Princeton Accepts 13 Applicants In Revived Transfer Program

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton University has revived a transfer program that encourages applicants from low-income, military or community college backgrounds to apply to the prestigious Ivy League school.

It has offered admission to 13 of the 1,429 students who applied through the program, the university announced this week.

Letters have been mailed to the applicants, who were also able to see the decisions via secure online access beginning Tuesday night, May 8. They have until May 22 to accept the offer.

“We are delighted to have reinstituted the transfer process this year, and we are especially pleased with the quality of the admitted transfer students,” Princeton University Dean of Admission Janet Lavin Rapelye said. “The committee was impressed with their intellectual curiosity, leadership, maturity and diverse perspectives, which they will bring to our campus, and we look forward to meeting them.”

Eight of those who were accepted have served on active duty in the military or are currently serving. Eight self-identified as people of color, including biracial and multiracial students. Three are women, and 10 are men.

They hail from Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York and Hawaii, and have attended community college, including Miami Dade College in Florida, Fresno City College in California and Tompkins Cortland Community College in New York.

A moratorium on the transfer process had begun in 1990, the university said. In 2016, the Princeton University Board of Trustees adopted a strategic planning framework identifying key goals and priorities for Princeton. As part of the framework, the transfer program was reinstated. In the fall of last year, the admission process was opened to potential applicants.

The strategic planning framework states: “Experience at other universities shows that transfer programs can provide a vehicle to attract students with diverse backgrounds and experiences, such as qualified military veterans and students from low-income backgrounds, including some who might begin their careers at community colleges.”

Transfer students, like first-year students, must begin their enrollment in the fall semester, the university said. Most students will be expected to begin in their second year. However, in some cases, students may begin as juniors, or be required to enter as first-year students. In all cases, Princeton faculty and college deans will determine this standing after an evaluation of transfer credit.

Princeton University’s financial aid program comes in the form of grants, which do not need to be repaid. Over 60 percent of the currently enrolled first-year class receives aid, and the average grant is $50,600 per year. No student is required to take out loans and can therefore graduate debt free. Students who applied for aid with family incomes up to $160,000 typically pay no tuition.

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