Transfers Have Slim Chances for Elites

If you're thinking that it might be smart to attend a less selective college for a year or two, get outstanding grades, and then try to transfer to a highly selective private university or college, you may want to rethink that plan. According to new research from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, transfer acceptances at the country's most elite private colleges have dropped significantly since 1984. That year, 10.5 percent of the students at elite private colleges had transferred from another school. In 2002, the number had dropped to just 5.7 percent. The figures are even more depressing for community college transfer hopefuls: according to the study fewer than 1 of every 1,000 students at elite private schools in 2002 started at a community college.

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