Transfer Essay A: Why UT-Austin?
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You've talked about why you want to leave. Now, discuss in your transfer Essay A where you want to go.
Most applicants submit vague essays. Vague statements are those that could be written by anyone and aren't specific to you or even UT-Austin. Try to avoid vague statements.
"Austin is the live music capital of the world!"
"UT is a prestigious university with top-ranked programs."
"I want to research and study abroad and UT would be a great place for that."
Your reviewer already knows why UT is great. That is their job, and there is a good chance they are alumni.
Instead, identify specific reasons why UT-Austin appeals to you. Turn a vague statement into something specific and concrete.
Consider this paragraph.
"I am intrigued by the Humanities Honors Program in the College of Liberal Arts because I have a variety of interests: education access, child development, and the political economy of poverty. UT is one of the only Texas universities that has a self-designed interdisciplinary curriculum where I can create my own major. I am from the Rio Grande Valley and I am the first in my family to attend college. I am interested in researching education access in Mexican-American communities, and I am excited to conduct research at the Benson Latin American Collection.
I want to work with Dr. Robert Crosnoe in the department of Sociology who researches the connection between poverty, education, and human development. I am also interested in pursing a Children and Society certificate in Bridging Disciplines. I am fluent in Spanish, and I am interested in spending a summer in Guatemala working with indigenous elementary school students through UT's School of Social Work. Eventually, I want to work as a college adviser at a low-income school in the Valley to share my knowledge and story with future college students."
There is a clear link between their biography, academic goals, and professional aspirations. The applicant minimizes vagueness by citing concrete examples specific to UT. They have demonstrated at least some prior research and offer a level of maturity more than one would expect from a high school senior.
My example paragraph cites resources specific to UT-Austin that appeals to the student. Chances are, you reviewer doesn't know about the work of Dr. Crosnoe and may not have realized that UT has a world-renowned library dedicated to Latin American Studies. They've probably heard of Bridging Disciplines, but they may not know all of the certificate offerings.
Use your Essay A as a chance to educate yourself and browse UT's webpages to have a better idea what you may want to do. The best personal statements may even identify a few opportunities that your reviewer didn't know about.
With over 150 majors and 2,000 faculty members, I often learned about some cool things going on at UT through student-submitted application essays.
Let's talk about how I can help improve your transfer chances.