Common App for transfer: a four-year retrospective

The Common App for Transfer platform, launched in 2018–19, provides a unique dataset on transfer applications to U.S. institutions. This retrospective analysis offers insights into trends and patterns among transfer applicants over four academic years.

Key findings include:

• Over the four seasons from 2018–19 to 2021–22, the platform experienced a U-shaped trend in user engagement. The first year saw over 400,000 account creators, followed by a slight decline in 2019–20, and a resurgence to over 414,000 by 2021–22.
• In 2021–22, transfer applicants submitted an average of 2.25 applications each, compared to 6.22 for first-year applicants. A total of 112,761 applicants submitted 253,815 applications during this period.
• Public flagship institutions and large non-profit private universities emerged as the most popular destinations for transfer applicants. Institutions with first-year admit rates below 25% were among the most common recipients of transfer applications.
• The majority of transfer applicants were from traditionally well-served populations: non-underrepresented minorities, high socioeconomic status, continuing-generation students, and teenagers. Only one-fourth of applicants were underrepresented minorities, one-third were first-generation, and just 6% came from ZIP codes with a median household income in the bottom quintile.

The data highlights the need for targeted outreach and support for underrepresented groups in the transfer process. Understanding these trends can help institutions design more inclusive and effective transfer pathways.