an upcoming live virtual editing workshop below:
Monday, February 16th, 2025 | 5pm EST
Every transfer essay needs multiple rounds of edits before it’s ready for submission. You’ll learn the techniques of self-editing including common mistakes to avoid and what to consider when cutting for word count. Plus, students can submit their drafts for an anonymous live edit on-screen. The 1-hour live workshop class includes:
60-minute interactive class workshopping student-submitted essay drafts
Live edit of transfer essay on-screen followed by group discussion
Individualized suggestions for improvement
Line-by-line edits and big-picture strategy ideas
Limited to 10 students for personalized support