Transfer Applicants
Transfer Applicants
Students previously enrolled full time at another college or university may apply to Washington and Lee as a transfer student. Students who have not yet graduated from secondary school, but are dual-enrolled in high school and college courses, should apply as first-year students.
Transfer admission to Washington and Lee is highly competitive. Successful applicants generally have a very strong high school record, have earned college grades at the B (3.0) level or higher, and submit an SAT or ACT exam. However, during the on-going worldwide pandemic if you did not take the ACT or SAT when you applied to the program you currently attend, or if sitting for these exams would be a hardship, you may choose to submit your application without these exams.
Deadline for Fall 2023 Enrollment (September)
Priority deadline: March 1, 2023
Final deadline: May 15, 2023
The transfer application for Fall 2023 will open in mid-October 2022. Transfer applications must be complete, with all below checklist items submitted, by the application deadline in order to receive full consideration for admission.
Application Checklist
- A completed W&L Transfer Application. (W&L does not accept the Common Application for Transfer Admission.)
- An official copy of your high school transcript (international students should include their school leaving certificate or exam results)
- Official transcripts from all colleges from which you have received credit
- Self-reported or official score reports from the SAT or ACT (Optional, but recommended, for those applying for Fall 2023)
- Two recommendation letters from professors who have taught you at the college level
- A completed College Report form (included in the W&L Transfer Application), affirming that you are in good standing at the college from which you intend to transfer
- A completed Mid-Term Report form (included in the W&L Transfer Application) if you are currently enrolled at a college. If you are not currently enrolled at the time of application submission, please contact the Transfer Admissions Counselor to waive this requirement
- Application fee of $60
- Apply for scholarships and/or financial aid (if needed)
Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Since transfer decisions are released on a rolling basis, this allows us to process and evaluate your application in a timely manner. There is no benefit or preference given to priority deadline applicants.
In this situation, have both school officials complete the form individually. This means that you can send one form directly via your portal. A PDF of the college report form is also available in your application checklist to be downloaded.
No. Transfer students are not eligible for merit-based aid. However, transfer students are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid by submitting all required documents indicated on the financial aid checklist visible in their applicant portals.
Transfer decisions are released on a rolling basis after the undergraduate class has been finalized. Therefore, there is no set release date. Historically, decisions are delivered from late April through late May, usually by June 1st.
60 credits maximum for incoming students. No early credit evaluation is facilitated. Evaluations begin only after you have been formally admitted and are performed by the Associate Provost, Registrar, and Academic Departments.
W&L's Transfer admission process is rolling after March 1 through approximately late May. Notify W&L Admissions of the anticipated date you will submit your required documentation. Please follow any and all required NCAA regulations. If required, contact your current institution's athletic eligibility officer with questions pertaining to the timeline of release from your current sport.
Yes, on-campus housing is available for all students. W&L students are required to live on campus through their third year of college. As an incoming transfer student, you would eligible.
No. Since transfer admission is on a rolling basis, decisions historically will be delivered between late April and late May, usually before June 1st.
No. We require a complete application with all documents submitted before reviewing your application. All transcripts must be official and be sent directly to us via an electronic delivery system or mail. Recommendations must come from college instructors.
No. Applying for financial aid is not required. The Financial Aid checklist displays for all students and will guide you in terms of the required documents needed to be reviewed for need-based financial aid. If you have special circumstances or specific questions about applying for need-based aid, please reach out directly to Financial Aid by phone, email, or by scheduling a virtual appointment.
No. All new students begin in the Fall Term, beginning in September each year.
Directly email either CPenn@wlu.edu or admissions@wlu.edu.
Yes. After you have been admitted and have reserved your place in the incoming class with the required reservation deposit, you will be contacted by Student Affairs to begin the matriculation process.
Scholarships and Aid
Our mission is to make a Washington and Lee education affordable for all admitted students. Transfer applicants, though not eligible for merit scholarships, are eligible to apply for university need-based grants. Explore our financial aid information to learn more.
Transfer Credit
A student admitted as a transfer may receive no more than 60 credits for work transferred. Such credits are assigned by the appropriate department head and the University Registrar at the discretion of the appropriate dean. Only work comparable to that at Washington and Lee in level, nature, and field may be accepted for degree credit.
There will be no formal evaluation of prospective transfer students' transferrable course credit prior to paying your tuition deposit. If admitted, prospective transfer students may then receive an informal evaluation. Credits for courses completed at another college or university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies of the United States, with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, may be considered for transfer to W&L to be used as degree credit. Grades for these courses, however, will not be transferred; a student's cumulative grade-point average will include only work attempted at Washington and Lee.
Transfer students must complete at least six terms of full-time study at W&L prior to receiving a degree.
For further information regarding transfer credit, please visit the University Registrar website.