Transfer

If you will have completed at least one year of full-time college coursework by the time you enroll at Williams, you should apply as a transfer student. There is no maximum cutoff for the number of college credits earned, but students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply.

If you will have less than one year of full-time college coursework upon enrollment at Williams, you should apply as a first-year applicant. High school students who have completed some college courses but have not yet graduated or otherwise obtained a diploma should apply as first-years.

We understand that some students’ unique circumstances might leave them outside of these standard parameters. Students with less than one year of full-time college coursework may apply through the transfer process, but the Admission Committee and Registrar’s Office will determine whether those students have sufficient credit to enroll as transfers or should enroll as first-years instead. If you have any questions about your situation, don’t hesitate to email Associate Director of Admission Dean Mendes.

Williams is truly test optional. The decision to submit exam results for the SAT and/or ACT is up to you, but we recommend consulting with your college counselor. You can submit your SAT/ACT scores in any of three ways:

1. Enter them in the testing section of your application.
2. Email a screenshot of your score report to [email protected].
3. Have them sent to Williams directly from the testing agency. The Williams SAT code is 3965 and ACT code is 1936.

We superscore the SAT/ACT. This means that if multiple test scores are submitted, we’ll consider the highest section scores when reviewing your application. If you submit ACT results, the science section is optional for those taking the enhanced ACT, and we will superscore across the legacy and enhanced ACT exams.

Other optional application materials include:

• Additional writing supplement: Williams does not require a writing supplement, but we recognize that some students feel they do their best writing in an academic context rather than a personal narrative. If you would like to submit an example of your academic writing, you may share a 3- to 5-page paper (excluding citations) written in the last year. The paper may be creative or analytical, can cover any topic and need not be graded or include teacher comments. Please include a description of the assignment or prompt, and do not submit lab reports.You can submit this optional writing supplement using any of the online application platforms.
• Scientific research abstracts: If you’ve pursued significant scientific or mathematical research and are considering a research or academic career, we welcome a brief description of your past work. Please include this information on your application or email it to admission​@williams​.edu.

Williams offers one of the most generous financial aid programs in the U.S. We meet 100% of each admitted student’s demonstrated financial need for their entire Williams career.

Transfer students interested in applying for financial aid should follow the college’s standard application process. No additional materials are required. While our financial aid process requires that you submit information about your earnings history, any aid award from Williams will reflect the fact that you’ll be enrolled as a full-time student and thus likely to earn less than you did previously.

Most Williams students, regardless of age, are considered financial dependents. Exceptions include U.S. military veterans or those who can demonstrate longstanding financial independence from their families. If you have questions about your financial status, please contact Associate Director of Financial Aid Ann Lundhild.

We recognize that coursework from other higher education institutions, including community colleges, offers students a significant amount of preparation and supports students’ academic readiness prior to transfer. Even non-transferable coursework is still valuable in evaluating your academic readiness during the admission process.

We are happy to review and consider previously completed coursework at accredited institutions. Williams has a two-year residency requirement, meaning students are required to spend a minimum of two years at Williams prior to graduation. As a result, you’ll only be allowed to transfer a maximum of two years’ worth of credits from previous institutions. Read our full policy on transferring credits for more information.

If you have further questions, email Associate Director of Admission Dean Mendes.

Williams has a two-year residency requirement, meaning students are required to spend a minimum of two years at Williams prior to graduation. As a result, students are only allowed to transfer a maximum of two years’ worth of credit from previous institutions. Extra courses not awarded credits may still be used by departments to determine placement, but you will have to relinquish credits beyond the maximum number of credits the college can award when you matriculate in order to meet the two-year residency requirement.

If you’re admitted as a transfer student, you’ll have the option to relinquish some or all of your approved transferable credits in order to take additional courses at Williams. You’ll still be able to use relinquished credits to place into higher-level courses and to meet Williams’ graduation requirements, including the distribution requirement (and we will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need for every year you attend Williams). Students have until the end of their first year at Williams to decide whether or not to relinquish credits. Read our full policy on transferring credits for more information.

A note about study away: Transfer students may study away as long as they meet the two-year residency requirement. For example, a student who enrolls as a sophomore may study away and complete the residency requirement. A student who enrolls as a junior and wishes to study away must relinquish a semester or year of transfer credit in order to meet the residency requirement.