Harvard College Admits 12 Fall Transfers

After two years during which no transfer students were admitted, 12 new students have arrived at Harvard as the latest additions to the classes of 2012 and 2013.

Out of 614 transfer applicants, 13 were accepted and 12 decided to attend, according to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67.

These students moved in last Thursday and have participated in an orientation program tailored to transfer students over the past week. Special activities included a group dinner and presentations about various aspects of life at Harvard, ranging from General Education to House life to information technology assistance.

The students—four sophomores and eight juniors, according to transfer student Sarah L. A. Erwin ’13—come from a variety of universities around the world, including small private schools like 26-student Deep Springs College, research universities like Brown and Georgetown, and international schools such as McGill in Canada and Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Chile.

The 12 students have been placed among Harvard’s Houses, with one in each of 10 Houses and two in Adams House.

David H. A. LeBoeuf ’12, who transferred to Harvard from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., said he is impressed by the facilities and programs at Harvard.

“I came from a very small school so to me this is a complete shock. We had one dining hall, one library. We didn’t have anything near the support you get from the housing system. I feel like I’m on vacation right now,” he said, noting that he enjoyed attending a barbecue and stein club in his new House.

Erwin, who said she transferred from Johns Hopkins University in hopes of finding a safer environment and more extracurricular activities, said she has enjoyed spending time with fellow transfer students. “We’re a pretty close-knit group already,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine a better group of people.”

Laura E. Schlosberg, who directs the transfer orientation program, praised the return of transfer students to Harvard.

“As new Harvard students with previous collegiate experience, they add unique perspectives to our community,” she said.

LeBoeuf said that the two-year hiatus in transfer admissions has made transfer students an “exotic” breed on campus. He said he has been surprised that so many Harvard students are unaware of the existence of new transfer students this year.

“If you see somebody looking really lost, just come over and try to help them,” Erwin advised.

—Staff writer Julie M. Zauzmer can be reached at jzauzmer@college.harvard.edu.