Transfer Application Policies & Procedures

Definition of a Transfer Applicant

Students are considered transfer applicants if they have:

• Completed a high school diploma (or an equivalent)
• Earned at least 12 semester hours of college credit after graduating high school (with at least a 3.2 grade point average in their most recent college work)

If a student has earned 12 or more semester hours of credit since completing high school (or earning an equivalent), they must apply as a transfer.

Official transcripts of all academic work undertaken are a required part of the application; therefore, students may not reduce their academic credits in order to qualify as First Year applicants.

Transfer applicants must complete at least four semesters of course work (equal to 60 semester hours) as a full-time student at Rice to be eligible for a bachelor’s degree.

Domestic vs. International

Domestic applicants are those who hold one of the following citizenship or residency statuses:

• U.S. citizenship
• Permanent Residency
• DACA
• Undocumented who do not hold DACA status but have resided in the U.S. for an extended period of time
• Refugee/Asylee

International applicants are foreign nationals applying to Rice. Foreign nationals are students living outside the U.S. or living in the U.S. who hold, or intend to hold, a valid F-1, J-1, H-1, H-4 etc. visa/status, as well as those pending Permanent Residency status. Rice’s international student designation is based on residency or citizenship status rather than where a student lives and studies.

Application Fee

Rice requires a $75 nonrefundable application fee. Students requesting an application fee waiver from Rice should respond to the fee waiver prompts provided in the Common Application.

Rice Supplement

The Rice supplement offers you the opportunity to share more about yourself. This is your chance to tell us why you are interested in Rice and what you would like to pursue as a student here. We also want you to elaborate on your experiences and achievements to share what you would bring to our community.

Essay Prompts (2024-2025)

1. How will continuing your education in the academic areas you selected help you achieve your goals? 150 words.

2. In addition to academics, why are you interested in transferring to Rice University? 150 words.

3. Please respond to one of the following prompts to explore how you will contribute to the Rice community:

• The Residential College System is at the heart of Rice student life and is heavily influenced by the particular cultural traditions and unique life experiences each student brings. What life experiences and/or unique perspectives are you looking forward to sharing with fellow Owls in the residential college system? 500 word limit.
  
• Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice? 500 word limit.

Rice Box

One of Rice's long-standing traditions is “The Box,” a question on our application where we ask all of our applicants to share an image of something that appeals to them. The Box gives you the opportunity to present us with an image that shares something about yourself, your interests or what is meaningful to you. This image is not used for evaluative purposes in the application, but allows you to put your stamp on the application about who you are aside from what you have achieved. Be sure to choose an image that speaks for itself and does not need an explanation. The Box must be a two-dimensional image that is uploaded in the Common Application or uploaded in the Rice Admission Student Portal.

Shepherd School of Music Applicants

The Shepherd School of Music is only accepting transfer applications for fall semester. All application materials for the Shepherd School of Music must be completed by December 1. For more information, please visit the Shepherd School of Music Admission page.

School of Architecture Applicants

The School of Architecture is only accepting transfer applicants for fall. Applicants interested in the School of Architecture must submit a portfolio of creative work. Portfolios should be uploaded via your Rice Admission Student Portal. Note: Submissions exceeding the specifications listed below will not be accepted.

The portfolio should demonstrate creative potential and is not expected to be architectural in focus nor professional in quality. It may include examples of sketches, paintings, photography, models, etc. Examples of mechanical or computer drafting are strongly discouraged. The School of Architecture does not accept CDs or DVDs.

Portfolio specifications:

• PDF file labeled with applicant name (example: JaneDoe.pdf)
• 15 MB maximum file size
• Page size should be horizontally oriented A4 or Letter (8.5” x 11”); images should be between 150dpi and 300 dpi
• The first page should be a cover/title page with the applicant’s name
• Content can be up to 10 pages (not including the title page); more than one image or work can be included per page
• Captions of images with title, year of execution, media, and size are encouraged. A one to two sentence description is also acceptable.

For more information about the program, please visit their website.

Architecture Essay Prompts

1. Why are you determined to study architecture? Could you please elaborate on your past experiences and how they have motivated you to apply to Rice University and the School of Architecture in particular? 250 words.

2. Please expand on relevant experiences and motivations outside of your academic trajectory that have inspired you to study architecture, focusing on aspects that are not accommodated by other prompts in the application. 250 words.

Art Applicants

Applicants interested in the Department of Art under the School of Humanities may submit a portfolio of creative work. If you would like to submit a portfolio, it should be uploaded via your Rice Admission Student Portal. Note: Submissions exceeding the specifications listed below will not be accepted.

The portfolio should demonstrate creative potential and is not expected to be professional in quality. It may include examples of sketches, paintings, photography, models, etc. The Department of Art does not accept CDs or DVDs, but can access URLs to Vimeo or YouTube provided within the portfolio.

Portfolio specifications:

• 10 MB maximum file size
• Images should be JPEGs at least 2000 pixels on the longest dimension and between 72 dpi
• Please upload all images/videos to your portfolio
• Content can be up to 10 files; one work per file (details can be included)
• Submissions of durational and/or moving-image work(s), no matter how many, cannot be longer than five (5) minutes total
• Captions of images with title, year of execution, media, and size are required. A one to two sentence description is also recommended.
• Applicants should not provide links to websites of multiple works, as these will not be reviewed.
• PDF documents should not be submitted and will not be reviewed

To upload your portfolio, access your Rice Admission Student Portal, scroll down to the Art Portfolio section and click “Edit Portfolio”.

Deadlines and Entry Terms

Fall Entry Term

Students applying to transfer must submit an application with the appropriate documents by March 15. Notification of admission decisions are made on a rolling basis in June.

All admission decisions are final. There are three admission outcomes from Fall Transfer Decision; the admission committee will:

• Admit
• Waitlist – Applicants who are offered a place on the waitlist and accept it, may be considered for admission if space in the class becomes available.
• Deny – Denied applicants are welcome to re-apply in the following application cycle.

Spring Entry Term

Students applying to transfer must submit the online application with the appropriate documents by October 15. Notification of the admission decisions are made by December 1.

All admission decisions are final. There are three admission outcomes from Spring Transfer Decision; the admission committee will:

• Admit
• Waitlist – Applicants who are offered a place on the waitlist may elect to be considered for admission if space in the class becomes available.
• Deny – Denied applicants are welcome to re-apply in the following application cycle.

Academic Requirements

Both high school and college performance are evaluated in the transfer admission review, and special emphasis is given to performance at the college level.

Applicants must have earned at least a 3.2 GPA in their most recent college work in order to be considered for admission. Those offered admission as transfer students typically have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. GPAs in college are evaluated within the context of the degree of difficulty of coursework pursued and competitiveness of the college you have attended.

Transfer applicants do not have specific coursework requirements based on their intended area of study at Rice. However the Admission Committee will consider an applicant’s pursuit of and performance in relevant coursework.

Official Transcripts

College Transcripts

Official college transcripts must be submitted from all institutions the applicant has attended.

Official college transcripts must be submitted through a school’s online ordering system, an eTranscript service (such as the National Student Clearinghouse), or sent via postal mail directly to the Office of Admission. Transcripts will not be accepted by fax or email.

High School Transcripts

Official high school/secondary school transcripts must include coursework and grade performance from 9th through 12th grade. Applicants may submit GED results in place of a high school transcript.

Official high school transcripts must be submitted by your high school via the application platform (Common App), through an online ordering system or eTranscript service, or sent via postal mail directly to the Office of Admission. Transcripts will not be accepted by fax or email.

All official transcripts/documents must be issued in English. If not, an official translation of all documents must be provided along with the original language documents. Translations may be done by the institution attended or an authorized/official translator in the country of study.

• Parchment

• SCOIR

• National Student Clearinghouse (SPEEDE Server or ETX)

• Overgrad

• Scribbles (ScribOrder)

• WES

• Spantran

• Cambridge Assessment International Education (CIE Direct)

For USPS Courier:
Rice University
Office of Admission-MS 17
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892

For DHL/Fedex EXPRESS Couriers (common for international):
Rice University
Office of Admission-MS 555
6100 Main St.
Houston, TX 77005

Standardized Testing

Testing Policy

Rice recommends first-year and transfer student applicants to undergraduate degree-seeking programs to submit SAT or ACT test scores, if available. Students who are unable to submit test scores or prefer not to submit test scores will be given full consideration in the admission selection process.

Standardized tests have long served to provide an external benchmark of college-readiness that provides meaningful information about a student’s preparedness for the rigors of a Rice education. As is consistent with our holistic review, test scores are one factor of many that are considered in the admission process.

Students wishing to provide additional exams for admission consideration are welcome to submit these to our office. These exams are optional and at the discretion of the students to submit. We want students to have every opportunity to showcase their strengths and academic achievements where possible.

• AP Exams, IB Exams, or AICE Exams: Students may opt to self-report AP, IB or AICE exam scores in the testing section of the Common Application or QuestBridge National College Match Application. These scores show mastery of content knowledge in specific subjects and may be eligible for undergraduate course credit once a student enrolls.
• Predicted IB Diploma and A-Levels: Students enrolled in IB and A-Level curricula whose schools submit predicted scores for admission consideration are expected to complete their exams and submit final results prior to enrolling.

Additional Testing Policy

Students applying to Rice University are recommended but not required to submit SAT or ACT for admission consideration. Students wanting to show their college readiness and academic strengths may choose to submit SAT, ACT, AP, or IB test scores.

• ACT or SAT: Rice does not have a preference for students to submit one test over the other. If an applicant submits both an SAT and an ACT score, the committee will consider the test that best enhances their application.
• Superscore: When reviewing SAT and ACT scores, we use the highest score from each section across all administrations. We encourage students to report all scores knowing that we will recombine the sections to get the best possible set of scores for each candidate.
• Essay sections: The ACT Essay and SAT Essay sections are not required and not considered for admission.
• Self-reported Scores: Students have the option to submit self-reported scores if they are graduating from a high school within the U.S. or submit official scores. Admitted students who used self-reported scores and choose to enroll at Rice will be required to submit official test scores prior to matriculation.
• Official Test Scores: To be considered official, scores must be sent directly from the testing organization. Rice’s College Board code, including TOEFL, is 6609 and our ACT code is 4152.

2024-2025 Testing Deadlines	ACT	SAT
Spring Entry Term	September	October
Fall Entry Term	February	March

Once you have opted in to score consideration, you may not opt out or remove scores. Rice recommends that first-year and transfer student applicants to undergraduate degree-seeking programs submit SAT or ACT test scores, if available.

College Report and Recommendations

The College Report

The College Report is completed by a school official, typically the college registrar's office or an academic advisor. The form serves to confirm that the applicant is in good academic and disciplinary standing at the most recent institution attended. A copy of this form can be found within the Common Application platform. Please complete the top portion of the form and have a school official complete and sign the bottom portion. Once complete, the College Report must be emailed by the school official to riceapps@rice.edu or mailed to Rice University Office of Admission- MS 17 P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892.

College Instructor Recommendations

Two college instructor recommendations should come from professors or instructors at the college-level. When possible, at least one recommendation should relate to the applicant's intended area of study. If an applicant has not been enrolled in school for 2 or more years, the instructor recommendations may be replaced by personal or employer recommendations.

Supplemental Letters of Recommendation

The required College Report and two college instructor recommendations provide the Admission Committee with all the information we need to make an informed admission decision. However, if someone has unique and personal knowledge about an applicant's accomplishments or talents, the applicant may have that individual submit a supplemental recommendation. For example, this could include an employer, supervisor, mentor, or another instructor. Supplemental recommendations must include the applicant’s full name, date of birth, or applicant ID and should be submitted through the application platform or to riceapps@rice.edu.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Domestic Applicants

We know that one of the biggest factors in determining the right school is affordability. Because we believe talent deserves opportunity, Rice offers need-blind admission to domestic students. This means we do not consider finances when we review the application. Additionally, Rice meets 100 percent of demonstrated need – without loans – through the Rice Investment, one of the most notable financial aid programs in the country. For more information about need-based financial aid and the Rice Investment, please visit our Office of Financial Aid website.

Transfer students are not eligible for merit-based scholarships.

International Applicants

We do not offer financial aid or merit-based scholarships to international transfer applicants. This policy applies to applicants at the time of review and to admitted students, throughout their years of study at Rice.

International Student Financial Statement

International transfer applicants living outside the U.S. or in the U.S. must complete the Financial Statement and supply the appropriate supporting documentation to demonstrate the ability to finance their education at Rice.

To complete the required Financial Statement, applicants will need to do the following:

• Indicate they will not be requesting financial aid
• Submit all bank statements or affidavits supporting total funds available to go towards the total cost of attendance. Tax documents and proof of income are not accepted as supporting documentation.
• Submit all award letters or documentation supporting any scholarship funds available to go towards the total cost of attendance.
• Provide an explanation of how the applicant plans to cover the cost of attendance if the total sum of available funds is below $86,279.

All supporting financial documentation must be in English and converted to U.S. dollars.

The International Student Financial Statement can be found on the Rice Admission Student Portal once the application is submitted. An application will not be complete until the Financial Statement and all required documentation are submitted.

English Language Proficiency

International transfer applicants whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate English proficiency in one of two ways:

1. Completing at least two years of full-time study in an English language curriculum prior to submitting an application

2. Submitting one of the following official test scores

Test	Minimum Score
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*	100 (Internet-based test)
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)	7
Cambridge English Exams (C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency)	185
Duolingo	130

To be considered official, all scores must be sent directly from the testing organization. Rice's TOEFL code is 6609.

*TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition will be accepted and TOEFL ITP PLUS will not be accepted.

Transfer Credit

The Office of the Registrar evaluates courses taken at other regionally accredited colleges or universities (or their foreign equivalent) that are appropriate to the Rice curriculum for potential transfer credit. We do not offer a preliminary transfer credit evaluation prior to admission. Once a transfer applicant is offered admission to Rice, the Office of the Registrar will send the student a preliminary evaluation of their college coursework which will show a comparison of the course taken and the comparable Rice course for credit. Details on this process may be found at Office of the Registrar.

FAQs

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