When your school just doesn't "fit": Part 2
Mar 18 '00 (Updated Feb 21 '04)
The Bottom Line Once you've decided to transfer, you must investigate thoroughly your options. Do your research, and you will land on your feet.
In an earlier epinion, I listed the possible reasons one might consider transferring and gave my opinion on how to either ameliorate the situation or decide that it really is worth the stress of transferring. Now, I'd like to give some advice to those who have made the decision to transfer.
The actual act of applying to transfer schools was almost exactly the experience I had of applying my senior year of high school, except I only had 1 year to "brag" on. That is, I was basically forced to rely on my academics and extracurriculars from my freshman year of college rather than relying on my 4-year high school experience. The applications are nearly the same, except schools may expect an additional essay that asks WHY you want to transfer and leave your present institution. That is, schools pretty much expect you to be more focused the "second time around." You must be able to clearly articulate why you are transferring and how it relates to your future goals.
Following the form of my previous epinion, I'd like to list some things to keep in mind when you are in the act of applying:
1) Cultivate meaningful relationships with some of your professors and either an academic advisor or an academic dean. If you're pretty sure you'll transfer, this is extremely important, as schools will ask for a recommendation from both a faculty member and an academic advisor or dean. This is especially difficult in college, as your classes are typically larger in size than your high school classes, and professors can be less approachable. However, you must be conscientious and try to establish a good rapport with some professors. Go to office hours, or arrange an appointment to discuss an assignment. Just be sure that you do SOMETHING, rather than just expecting a recommendation from a prof who gave you an "A" the previous semester. As far as academic deans go, generally they have a ton of students they are responsible for. It's good to put the "bug in their ear," but he/she will mostly look at your transcript and comment on it in their letter of recommendation. However, it never hurts to have a bit of a personal relationship with him or her.
2) Consider applying for the Spring semester, if the university accepts applications for both semesters. It's tough to get accepted as a transfer applicant; most colleges will readily admit that you may have a better chance of acceptance if you apply for the Spring semester, because hardly anyone applies to transfer halfway through the year. While this may put a rush on the application process, it may be worth it if you think it will help your chances at acceptance.
3) Investigate whether the university gives transfer students financial aid. Some schools deny financial aid to transfer students. Regardless, the aid package most receive from their transfer institution is generally meager, as the schools give first priority at aid to the incoming freshmen. You may have a better chance at financial aid after having spent a year at the institution, but it may not be worth it if you are denied aid your first year. As I stated before, do a scholarship search at www.fastweb.com and try to take advantage of some scholarship/grant opportunities.
4) Visit the campus!! It's especially important that you get a good sense of the campus environment before you apply/ accept an admission offer. You don't want to make the same mistake twice... and while visiting a school cannot guarantee you'll love or hate the place, it will give you a better idea about the school than just looking at their academic prospectus would.
5) Keep in close contact with the school's registrar or dean's office to find out how many transfer credits you'll receive. Some transfer students get credit for everything they've taken at their prior institution, while others get barely any (depending on the school and your academic program). This may necessitate a full 4 years at your transfer institution. Obviously, this is something to consider if you can only afford 3 years. Another option is to take summer classes to "catch up" but you must consider whether it's worth all that extra effort to make up for credits you've ALREADY taken at your previous school.
6) Check out the housing situation. Some schools guarantee housing for transfers, while others flat-out deny it; still others will give you "what's left" if any.. meaning some transfers may get housing but others will get left in the cold. This is especially important to consider if you're looking at a school in a large city, where housing is generally more expensive. And that's not to mention the fact that you don't need the added stress of trying to find housing in an area you're not familiar with, at a time already stressful. Get in contact with the school's housing office and try to figure out your options early on. If nothing else, they can usually help guide you towards housing in a reputable part of town.
While the above advice may depict transfer students as "second class citizens" it should not dissuade your efforts at transferring. If you're absolutely sure you want to transfer, it's up to you to be assertive and learn all you can about the situation you're coming into. Don't be clueless and accept an offer of admission, only to find you'll get no aid, will get credit for only half of your classes, and won't have a place to live on campus.
Finally, keep in mind that transferring is hard stuff. You'll get stressed out as you're writing college essays at the same time as taking midterms at your present institution. You'll probably second guess your decision as you realize you'll miss some friends and some aspects of your present institution. And, you must acknowledge that it's difficult to get accepted as a transfer student. Many schools just do not have that much room to accept transfers and may only accept 10 students. Others may accept nearly all who apply. While it may be frustrating and heartbreaking, a good attitude to have is that "Doors open where they're supposed to, and close where they're supposed to." If a school doesn't accept you, keep in mind that perhaps it wasn't the right place for you, anyway. Try not to get down on yourself; it's a difficult process.
Best of luck to you.
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