Software Engineering
February 20, 2024

Should You Include High School Activities in Your Transfer Application?

Published on
February 20, 2024
Commonapp
All
TL;DR: Ideally the focus should be on recent experiences. Your high school activities should not be the primary part of your application. However, you may include the same if is relevant to your current academic pursuits AND if you have limited college involvement

The decision to include high school activities in your transfer application depends on several factors:


Focus on Recent Experiences: While the pandemic limited participation in college activities, universities like the University of Michigan considered high school activities in exceptional cases. However, even then, they explicitly stated that relying primarily on high school activities was "okay" only in limited circumstances.

Don't Rely Primarily on High School Activities:  Your essay's substance should not predominantly stem from experiences in high school. In other words, the bulk of your evidence demonstrating progress towards your academic goals should not be limited to high school experiences

When it comes to including high school activities in your transfer application, think about these simple tips:

  • Focus on now: Highlight activities that connect to your current studies or show you haven't been slacking while in college (especially if you don't have much college involvement yet).
  • Make it memorable: Did you lead a club, win a big award, or volunteer in a unique way? Share those! Skip the generic stuff everyone did.
  • Junior/Senior years rock: Activities from later years show you're still passionate and involved.
  • Less is more: Space is tight! Choose activities that had a real impact on you or made you stand out.
  • Follow the rules: Some programs might want high school info, so pay attention to their specific instructions.
For your transfer essay: We highly recommend checking out the guidelines on the AI transfer essay writer tool

All the best for your application