Transfer

Required for all Transfer Applicants:

• The Common Application for transfer students. The transfer application, including the personal statement and University of Puget Sound supplemental questions, should be submitted along with the $65 application fee to Puget Sound. The application fee is not required if you have previously applied to Puget Sound, if you are a veteran of the US Armed Forces, or if you attend a Washington State community college.
• An official college transcript from every college you have attended. The transcript must be official, and it must come directly to Puget Sound from the issuing institution. Due to its speed and reliability, electronic transmission is preferred, but official paper transcripts may be sent to the address listed at the bottom of the page if necessary.
• An academic evaluation. The academic evaluation is a recommendation from a college instructor.  Listing an instructor in the “recommenders” section of the application will generate an email from Common App to that recommender with instructions for submitting the academic evaluation. Alternatively, you may ask your recommender to email a letter of recommendation directly to our transfer admission coordinator at thenson@pugetsound.edu.
• The College Report. The college report confirms that you are in good standing at your current (or most recent) college and would be eligible to return.  Please print the form, complete your portion, then take or email it to the Registrar’s office of your current (or most recent) college.  An official at that institution should complete and sign the form, then email it directly to our transfer admission coordinator at thenson@pugetsound.edu.

Required for some Transfer Applicants:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Required for transfer applicants who wish to be considered for need-based financial aid.
• Official high school transcript. Required for transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 7 units (42 quarter hours or 28 semester hours) of graded college credit after high school.  
• Official TOEFL, Duolingo or IELTS results. Required for some international students. 
• School of Music application and audition. Required for acceptance into the School of Music as a major or a minor, and for music scholarship consideration.  Additional deadlines apply; please contact the Office of Admission as soon as possible for more information.

Encouraged for All Transfer Applicants:

• Campus Visit. The best way to discover if Puget Sound is right for you is by arranging a visit and interacting with our friendly students, faculty, and staff.
• Interview or appointment. Although not required, a conversation with an admission counselor is a great opportunity to discuss your individual circumstances and learn more about academics and campus life at Puget Sound.  You can schedule an appointment with our transfer admission coordinator on our website or by emailing thenson@pugetsound.edu.

Please have all admission application materials sent electronically to University of Puget Sound or emailed directly to thenson@pugetsound.edu. In cases where electronic transmission isn't possible, please use the mailing address below:

University of Puget Sound
Office of Admission
1500 North Warner St. #1062
Tacoma, WA 98416-1062

For a fall semester start: For best class and housing availability, we recommend that you apply by the transfer Early Action deadline of March 1. We will continue to accept applications through our transfer Regular Decision deadline of July 15.

For a spring semester start: Please apply by November 1.

It is not possible to begin study at Puget Sound during the summer term.

University of Puget Sound is pleased to offer the following scholarships to incoming transfer students who enroll in the university full-time:

• Academic Scholarship: All admitted transfer students are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship of up to $31,000 per year. No additional application is required.
• Transfer Scholarship: All admitted transfer students are eligible for a $4,000 per year transfer scholarship. No additional application is required.
• Talent Scholarships: Puget Sound offers scholarships for performance excellence in music, theatre, art, and forensics (debate). An additional application is required for each and deadlines vary.
• Visit Scholarship: Prospective transfer students who complete an official campus visit before submitting their deposit will be eligible for a $1,000 per year visit scholarship.
• Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship: Members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society are eligible for a $1,000 per year PTK scholarship upon admission to Puget Sound. Proof of membership is required.
• All-Washington Academic Team Scholarship: Phi Theta Kappa members who are selected for the All-Washington Academic Team will qualify for an additional $2,000 per year scholarship.

To apply for need-based financial aid, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year and include University of Puget Sound in your list of schools.

Since 2015, Puget Sound has been test-optional and applicants are not required to submit scores from the SAT or ACT exam.

Our goal is to provide you with options to put your best foot forward in your application. Puget Sound reviews applications holistically, meaning that we consider academic performance, curriculum strength, writing, community leadership and involvement, and many other factors in our evaluation. You will not be penalized in the application review process for the option you choose.

Important facts about Puget Sound’s test optional policy:

• Standardized test scores (ACT and SAT) are optional.
• International transfer students are eligible to apply to Puget Sound test-optional by either attending a high school where English is the primary language of instruction or demonstrating English Proficiency by submitting scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test.
• For students who decide to submit scores from the SAT or ACT exams, official score reports can be sent from the testing agency (code 4067 for the College Board and code 4450 for the ACT.) Puget Sound accepts self-reported test scores, but requires enrolled students to send official test scores.

Admitted transfer students will receive an official transfer credit evaluation shortly after receiving notification of their admission and prior to any enrollment decision deadline. Before admission, students may check the transferability of their previous college coursework at Transferology.

TRANSFEROLOGY

Additional helpful information:

• While a course may be eligible for university credit, acceptance of transfer credit toward major or minor requirements is at the discretion of the academic department, and may require review of course materials including assignments and syllabi.
• One Puget Sound unit is equivalent to 4 semester hours or 6 quarter hours.  Of the 32 units required for graduation, a maximum of 16 units (equivalent to 96 quarter hours or 64 semester hours) may be transferred to Puget Sound from other institutions. 
• Students must take at least 16 units at Puget Sound; the actual number of units required and the time to graduation will depend on the specific degree(s) pursued and the relevance of prior coursework.
• Online classes and classes taken for a pass/fall grade are capped at a maximum of 4 units.  (Please note that the cap for online classes has been waived for courses taken from spring 2020 through spring 2022.)   The maximum transferred activity credit may not exceed 2 units.

Although not required for admission, University of Puget Sound is pleased to accept the Washington State Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), the California AA-T and AS-T degrees, and the Oregon AAOT degree.  Students who come to Puget Sound with one of these degrees and a cumulative college GPA of at least 3.0 will receive guaranteed junior standing (16 units) and credit for six of our eight core curriculum requirements:

• Seminar in Scholarly Inquiry 1 (SSI-I)
• Artistic Approaches core requirement
• Humanistic Approaches core requirement
• Mathematical Approaches core requirement
• Natural Scientific Approaches core requirement
• Social Scientific Approaches core requirement

The Connections core requirement and the Seminar in Scholarly Inquiry 2 (SSI-II) must be taken at Puget Sound, although enrolled students may petition for SSI-II credit if they believe that they have taken a course which meets the SSI-II rubric.  Transfer credit for the KNOW and foreign language graduation requirements is subject to review by the Office of the Registrar. 

Students who have undertaken college coursework after high school graduation (even those currently in their first term of college) should apply using the Common App for transfer students. Please note that in addition to the standard transfer application requirements, an official high school transcript will be required for all transfer applicants with less than a year of graded college coursework.

Students whose only college credits have been earned while in high school (through Running Start, dual enrollment, College in the High School, or another program) should apply with the Common App for first year students and submit transcripts from any colleges attended along with the rest of the requirements for a first-year application. Learn more about our credit transfer policy for first-year applicants.

We will review the entirety of your college (and high school, if applicable) record, including the courses you have taken and the grades you have received in them.  We pay special attention to the rigor of your coursework, the trend and distribution of your grades, as well as any contextual information about your academic performance that may be provided in the application.  Because strong writing and communication skills factor heavily into the curriculum of every academic department on our campus, we will also closely evaluate your application essay for both content and form.

Beyond academics, we look for students who demonstrate intellectual independence and curiosity, manage their time well, and commit to excellence both in and outside of the classroom.

All prospective transfer applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships.  Merit scholarships are renewable, and range up to $31,000 per year.  To be eligible for need-based financial aid, applicants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year.  You can read more about scholarships and financial aid here.

Yes. We require that all incoming transfer students have a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.00. However, please note that the average incoming GPA for transfer students is approximately 3.30. We understand that each transfer applicant has a different story behind their transcript, and encourage students to speak with our transfer admission coordinator to discuss how they've prepared for Puget Sound.

As a transfer applicant, you must list every college you have ever attended on your application, and you must arrange to have an official transcript sent from each institution – even if you think that the credits will not transfer or are not applicable to your intended degree program.

If it has been several years since you last attended college and you don't believe you can get an academic evaluation from a professor, you may arrange to have someone else write your letter of recommendation. Please speak with our transfer admission coordinator to discuss your options.

All students are required to live on campus for their first two academic years with the university. Exceptions to the policy are made for students over the age of 20, students who are married, and students who have children. To inquire about possible exemptions to the policy, please speak with our transfer admission coordinator. Additional information about Puget Sound's residency requirement can be found here.

While it is possible to attend Puget Sound part-time, it is important to note that part-time students are not eligible for either merit scholarships or need-based financial aid.  Full-time attendance is defined as at least 3 units per semester (up to a maximum of 4.25).

Classes at Puget Sound are held on campus and during the weekday. We do not offer evening, weekend, or online classes.

Yes!  Fall transfer students participate in week-long new student orientation prior to the start of the term, which traditionally begins in late August or early September.  Spring transfer students are invited to participate in a condensed version of the orientation program prior to the start of classes in mid-January.