Each year, tens of thousands of applications flood the admissions departments of Ivy League colleges.
Schools in the Ivy League are regarded as the top college educational institutions in the country, making them super competitive and selective.
Many who apply in their senior year of high school don’t get into an Ivy League school. Some of these students may end up going to a community college for one reason or another.
In cases like these, the student may want to apply to an Ivy League school again once they have started taking classes at a community college.
But can you transfer to an Ivy League school from a community college?
Continue reading this article to get an answer to this question.
Can You Transfer To An Ivy League School From Community College?
Yes, you can transfer from a community college to an Ivy League school. However, doing so may require some effort.
It is not impossible for a student who has attended a community college to gain acceptance to one of the Ivy League schools.
228 students from community colleges successfully transferred to Cornell University over the past two years (2019 and 2020 stats).
Data on other schools in the Ivy League is not public. Cornell is the only Ivy League university that publishes data on the number of students who transferred from community colleges. Therefore, it is unclear which of the Ivies admit the most community college transfer students.
Whatever the numbers, that shows that it is possible to transfer from a community college to an Ivy League university. Community college students who meet the admissions requirements and are accepted can transfer to Ivy League schools.
Not to put a damper on things here, but acceptance rates for transfer students are typically lower than acceptance rates for first-year students. At a minimum, you’ll need a high undergraduate GPA at your community college and a strong, well-rounded application to be accepted into an Ivy League school.
Am I A Strong Candidate For Ivy League Schools?
Being a strong candidate for an Ivy League school isn’t much different for community college students and high school students.
You’ll want to show a high GPA that demonstrates you are capable of handling the coursework.
You can also take the SAT or ACT and submit those scores with your application. However, this is not necessarily a requirement as many schools have gone to test optional. But, if you take one of these exams and earn very strong scores, you may want to include them with your application.
Having a strong essay and stellar recommendations from teachers or professors can also help make for a robust application. Also, showing a commitment and/or proficiency in other areas (i.e. extracurricular activities) can also help make you a strong candidate.
Community College Enrollment As An Asset
You should not try to hide or make excuses for the fact that you have attended a community college inside your transfer application. Rather, you should highlight this fact!
In addition, if you attended community college due to obligations with work or family, you may have an advantage. If you explain your broader responsibilities, the admissions officers will better understand the context of your educational history, and you will demonstrate the experiences, both in and out of the classroom, that have prepared you for the rigorous academic standards of an Ivy League education.
You, as a student at a community college, may have a track record that is more convincing than students who wish to transfer from other four-year universities into the Ivy League.
A study conducted in 2019 by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation discovered that students who moved from community college to prestigious colleges, such as the Ivy Leagues, had higher graduation rates than students who transferred from other types of four-year institutions.
It’s not just a handful of great community colleges that are sending students to prestigious universities; in Fall 2016, 84 percent of community colleges sent at least one exceptional student to a four-year institution.
Because you are coming from a school that does not offer a four-year degree or upper-level coursework in your chosen field, you automatically have a “clearly defined academic need to transfer” when you apply to transfer to an Ivy League university from a community college rather than applying from another four-year institution. This is one of the most significant advantages of applying to transfer from a community college to an Ivy League university.
In conclusion, transferring from a community college to an Ivy League school is possible. In fact, your experience at community college may give you an advantage over other transfer applicants!
