Fact check: Did Donald Trump transfer from Fordham University to University of Pennsylvania and why?

1. Summary of the results

Yes, Donald Trump did transfer from Fordham University to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1966 ^{[1] [2]}. He attended Fordham as a commuting student from 1964 to 1966 before completing his bachelor's degree in economics at Wharton in 1968 ^[2]. The primary motivation for his transfer was his desire to attend an Ivy League school and pursue education more directly related to real estate ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual details are missing from the simple transfer narrative:

• Trump's admission process involved an interview with James Nolan, an admissions officer who was a close friend of Trump's brother ^[3]
• The admission process at Wharton during this period was significantly less competitive than today, with over 50% of applicants being accepted ^[3]
• Trump's interest in transferring was partially motivated by his desire to expand his financial literacy for his family's real estate business ^[4]
• According to Nolan, Trump's interview performance was not particularly impressive ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The simple question about the transfer omits several important aspects that have been subject to different narratives:

• While Trump has historically portrayed his transfer to Wharton as a significant achievement, the admissions officer James Nolan has directly contradicted this narrative, stating that acceptance was not very difficult at that time ^[3]
• This discrepancy benefits different parties:

Trump benefits from portraying the transfer as more competitive and prestigious than it actually was

Critics benefit from emphasizing the role of personal connections (through his brother's friendship with the admissions officer) in facilitating the transfer

• The narrative of the transfer being primarily motivated by academic ambition ^[1] competes with the more practical explanation of wanting to learn about real estate for the family business ^[4]