justtransferthings-blog

[justtransferthings-blog]

Newsletter Issue #2

FALL 2019 ISSUE 2 of Transcend went out in November, but you can view it right here!

A PDF version with clickable links is available here!

[justtransferthings-blog]

Newsletter Issue #1

FALL 2019 ISSUE 1 of Transcend went out in October, but you can view it right here!

A PDF version with clickable links is available here!

[justtransferthings-blog]

Hi everyone!

My name is Maya, and I use she/her pronouns. 

I’m a current senior at Smith College, and I transferred to Smith in the fall of my junior year (2018). I’m majoring in Sociology, and I have also taken a few writing classes, just started learning Spanish at Smith, and have explored a bit with Design Thinking. 

I’m the transfer intern in the Admissions Office for 2019-2020, so I’m here to help you figure out anything and everything about the transfer process, from applying to orientation and onward! 

I publish a regular newsletter about the transfer experience called Transcend, where you can read about some of the things that make transferring to Smith a fantastic decision, and you can meet some other current transfers who can offer their own take on the experience. You’ll see the newsletters on this blog soon or receive them via email. 

But what’s my deal?

My hometown is Baltimore, Maryland. I went to a small, private, all-girls, college-prep high school. I took a gap year before my first year of college, during which I traveled in France and spent time working at home in Baltimore. Ask me about attending a historically-women’s college or taking time off at any point in your college experience. 

I then spent 2 years at a tiny liberal arts college in Iowa. At that school, they do something called One Course At A Time, which is a very unique scheduling system that allows students to dive really deeply into our studies. I really liked that system for a while, but by my sophomore year felt that I needed to be in a different community, closer to home, and with slightly more rigorous academics. Ask me about transferring from a non-traditional college system to a more traditional one like Smith. 

I am a queer Jewish woman, and I felt strongly about finding community with my shared interests in justice work, community organizing, and creating spaces for divergent peoples. I have made a lot of wonderful connections through student organizations (such as Smith College Jewish Community), my classes, and the communities surrounding Smith! Ask me about student organizations and finding community at Smith. 

I transferred to Smith in fall of 2018, with just 2 years left to graduate college! I have a learning disability, which can make traditional models of education really difficult for me. I was nervous about transferring and still being able to graduate on time, but I was lucky in that all of my credits transferred and that the folks at the Smith Office of Disability Services, as well as my Class Deans and all of my professors have been extremely welcoming and done their best work to accommodate my needs. Ask me about navigating transferring to and attending Smith with a disability. 

I hope to answer any and all questions you have about Smith and about the transfer process. I’m also a member of our new Transfer Student Organization so I can connect you to other current transfers whose experiences and/or identities might more directly reflect yours. 

[justtransferthings-blog]

I am applying to Smith College as a transfer student for the fall of 2020. I have a question about the length of the essay. It looks like it can be 3,000 words or more, but I’m not sure if mine will be that long. Are shorter essays acceptable? I am also wondering if any fellow transfers have any suggestions/tips for my application process. Thank you for your help!

Hi! I’m so glad to hear you’re applying to transfer!

I’m not really sure about the length of the essay– I haven’t seen 3,000 words anywhere, and Smith uses the Common App even for transfers, so you should follow the guidelines on the Common App site! I think my Common App essay was around 700 words.

As for the application process, my best advice is to try to relax and be yourself! I know it can be really stressful, and transfers are often super busy with work or school on top of applying to other schools, but just know that everything will work out for the best! The more relaxed you are throughout the process, the better you can show Smith who you are and what you would bring to this community. That’s really all they are looking for: the honest truth about yourself and your unique experience.

Good luck with everything!

-Maya ‘20 (Transfer Intern)