Transferring to the Ivy League from Community College
/Do Ivy League schools accept community college students? Learn the answer, plus everything you need to know in order to transfer to the Ivy League
How hard is it to transfer to the Ivy League from community college?
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Part 1: Introduction
If you started your higher education path at community college, like around 30 percent of all U.S. undergraduates, you might be thinking about how to transition from a two-year college to the next stage of your education and professional life.
According to a report from the Community College Research Center, 80 percent of all those community college students hope to eventually transfer to four-year schools. That goal doesn’t pan out for everyone: According to that same CCRC report, in recent years, less than 15 percent of community college students have gone on to receive their bachelor’s degree within six years; that includes, according to research from the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, thousands of students with GPAs over 3.7/4.0.
But if it’s your goal to transfer from community college to a prestigious four-year university, or even to transfer from community college to the Ivy League, don’t let those numbers deter you. In this post, we’ll cover strategies for making that jump from a two-year college to schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy League colleges.
Do Ivy League schools take community college transfers?
The short answer: Yes. It’s entirely possible to get into Ivy League schools as a transfer student from community college.
In the past two years, 228 community college students have successfully transferred to Cornell University (2019 and 2020 stats). Cornell accepts the largest number of community college transfers of any university in the Ivy League and is also the only school that publishes data about how many transfers are coming from community college available.
However, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University both also accept significant number of transfers, including from community colleges.
And while Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth accept far fewer transfers overall—given the relatively small number of spots they have open for transfer students—prepared community college students are some of those accepted to these elite universities each year.
In fact, Princeton, which had not accepted any transfers for many years, relaunched their transfer program in 2018, with a specific emphasis on accepting community college students. Their first transfer class of 13 students included students who had attended community colleges including Miami Dade College in Florida, Fresno City College in California, and Tompkins Cortland Community College in New York.
Princeton’s relaunch is indicative of a shift among top private colleges. They are starting to recognize the unique contributions you, as a former community college student, can make within the classroom and broader campus community.
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Part 2: Advantages of applying to the Ivy League with a community college background
Let’s talk about why it’s important to top-tier schools to open their doors to community college transfers.
You bring something new to an Ivy League class
Selective schools value having a diverse cohort of students on their campus, and therefore welcome the background and experiences community college students contribute to their undergraduate community.
Your community college background isn’t something to hide or apologize for within your transfer application, but something to emphasize.
And if work or family commitments are why you attended community college, this can also be an advantage in your application. An admissions officer from Amherst College (not an Ivy League, but a liberal arts college with similar admissions standards) recommends that students applying to transfer from community college detail their work and family commitments within their applications. Laying out your broader responsibilities will provide admissions officers with context for your educational history and demonstrate the experiences, both in and out of the classroom, that have prepared you for the rigors of an Ivy League education.
If you’ve succeeded in community college, you’re likely to succeed at an Ivy League
If you’re applying to transfer from community college to an Ivy League university, you might be concerned about competing against transfer applicants from other selective four-year colleges. But as a community college student, you may have a more convincing track record than students looking to transfer from other four-year colleges into the Ivy League.
A 2019 study from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found that students who transferred from community college to selective colleges like the Ivy Leagues graduated at higher rates than those transferring from other four-year institutions (and at equal or higher rates than non-transfer students). It’s not just a few extraordinary community colleges sending students to selective universities—84 percent of community colleges sent at least one exceptional student to a four-year college in Fall 2016. That means that if you work to be among the best at your two-year institution, regardless of where you’re studying, you stand a chance at getting into and thriving at an Ivy League.
(Suggested reading: Is Attending an Ivy League Worth It? The Real Benefits of an Ivy League Education)
You have a “defined academic need”
One huge advantage of applying to transfer from community college to an Ivy League university, instead of applying from another four-year institution, is that because you’re coming from a school that doesn’t offer a four-year-degree or upper level coursework in your chosen field, you automatically have a “clearly defined academic need to transfer.”
This “clearly defined academic need to transfer” is the first item on Harvard’s list of what they look for in transfer candidates. This means that instead of giving a transfer spot to a student from a similarly elite institution, they’d prefer to accept a community college student who can’t complete their bachelor’s degree without transferring. You’ll be at even more of an advantage if you can show admissions officers that their university is uniquely strong in your academic field.
And especially because you’re transferring from a two-year and not a four-year college, there’s no need to disparage your college within your application. You’re not transferring because you couldn’t find your place or succeed at your college. You’re transferring because of compelling academic reasons that admissions officers will understand.
You’re considered within a smaller pool
It’s also worth noting that the transfer application deadline for each of these schools falls later in the calendar than their regular application deadline.
The later deadline means you’ll be evaluated primarily within the context of the transfer admissions pool, instead of the entire application pool. The transfer pool is significantly smaller, which gives you a better chance to stand out to admissions officers.
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Part 3: Applying to each Ivy League as a transfer student
For every one of these schools, you’ll ideally apply with a high GPA, solid ACT or SAT scores, enthusiastic letters of recommendation, and a standout extracurricular or employment background. You’ll also want to use your Common App essay and supplemental essays to show how the university you’re applying to aligns with your academic path.
Head over to our ultimate guide to transferring colleges to find a full-length example essay from a transfer student, as well as valuable admissions strategies to help you successfully transfer. We also provide guidance on writing amazing Ivy League essays.
Now we’ll look at the specific transfer admissions policies of each Ivy League university, moving alphabetically.
(Suggested reading: Ivy League Acceptance Rates: What You're Up Against)
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Brown
Somewhere between 100 and 200 transfer students enroll at Brown University each year, marking them as one of the more transfer-friendly Ivy League schools.
In the spring of 2021, 2,746 students applied to transfer to Brown and 118 were admitted. That’s a 4.3 percent acceptance rate, slightly lower than the overall 5.5 percent of applicants admitted to the class of 2025. Brown releases only a selected list of where students have transferred from, but the colleges on that list include Coastal Carolina Community College, Massasoit Community College, and eight other community colleges around the country.
In addition to admitting students with high academic achievement, Brown explicitly seeks transfer applicants “with a long-term commitment to extracurricular activities,” in the hopes that those students will become involved in similar activities while at Brown. If you’re interested in transferring from community college to Brown, write your essays with an emphasis not just the academic and career path you can pursue at Brown, but also on what your life outside the classroom might look like. Consider what your current extracurricular profile is and learn as much as you can about Brown’s extracurricular offerings so that you can write with enthusiasm about them.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed one full-time year of college. Applicants with more than four semesters of college coursework are discouraged from applying.
How and when to apply: Brown allows transfer students to enroll in either the fall or spring semesters, though there is only one transfer application deadline each year: March 1.
Brown requires you to apply through the Common Application’s Transfer Application. If you are especially accomplished in music, you can submit supplementary materials through Slideroom. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Brown)
Columbia
Columbia admits a select group of transfer students to Columbia College and Columbia Engineering each year, typically fewer than 10 percent of those who apply. In contrast, the regular admissions rate for Columbia’s class of 2025 is 3.9 percent.
If you want to transfer to Columbia, admissions officers officially expect you to have at least a 3.5 overall GPA, and if you’re hoping to transfer to Columbia Engineering, you need a 3.5 in your math and science courses, as well as two semesters of calculus, two semesters of physics, and one semester of chemistry.
If your path to or through community college has taken you a bit longer than two years, Columbia also boasts the School of General Studies. This program offers the same rigorous Ivy League education as Columbia College, but was designed for returning and nontraditional students.
No minimum number of credits is required for you to apply to the School of General Studies, but the admissions committee expects at least a 3.7 GPA in your community college courses. Once accepted, you can choose to attend either full- or part-time, making this program a great option for students with family or work commitments.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed, or are registered for, one year of full-time college study (24 credits) can transfer to Columbia’s regular undergraduate program. Those who have completed more than four semesters of college coursework are discouraged from applying.
How and when to apply: Columbia requires the Coalition Application for all transfers, with supplemental questions and optional supplementary materials. The application deadline is March 1. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Columbia)
Cornell
Of all the Ivy League schools, Cornell University is the most vocally committed to educating former community college students. Cornell accepts more transfer students—from community college and elsewhere—than any other Ivy League. Cornell’s transfer acceptance rate in 2020 was 18.4 percent, and of the 638 transfers who enrolled, 147 of them (or 21.5 percent) were transferring from community college.
While Cornell’s regular acceptance rate continues to shrink each year, currently sitting at 8.7 percent, the transfer acceptance rate has hovered around 17–18 percent for the last several years.
One reason Cornell boasts these numbers is that they are the largest Ivy League university and have lower retention that the other Ivy Leagues, meaning they have more spots available for transfers each year. Note that Cornell is made up of seven different schools, all of which have different admissions requirements.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have enrolled full-time at another college and/or who have earned 12 or more college credits since graduating from high school.
How and when to apply: Regardless of which school at Cornell you choose to apply to, you’ll submit the Transfer Common Application. They, like Brown, offer both fall and spring admission. Unlike Brown, there are two separate deadlines: March 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Cornell)
Dartmouth
As the smallest school in the Ivy League, Dartmouth aims to admits just 25 transfer students each year. In 2020, however, Dartmouth admitted 45 transfer applicants, causing its transfer acceptance rate to leap to 28.6 percent—significantly higher than its typical 1–5 percent rate.
Dartmouth’s regular acceptance rate is currently 6.2 percent.
Like the other Ivies, Dartmouth looks for an impressive academic background in its applicants and specifically “considers your ability to make a successful transition” to their community “in and out of the classroom.”
In addition to your stellar academic record, you’ll want to demonstrate in your essays how you will fit into the Dartmouth student body. Dartmouth has a very particular student culture, as an intimate school nestled in a picturesque small town. Your understanding of that culture will be a big part of how your application is received.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have matriculated at a college and completed two years or less of coursework.
How and when to apply: Unlike most of the other Ivies, Dartmouth uses their own application portal for transfers instead of the Common or Coalition Application. Their application deadline is March 1. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Dartmouth)
Harvard
Gaining admission at Harvard is never easy. In recent years, they’ve accepted an average of 12 transfers out of roughly 1,500 transfer applicants—around 1 percent, just a sliver of its regular 4 percent admissions rate. However, that select group of transfers has included community college students.
If you dream of attending Harvard, you’ll want to demonstrate sustained academic achievement at your community college. Admissions officers expect you to have undertaken a “rigorous program of study,” especially in the field you’re intending to major in at Harvard. So ideally, you’ll have taken and aced all the upper level courses in your discipline that were available at your college.
Harvard also looks for “a capacity for leadership, creativity, resiliency, intellectual curiosity, and independent thinking” in its transfer applicants. These are qualities you can demonstrate in your essays and in the extracurriculars and other endeavors you’ve tackled during your time in community college.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed between one and two full-time years of college at a school with a liberal arts curriculum (i.e. you cannot transfer from a vocational, professional, technical, online, extension, or performance program).
How and when to apply: Harvard allows you to submit your transfer application using the Coalition Application or the Common Application, each with a deadline of March 1. They also welcome supplementary materials which demonstrate “exceptional or unusual talents,” in the arts or in academic/scientific research. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Harvard)
UPenn
The University of Pennsylvania accepts nearly two hundred transfer students each year, making them quite community college friendly. Like Cornell, this is partially because Penn has a larger undergraduate student population than the other Ivies, and thus more spots available for transfers.
For the most recent application cycle, 165 of around 3,500 students who applied to transfer to Penn were accepted, dropping its transfer acceptance rate to slightly under 5 percent—on par with its regular acceptance rate. (Penn also has a strong history of accepting students from the local Community College of Philadelphia.)
If you’re accepted, Penn offers substantial programming for transfer students, such as transfer-student-specific orientation. If you’re considering Penn, you must apply to transfer to only one of their four undergraduate schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, Penn Engineering, the Wharton School (business), or the School of Nursing.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed between one and two years of transferable academic college coursework (8–16 courses).
How and when to apply: Penn accepts either Common Application or the Coalition Application with a Penn-specific essay. The deadline is March 15. If you’re submitting a fine arts supplement, that deadline is March 20. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UPenn)
Princeton
In 2018, Princeton relaunched their transfer program and they specifically encourage community college students to apply. In 2021, only 16 transfer students out of over 1,349 applicants were accepted, most from community colleges. The approximately 1 percent transfer acceptance rate is even lower than its already tough regular acceptance rate of 4 percent.
If you want to attend Princeton, focus on writing standout essays. If you do gain admittance, Princeton offers transfer-specific programming such as summer classes in math and science to prepare you for their rigorous coursework.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed at least one full-time semester of college.
How and when to apply: Princeton accepts either the Common Application or the Coalition Application, along with their transfer supplement. You’ll also have to submit a graded written paper. The deadline for your application, transfer supplement, and graded paper is March 1. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Princeton)
Yale
Like Harvard and Princeton, Yale has an extremely high undergraduate retention rate—meaning few people leave or drop out, making fewer spots available for transfers.
Their transfer admissions rate in 2020 was just 1.7 percent, meaning it’s even harder to transfer to Yale than it is to get in from your high school (Yale’s regular admissions rate is currently 4.6 percent). The good news, though, is that nearly half of the transfer students admitted—14 out of 29—came from community colleges.
If you do land in New Haven, you’ll find that Yale offers programming such as transfer orientation and transfer counselors for those who enroll at Yale as transfers each fall.
In addition, Yale is unique in offering its Eli Whitney Students Program. If your community college education, or journey to community college, was interrupted at some point for five or more years, you can apply for this bachelor’s-degree-granting program. Like Columbia’s General Studies school, you can attend Yale as an Eli Whitney Student either full- or part-time.
Who is eligible to transfer: Students who have completed at least one year’s worth of transferable college credits but no more than two years’ worth (between 8 and 18 Yale credits).
How and when to apply: They accept either the Coalition or the Common Application with Yale specific questions and a deadline of March 1. Find a full list of application requirements here.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Yale)
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Final thoughts
Every Ivy League is looking for ambitious community college students to transfer to their campuses each fall. And aside from the eight schools technically in the Ivy League, the “Public Ivies,” as well as other selective public and private colleges, appreciate the background community college students can bring to their undergraduate communities.
As long as you articulate a clear academic path and demonstrate your academic readiness, it’s entirely possible to transfer from community college to an Ivy League university. Admissions officers will see your background as an advantage, not a weakness.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.