[pefloresjr]

In 2019, one site indicates 2352 applied to transfer and 1.15% were accepted, making transfer about 3 times as selective as Stanford's already lowest-in-the-world 3.67% general acceptance rate.   Other sites say that the number varies between 25-40.

Back in my day the number of transfers varied depending on how much attrition we had in a class, but 50  transfers out of 1500 was sometimes possible.  That number appears to have gone down even as the size of the class has gone up.  I'm guessing that it is because attrition rates have fallen.

Basically, USC had as many transfer students on its football team last year as Stanford probably had for the entire university.

Yes. That was the past, but it's a new era. Wouldn't be difficult for an energetic and persuasive coach to convince the powers that be in admissions (or their superiors) of that. Wish we had one. . . .

I don't disagree with your wish that we could expand the number of transfers in.  However, I think it would be a big lift to notably change admissions other than differing timelines like they already do for first time applicants.  That might help a little.  The bigger problem is that there really are very few high performing football players who are doing great in school and also want to transfer to Stanford.  If they are thriving athletically and academically at their current school, there is not much reason to leave.  I think it is also very unlikely that a student who couldn't put together good enough grades in high school will be able to do that in college, where they face harder classes and more motivated classmates. 

I think the key issue for Stanford related to the transfer portal is for the staff to work harder at retaining our existing players.  Lowering the number of players leaving can mitigate the difficulty we have getting transfers in.  

Cheers,
Pete F.

[pefloresjr]

In 2019, one site indicates 2352 applied to transfer and 1.15% were accepted, making transfer about 3 times as selective as Stanford's already lowest-in-the-world 3.67% general acceptance rate.   Other sites say that the number varies between 25-40.

Back in my day the number of transfers varied depending on how much attrition we had in a class, but 50  transfers out of 1500 was sometimes possible.  That number appears to have gone down even as the size of the class has gone up.  I'm guessing that it is because attrition rates have fallen.

Basically, USC had as many transfer students on its football team last year as Stanford probably had for the entire university.

Yes. That was the past, but it's a new era. Wouldn't be difficult for an energetic and persuasive coach to convince the powers that be in admissions (or their superiors) of that. Wish we had one. . . .

I don't disagree with your wish that we could expand the number of transfers in.  However, I think it would be a big lift to notably change admissions other than differing timelines like they already do for first time applicants.  That might help a little.  The bigger problem is that there really are very few high performing football players who are doing great in school and also want to transfer to Stanford.  If they are thriving athletically and academically at their current school, there is not much reason to leave.  I think it is also very unlikely that a student who couldn't put together good enough grades in high school will be able to do that in college, where they face harder classes and more motivated classmates. 

I think the key issue for Stanford related to the transfer portal is for the staff to work harder at retaining our existing players.  Lowering the number of players leaving can mitigate the difficulty we have getting transfers in.  

Cheers,
Pete F.