Metadata
Title
Transfer Applicants
Category
undergraduate
UUID
b7c6c5f8d0ab4199aaae48f942b6b1ea
Source URL
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-applicants
Parent URL
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T03:17:41+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Transfer Applicants

Source: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-applicants Parent: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply

Overview

Each year, we accept a small group of exceptional students to transfer to Harvard College from other similar liberal arts programs. U.S. Military veterans may be particularly interested in our transfer program if they've completed at least one full academic year, and not more than two, of college coursework.

Transfer FAQs

Yes. All transfer applicants, including international students, are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid. Transfer applicants should follow the prospective student financial aid application instructions. - #### How are transfer students supported on campus?

Enrolling students take part in a fall orientation program and are connected with a dedicated transfer adviser who helps with academic planning and the transition to Harvard life. Transfer students who live  will find strong community in their undergraduate Houses, and students who live off campus will benefit from the Dudley Community. - #### What courses transfer to Harvard College? Is there a list of transferrable courses?

The Harvard College Registrar's Office grants credit for work done at another college or university to each admitted transfer student on an individual basis after careful evaluation. The admissions office does not keep a list of transferrable courses and cannot advise on this matter during the application process. Harvard College typically accepts courses taken while enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate program similar to our liberal arts curriculum. The Committee also looks for strong preparation in the student's expected field of specialization. - #### Can I concentrate in business, journalism, law, or medicine?

While you can take courses related to these fields, Harvard's academic programs are not pre-professional, in that they do not provide vocational training. Many Harvard graduates plan to continue their education in professional or graduate schools, often in these fields. Please note that both medicine and law are postgraduate programs in the United States. If you are not a U.S. citizen but wish to continue your education in a professional program, particularly in an American medical school, we advise you to consult specific graduate and professional programs in advance to understand those schools' admissions and financial aid policies concerning international students. - #### I am an international prospective transfer student. What is the transfer application process for me?

The application process and requirements are exactly the same for international students. Our financial aid program also applies to all applicants regardless of nationality or citizenship. For more information, you can view all of the transfer application requirements here.

About Our Transfer Program

Each fall, we welcome a very small number (12 on average) of transfer students to Harvard College. We seek students whose previous academic experience will prepare them to flourish in our rigorous and rewarding liberal arts program. In our candidates for transfer admission, we look for:

Recently, we have received more than 2,000 transfer applications per year. In pools of this size, the number of well-qualified applicants far exceeded the number of students admitted and enrolled each year as transfer students. As admission to transfer to Harvard is competitive, we encourage you to explore a variety of colleges in your transfer search. Check out our brochure for more info.

Eligibility

The transfer application is intended for students who have completed at least one continuous academic year (fall and spring semesters) in a full-time degree program at one college, and not more than two academic years, by the time you would be enrolling at Harvard. Students are not permitted to relinquish credit earned in order to restart their college experience or regain eligibility.

Transfer applicants are ineligible for admission if their prior coursework falls under the following categories:

Students who have completed one full-time year of college in a regular degree program in lieu of their senior year of high school (often referred to as dual enrollment) should apply for first-year admission if these courses are taken for credit towards a high school diploma.

If you are too advanced in your studies to qualify for transfer, you may be interested in the Visiting Undergraduate Student Program.

No student with a bachelor's degree or other first university degree from any other university, whether American or foreign, is eligible for admission to Harvard College. Students interested in continuing their studies beyond the bachelor's degree might wish to consider one of the 10 Harvard University graduate schools. The Harvard College Admissions Office is independent of these schools and their admissions policies.

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What We Look For

Through our admissions process, we strive to give you ample opportunities to best demonstrate your interests and accomplishments. We welcome candidates who have gone directly from high school into college as well as those who have followed less traditional paths.

The Admissions Committee looks for achievement in a rigorous program of study, especially in your expected field of specialization. Beyond strong grades, test scores, and recommendations, the Committee considers other non-academic factors such as significant extracurricular engagements and talents. We also consider an applicant’s capacity for leadership, creativity, resiliency, intellectual curiosity, and independent thinking.

In addition to our standard application materials, you may submit supplementary materials showcasing exceptional or unusual talents, including musical performance, artistic work, and research material.

Timeline

Harvard accepts transfer students for fall semester entrance only; we do not admit students for the spring semester. The transfer application becomes available during the fall of the academic year.

Submitting your materials early does not increase your chances of admission, but it does provide more opportunities to track down any missing documents and ensure that your application is full and complete by the time we begin our review. Please note that college transcripts should be sent between January and March in order to reflect your most updated academic credentials.

From the service to school

Veteran transfer students from community colleges make Harvard home

Read the full story in the Gazette

Application Requirements

*If you have applied to Harvard in the past, we will have access to your previous application in our review process including any scores that you submitted with earlier applications. Test scores can be particularly helpful for non-traditional students. We encourage non-traditional students to submit an exam taken within three years of applying for transfer to reflect current academic ability.

Self-reported scores are acceptable during the application process; official scores are required of enrolling students.

All applications are treated equally, whether they are received in the mail or online. However, applications submitted online are processed faster and allow your school officials to submit their part of your application online as well. Please choose one option only: either apply online or send an application through the mail.

Please note that you can only download and print the following forms - you will not be able to complete them electronically.

College Transcripts (required) and High School Transcripts (required)

We require official transcripts from all universities and secondary schools you have attended. High school transcripts must be sent directly by the secondary school. All college transcripts must be sent directly by a college official via email or through an electronic credential exchange network (Parchment, Scrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.).

Transcripts may also be sent to us as PDFs at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu by a school official. Please have your school official include your name and application number (if available) in the subject line of the email for easier processing. Required materials must be sent from an official institutional email account.

College Report (required)

The College Report is available for download from the Common Application website. The College Report (also called the Dean's Report or Registrar's Report) must be completed by a college official with access to your full academic and disciplinary record, such as your Dean, Advisor, or Registrar. The college official should return the completed form to the transfer admissions office at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu.

Recommendations (required)

We require two recommendations from college instructors who have taught you in an academic setting. If you have been out of college for several years, you may substitute a professional reference in place of an academic recommendation. Similarly, U.S. military veteran applicants may submit a commanding officer's reference in place of an academic recommendation. Recommenders can email letters as an attachment to transfer admissions office at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu.

Midterm Report (optional)

Applicants can self-report midterm grades by uploading the Midterm Report form in their Harvard applicant portal.

Official documents may also be mailed to:

Harvard College Admissions and Griffin Financial Aid Office \ Attn: Undergraduate Transfer Admissions \ 86 Brattle Street \ Cambridge, MA 02138

Please note: If your transcript is sent as a password-protected or encrypted file, there may be a delay in processing. If sending via Parchment, please ensure that you retain the Parchment Order ID for your records. We are unable to open personal links (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.) or open zip files. If your school official needs to send the file(s) securely, they may fax materials to 617-495-8821.

Transferring Course Credit

Harvard will honor comparable coursework you have done prior to your transfer admission, while also giving you time to take advantage of Harvard’s course offerings and delve deeply into your concentration.

You will be allowed to transfer in a maximum of 16 semester-long courses—the equivalent of two full years of academic work—providing you the opportunity to take the remaining half of the courses required for your A.B. or S.B. degree at Harvard.

The Harvard College Registrar’s Office grants credit for work done at another college or university to each admitted transfer student on an individual basis after careful evaluation. While Harvard does not audit transcripts prior to application to determine eligibility, the descriptions below should be helpful in determining which of your courses may transfer. Our office is unable to make recommendations in regards to coursework at your current institution or advise on anticipated class standing during the application process.

You may receive credit for courses taken in a full-time, daytime program of study at an accredited degree-granting institution, provided that you:

Unfortunately, we are unable to grant credit for certain accomplishments. Harvard does not typically award credit for:

Contacting Transfer Admissions

The Transfer Admissions team will be available to answer questions by email at adm-tran@fas.harvard.edu Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm ET.

Email Transfer Admissions