Q: What are the application and notification deadlines for transfers?
Our application deadlines are April 1 for September admission/fall semester and November 1 for January admission/spring semester. You will be notified in mid-May for admission in September and by mid-December for admission in January.
Q: What is your acceptance rate for transfer applications? How many do you typically enroll?
It varies from year to year, but the acceptance rate is generally around 20-30 percent. We typically enroll 10-20 transfers each January and 20-30 each September.
Q: How are applications evaluated? How are decisions made?
Admission to Connecticut College is competitive and highly selective. The Admission Committee seeks to identify students who have the ability to succeed academically and personally in our residential liberal arts setting. In reaching admission decisions, all credentials are fully reviewed and carefully assessed, including a student's intellectual strength, academic promise and personal qualities. The Admission Committee views all applications holistically, and while a student's academic record is of great importance, we also consider who a student is beyond the classroom setting. In making final admission decisions, the Admission Committee envisions the future potential of individuals who are ready to become leaders and scholars on our campus so that we can bring together a class of students who offer a wide range of unique experiences and knowledge.
Q: What application materials must I submit?
The following is a checklist to help you complete your application:
- Common Application for Transfer Admission
- College Report
- Official transcript(s) of all college work to date
- Official final high school transcript (or proof of graduation such as a GED)
- College Instructor Evaluation (1 required, 2 recommended)
- Mid-term grade report if currently enrolled
- Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, PTE).
- Financial aid application (if applicable; see the Financial Aid website for further details)
Q: How do I know if my application is complete? Can you check on my application?
Transfer applicants are able to check the status of their application submission by logging in to their Common Application online account. From there, students will be able to see if their Common Application and Writing Supplement were successfully submitted.
Students will also receive an email from the College confirming receipt of their application as well as login credentials for the online tracking system where applicants are expected to proactively check for missing materials. Please check your spam and junk mail folders for emails from our office. If you locate emails from our office in those folders, you need to add @conncoll.edu to your address book and safe/approved senders list.
Q: Is an interview required? If I do not have one will it hurt my chances of being admitted?
Interviews are not required. If you do wish to interview with Connecticut College, the interview must take place before the application deadline (November 1 for January admission or April 1 for September admission). If you are unable to visit campus or schedule an interview, it will NOT hurt your chance for admission. Many of our transfer applicants are unable to interview due to their continued commitment to their studies at their current institution.
Q: Is standardized testing required?
Standardized testing is not utilized in the transfer application process.
Q: What is the mid-term report and what do I need to do with it?
If you are currently enrolled at a college or university, you must submit mid-term grades using the mid-term report. Please print out the form and ask your professors to estimate your current grade and sign the form. For January applicants: to ensure that professors have as much graded work as possible to review when determining an estimated grade, it is best to complete and submit the midterm report close to November 1. For September applicants, please aim to complete the form and submit it close to April 1. If no graded work has been collected (which is often the case for colleges on quarter or trimester systems), please have the professor write "no graded work to date" and sign the form.
Q: Can you process my application without the mid-term grade report?
All applicants (unless you are currently not enrolled in classes) must submit the mid-term report, as it is vital that we have a sense of progress in current coursework, and whether those grades will transfer in to Connecticut College. Transferring is a fairly common occurrence and faculty are used to it, and are generally happy that you've identified a better academic match. Your chances of admission will be hindered if you do not submit the mid-term report.
Q: What is the College Report and why do I need to submit it?
The College Report confirms that you are in good standing at your current institution and are eligible to return, if you so choose (i.e., you are not on probation, do not owe money to accounting, have no holds on your student record, etc.). This form is a prerequisite for admission and must be signed by a dean, registrar or official from your Office of the Registrar. It is OK if this person does not know you personally.
Q: Can I have a teaching assistant send a faculty reference?
Yes. Sometimes at larger universities your TA may know your academic potential better than your professor, so we welcome recommendation letters from TAs or lab instructors.
Q: Can I send you a professional recommendation?
Yes, but not in lieu of the faculty reference.
Q: I’ve been out of high school for a while. Do I still need to send an official high school transcript?
Yes. We need proof of high school graduation in the form of a transcript or GED. If you have a GED and also attended classes at a high school or schools, send official transcripts from the relevant school(s). Although we place more emphasis on your course of study in college, we also consider high school performance for all transfer applicants.
Q: I’m a first-semester student and you won’t have my college grades in time to make a decision. How will this affect my application?
All applicants who are currently enrolled in college are required to send mid-term grade reports. We look very seriously at the high school record for all students with less than a year of college work, and at the mid-term report for all applicants.
Q: If I'm a transfer student. May I study abroad?
If you transfer into the College as a sophomore, you are eligible to study abroad. Your options are fewer as a junior, but you can still apply to participate in a Study Away Teach Away (SATA) program taught by Connecticut College professors.
All transfer students, regardless of class year, are eligible for the funded internship program and many students use those funds to support internships abroad, and The Walter Commons at Connecticut College provides many other international and cultural opportunities that prospective transfer students should consider.