What not to do when transferring to a new college
It’s no small task to pick the college or university you’re going to attend for the next four years. And even after you’ve gotten into the school of your dreams, you might question why you ever wanted to go there after your first semester.
As it turns out plenty of students end up feeling exactly that way: More than one third of all students, according to a 2015 report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Heck, I felt the same way after my first semester in school.
So like many other students, I chose to transfer to a different college. It was a great decision that I’d make again without hesitation. But to help make sure your move is a smooth as possible, there are a few things you’re going to need to avoid.
Don’t assume you’ll be able to transfer because you got into your first school.
Just because you got into your first college, doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted to your transfer school. A 2010 report by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling found the acceptance rate for transfer students is 64% compared to 69% for first-year students.
So if you’re thinking of transferring, try to do things that make you stand out as soon as possible such as volunteer work.
Don’t ignore resources easily available to you.
You don’t have to go it alone when transferring schools. Chances are you already have a student advisor at your current college or university who has experience helping students to gather the information they need when transferring schools.
No, your advisor won’t do everything for you. You’ll still need to do all of the grunt work. But they can be a valuable resource when it comes to understanding how to get all of the info you need to transfer.
Naturally, you should reach out to your prospective school’s admissions office, as they will be able to tell you exactly what documents you’ll need to submit your application.
Applying too late.
Transferring schools is a major decision that deserves a good amount of thought. But once you’ve decided to switch schools you should get to work on all of the necessary paperwork. Many colleges and universities have strict application deadlines and missing them could mean another semester at the school you’re already trying to leave.
Not knowing how much your new school will cost.
When I transferred to my second school I was acutely aware of the cost difference between going there and my previous college. That’s because I left behind a scholarship when changing schools.
If you’re considering transferring you’ll need to dig right back into all of the financial research you poured over when you first looked at colleges during high school.
It’s important to understand how you’ll pay for your new school and to apply for new scholarships that can help offset some of that cost.
For students changing schools due to financial hardships or a loss of scholarships, you might want to look into in-state, public colleges, as they are often less expensive than private schools.
Not knowing which credits transfer.
Above all, the most important thing to understand when switching to a new college or university is how many of your credits will transfer. If, for example, you’re changing schools because you want to study a different major, the courses you took for your previous major may no longer apply to your new field of study. If that’s the case, you may be tossing credits out the window.
It’s also important to note how your current and prospective schools count each course. For instance, I transferred from a university, which counted each course as 3 credits, to a college that counted classes as four credits. Unfortunately, my college couldn’t make a three-credit course I took at my previous school count as a four-credit course, so I ended up with fewer credits in the end. As a result, I had to catch up with summer classes.
If you happen to take core classes (basically remedial courses) as a result of your SAT scores — I took a core algebra class, because I’m terrible at math — it probably won’t count as a credited course.
So if you happen to transfer during your freshman year like I did, you might have to retake that remedial course at your new school. On the plus side, though, you’ll be really good at math.
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Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
