How To Transfer To Stanford University From Community College (Guide)

by Chad Agrawal

Transfer to Stanford From Community CollegeTransferring to Stanford University is an incredibly competitive endeavor, but quite achievable.  Stanford is one of the most competitive schools in the United States with a transfer acceptance rate ranging from 1% to 4% in previous years. So if you're interested in being a Stanford transfer student, you're going to have to go above and beyond the basic transfer requirements. While some of you may do this on your own after reading this post, others may benefit even further with a step-by-step action plan like this transfer guide.

The first necessary step is to fully understand what your motive is in transferring to Stanford from community college or another university. If the main reason you want to go to a certain university is for the bragging rights associated with it, perhaps you're in it for the wrong reason and Stanford is not the university for you. But, if you're interested in the access you can receive to students who are also academically motivated, high quality professors, and top career opportunities in your field, then you're more likely to be Stanford material and get accepted. So, whatever your reasons are, figure it out now and hold on to it for motivation. It's going to come in handy.

After reading this post, you'll know how to transfer to Stanford from community college or any university you choose. Starting with the school background, application requirements, credits and eligibility, we'll layout the basics for you. Next, we'll explore what makes transfer admissions tick and what requirements you should be focusing on the most, especially if you're transferring from community college. By understanding everything to transfer to Stanford and remembering your reasons for transferring, you'll have a much better chance of being accepted.

Does Stanford Accept Transfer Students Like You?

Does Stanford Accept Transfer StudentsIn case you're wondering, "can you transfer to Stanford from a community college?" The answer is absolutely. However, if you actually will is a whole other question which we'll address below. Whether you're at community college or a 4-year-college or university, you're eligible to transfer to Stanford as long as you will have completed at least one year of transferable course credits. These credits must have been taken at the collegiate level so that you would be considered above freshman standing. This typically means that you have 30-32 credits under your belt.

For community college transfers to Stanford, I would strongly recommend transferring after two years and not just one.  It may seem like the faster you complete all your community college credits, the more focused you will appear to Stanford. While there is value in working quickly, there is as much or more value in consistently earning high grades over a longer period of time. The more time you spend earning your credits, the more weight your academic record will carry. The extra year will allow you to earn more credits to transfer and complete many of the requirements to the best of your ability. Plus, you'll also have the opportunity to save more tuition money and walk away with an associates degree.

For international students, you'll have to double check that your credits are transferrable and that you're eligible to transfer as a sophomore or junior. I recommend that you contact Stanford transfer admissions if that's the case. And definitely do not give up your place in Berlin apartments to rent or put it in classifieds or anything like that until make sure that your credits will definitely be accepted from your home country university!

Main Stanford University Transfer Requirements

Stanford Transfer RequirementsIn addition to having the minimum number of college course credits completed, Stanford transfer admissions requires submission of your GPA, transcripts, essays and letters of recommendation to complete your application. The deadline for your transfer application is March 15th. The more time you leave yourself to prepare, the better off you are, so lets get right into it!

  1. Stanford Transfer GPA. With an extremely low transfer acceptance rate, you should be aiming to apply with a 4.0 GPA. Keep in mind that students are applying to transfer from community college as well as other top universities. Achieving a 4.0 GPA or near perfect GPA should be your first priority.
  2. Standardized Test Scores. If you didn't do well on your SATs in high school, transferring to Stanford gives you time to retake your SATs (or ACT Plus Writing) while you're in college. Again, since transfer admissions are more selective than freshman admissions, you'll want to make sure that your scores are as high as possible. SAT scores under 2100 out of 2400 would be considered less competitive.
  3. Official Transcripts. You'll need official transcripts from your community college (or transfer college) as well as official transcripts from your high school. These will allow for verification of your reported GPA and a sneak peak of the classes you've taken.
  4. Transfer Essays. Stanford University transfer admissions uses the common app so you can submit your essay there. There is a special supplement for Stanford. Take your time to answer everything carefully and proof read your words several times.

These requirements are just an overview of what needs to be done. We have yet to cover insights into the minds of Stanford Admissions and how to fulfill all these requirements successfully. Lets keep going...

Inside The Minds of Stanford Transfer Admissions

Stanford Transfer Admissions IdeasStanford University does not hide the fact that they care about academic excellence. In fact, it's in big bold letters on their admissions website, along with a strong intellectual propensity and personal experience. Now you can take a second to re-evaluate: are you a good fit for Stanford University? Even if you're not a perfect fit right now, you can be in the future.

  • Transferring to Stanford will give you a second chance to become "academically excellent."  Recalling your motivating reasons to transfer, (that you thought of at the beginning of this post), use your time in college wisely to become a top student. We'll talk more about this below. 

With over 27 faculty members that have won the Nobel Prize, the transfer admissions committee want to be sure that you're going to take advantage of the spot being offered to you. You might agree that the students who receive a 4.0 GPA and have great relationships with their professors are most likely to do so. I know I certainly do.

How To Transfer To Stanford University

How to transfer to stanford from community collegeTransferring to Stanford from community college, or another college, is an amazing opportunity (in addition to living in California). Thus far, we've covered the main requirements to transfer to Stanford University and a major ingredient admissions is looking for. Now, we'll learn how to make it a reality, despite the competitive landscape.

Step 1: Show That You're Valedictorian Material. Let the transfer admissions committee know that you take your academics seriously by becoming the top student at community college or wherever else. What separates top students from average students is not I.Q. points; it's consistent focus and attention to details. Take everything one step at a time, and you'll find yourself very accomplished. It'll be an achievable aim and highly rewarding experience, if I do say so myself. After all, you'll be joining other valedictorians from around the country.

Step 2: Acquire The Necessary Testing Scores. If you have to retake your SATs, it may not sound fun, but it's important. If I could raise my SAT scores by 300 points in as little as three weeks, I'm sure you can do even better. In the end, it'll be worth it.

Step 3: Create An Application That Works. Give yourself enough time to create an effective transfer application for the Stanford transfer admissions committee. Too many students struggle with their transfer essays because they don't start early enough, so give yourself time or find support. Your essays will be read with great care so make sure they are written equally carefully.

These three steps are how to transfer to Stanford from a community college or other universities. If you would like a detailed action plan to accomplish these steps, check out this community college transfer guide. It contains proven steps other students have taken to transfer into other top universities.

Best of luck! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below 🙂

Photo credit in order of placement: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4photo 5

This post was written by Chad Agrawal

Chad Agrawal is the founder of CCTS, helping students transfer from community college to Ivy League, tier 1 or anywhere else by following this community college guide.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

John January 31, 2013 at 6:32 am

I’m sure that transferring to Stanford from community college, or another college is very opportunity in our days.

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Tobias February 13, 2013 at 8:53 pm

I personally Believe that this blog post, “What Stanford Transfer Requirements Appeal To Admissions Irresistibly” was in fact perfect!
I personally can’t agree together with you even more! At last seems like I really located a site well worth reading through. Thank you, Tobias

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Charles July 22, 2013 at 10:43 am

I strongly agree. Without worry about your grades, aiming a 4.0 GPA helps students to motivate themselves to excel in academics. If you want to go to that college so bad, really think about that?

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celina harris April 24, 2015 at 10:09 pm

I would love to go to Stanford

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