Next Steps The Transfer
Once all the above pointers are assessed and confirmed, the next step is to begin with, the actual transfer process.
At times, it can be a tad intimidating to understand and execute all the steps involved in the college transfer. Heres where University HUB has over a decade of expertise that you can certainly leverage to transfer to the college/university that best suits your needs and the changes anticipated.
Can You Appeal College Transfer Credits
Yes, most universities allow you to file an appeal for any rejected or unaccepted credits. The exact steps will vary, but youll most likely need to provide the following:
- The name of your previous institution
- The course details, including the online description and syllabus
- A statement explaining why you believe the credit should be accepted
Standard Admission Requirements For Transfer Students
In general, colleges and universities require the same basic materials from transfer applicants as they do for a first-year college application. These traditionally include:
- High school transcripts
- Current and past college transcripts
- Academic letters of recommendation
- School-specific application essays
- A resume or activities list
- SAT or ACT scores .
Additionally, there are two very common forms that youll need to keep track of, too. These are the College Report, through which your current school says youre in good standing, and the Mid-Year Report, in which your current professors project your semester grades. Similar forms were likely part of your first-year college admissions process, too, but your guidance counselor almost certainly handled them. Now, its up to you to take the College Report to your school registrar and the Mid-Term Report to your teachers.
Just as with first-year admissions, transfer policies and requirements vary by school. Be sure to check college websites, as well as the Common App transfer application , to ensure you know what you need for each different school.
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Motives Behind The Move
If you are considering transferring universities, you are not alone. Today, there are more than 1.2 million transfer students enrolled in postsecondary institutions.
Common reasons students choose to transfer include: A mismatch between their current colleges program offerings and their career goals A need to change geographic locations A desire for more flexible or online curriculum options, that do not exist at their current school Wanting a school that is the best fit socially either a different student population size or a complete change in campus culture.
Transfer-friendly institutions typically have separate supports specifically for the unique needs of transfer students. These schools often have articulation agreements already in place with transfer centers containing specialized advisors, transfer orientation sessions, and accessible information on transfer admission rates and transfer scholarships.
Your Family Can Tell That Something Seems ~off~
They start asking you pointed questions on the phone, or they sense some kind of shift when you come home for a weekend or during a break. Whenever you talk about school with them, you’re either feeling like you’re trying to fill up space in the conversation, or stuck in awkward silences that you’re not quite sure how to remedy. Often your family will start to get a sense that something’s not quite right before you do so listen to them if they bring it up, even if it’s not something you want to hear.
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Plan Your College Transfer
Transferring to another college is not like applying to college the first time. Your high school transcript and test scores will take a back seat to your college transcript. So earn strong grades in college if you hope to transfer .
Colleges have different policies for transfer students but typically expect you to have acquired a minimum number of credits. You’ll have a harder time transferring if you’ve completed more than two years of study, even if you abandon some of the credit you’ve accrued.
Of course, transferring can impact your intended graduation date or study abroad plans. Be aware of the policies at your prospective transfer school. Not all classes/credits are transferable and some schools won’t accept credit from a class if you earned below a C.
College Transfer Acceptance Rate
Youll also want to make sure you target schools where you have a strong chance of admission. One way is to look at the transfer admission rates. However, be aware that transfer admission rates vary much more than first-year admission rates. Especially for small colleges, the number of open spots for transfers can vary widely from year to year, as can the number of applicants. As such, its important to look at the raw numbers, not just the admissions percentage. How many spots do they usually have, and how many prospective students apply?
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When Can I Transfer Colleges
The transfer timeline depends on your new school. Some colleges only accept transfers in the fall, whereas others offer options for both the spring and fall semesters. However, transferring in the fall may feel less stressful overall. A fall transfer gives you the entire summer to prepare, pick housing and save up some money. Furthermore, most students transfer in the fall, allowing you more opportunities to connect with fellow newbies.
Analyze Your Primary Reason For Transferring
Most transfer students change schools due to three types of variables: social, geographic and academic.
Social variables can include disliking your roommates, having trouble making friends, embarrassing yourself at a party, etc. If this sounds like you, I encourage you to think about how the environment at a new school will impact these variables.
This is important to analyze because it will help explain your rationale to a new target school.
Bear in mind that if your primary reason for transferring colleges is a social factor, many of these factors persist on other college campuses…
You cannot escape peer pressure or drugs, for instance – they are elements of virtually every college experience.However, if you are currently at a small school and dont get along with your peers, then moving to a big school may very well help you find a better circle of friends.
Geographic and academic reasons for transferring are much more straightforward.
Key Takeaway: your primary reason for transferring colleges should be for a concrete and purposeful desire that the future university can fulfill.
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Why Do So Many Students Transfer Colleges
College students transfer schools for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the most common.
- Financial Reasons: Some students begin school but struggle to afford unexpected costs for things like room and board. This struggle may lead students to seek out a more affordable institution.
- Degree Changes: Some students who enter college to pursue a specific major may change their minds and decide to study a different major that’s unavailable at their school. In this case, learners may need to find a new school offering that major.
- Moving Away: If a student must relocate as a result of work, family, or military obligations, they may choose to transfer to a local college or university in order to avoid out-of-state tuition costs.
- Online or Distance Learning: Students sometimes transfer schools so they can move their learning online. Switching to online learning typically offers more flexibility and convenience. Certain schools may also offer better online degree options than others.
Transfer Trap #: My Credits Will Definitely Transfer
Scenario: After learning that her private four-year college would be entirely online for the fall semester, a rising junior decides to transfer and complete her degree at a public four-year university within commuting distance of her familys home. As a first-generation student and Pell Grant recipient who has already taken on nearly $25,000 in student loans to pay for her first two years of college, she decides this is the best move to save money and be closer to family during the pandemic.
Expectation: Because both her original and new schools are in the same state and are even approved by the same accreditor, the student assumes her credits will transfer easily without impacting the time it will take to complete her degree.
Reality: Even though they share an accreditor, there is no articulation agreementa partnership guaranteeing that some or all courses taken at one school will be accepted for credit at anotherin place between this students original school and her new one. The credit evaluation process is opaque and nearly half of her credits are not ultimately approved for transfer, but by the time she is notified nearly a month later, its too late for her to go back to her old school.4 Now, shell have to retake several classes and earning her degree will take both more time and more money than expected.
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Assess Your Primary Reason For Transferring
First, its important to understand why you want to transfer schools in the first place. Does your current school have insufficient lab or research opportunities in your field? Did your academic program face significant cuts? Is the student body too large, too small, too homogeneous? Does the career advising at your current school not meet your needs? Do you need to be closer to your family for personal reasons?
Whatever it is, having a strong reason for transferring into a new academic program will help ground your application and make you a more competitive applicant.
Do I Have A Good Chance Of Getting Into My Ideal School
As a transfer student, youll need to figure out how to apply to college all over again. Only this time, the admissions criteria will be somewhat different.
For one thing, it may be more difficult for you to get into the program or institution you want. This is because many schools have higher college GPA requirements in place for transfer students.
But if your GPA is low, dont give up the idea of transferring just yet. Some institutions will take the students circumstances into account when making admissions decisions, which means you may still have a chance.
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When Should You Transfer Colleges
When it comes to transferring schools, timing can be an important and personal consideration. Many students ask, When is the best time to transfer colleges? and the truth is, it depends on your own goals and situation. There is no right or wrong time to transfer schools.
Generally, transferring colleges at the beginning or the middle of the school year can impact your application process. University of Bridgeport accepts applications on a rolling basis. You can submit an application for admission year-round. However, whichever school you choose, you should plan to apply ahead of the term you want to begin your studies. This way, you and the admissions team will have plenty of time to evaluate your existing credits, arrange for academic advising, and plan your program of study moving forward.
Transfer students from community colleges are similarly able to apply for admission, whenever theyd like. For students interested in transferring from a CT community college to a four-year university, UB offers articulation agreements with the following schools:
- Gateway Community College
- Quinebaug Community College
- Capital Community College
What Should I Know About Military Credit Transfer To A College Or University
The number of military credits that a student can transfer is mostly determined by both the college or university that the student attends and the program that the student enrolls in.
Someone with military experience and credit for working with technology will have more credits available to transfer to a bachelors degree program in technology than someone with history experience and credit.
Faculty will examine a military members prior experience to see if it corresponds to the learning objectives of any courses offered at the institution.
Military credits transferred to a college or university are typically not used in calculating a students GPA at that institution.
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Check Out Your Financial Aid Options
Financial aid plays a huge role in all parts of college, from your first undergraduate school, to your next, to your graduate school, and even beyond.
Thus, we highly recommend talking with financial aid advisors or administrators for those schools you hope to transfer to. Specifically, you should complete the FAFSA and any additional forms your schools request, as these will help them determine how much financial aid they can offer. Additionally, some schools provide net price calculators online for prospective students. These calculators give students an idea of how much aid will be offered.
If you receive your financial aid offer and feel that it is not sufficient, consider appealing for more financial aid. A financial aid appeal will allow you to present more information to the financial aid office. That will offer a better picture of your finances and hopefully offer more aid. Remember that college is a huge investment, and that youre allowed to negotiate.
If your aid is still not quite enough, consider scholarships! Your prospective school likely has some specifically for their students, so we recommend checking online or asking a financial aid advisor. Alternatively, if youre interested in scholarships, we have a great selection at Scholarships360! Check out: scholarships by major, , , and more!
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How Many Transfer Students Get In
Transfer acceptance rates vary among schools. Some, like Princeton, are just now beginning to accept transfer students after decades of having policies against them.Almost half of all college students enroll in two-year public schools, and 37% of all college students transfer at some point in their education.
According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling , in 2010 the transfer acceptance rate was 64% overall. In the last eight years, however, significant strides have been made to simplify the process for transfer students of all kinds.
Of all two-year college students who transfer, some 42% go on to earn a bachelor’s degreea substantial increase over the number of all two-year college students who earn a bachelor’s degree. That’s actually slightly higher than the national average for earning a bachelor’s degree within four years.
However, just 33% of students transfer within six years, extending the time they spend in school.
Again, while all this looks bleak, it’s important to note that things are improving. With programs designed to smooth the process for transfer students by providing transparency about credit transfer, more financial assistance, and more interest in courting these students, rates are improving overall.
If you want this to be your study space, plan early.
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Dont Only Take General Education Courses
This tip may appear confusing at first many community college students unsure about their majors seem to be encouraged to load up on general education courses as it is believed that these will be required anyway at some later point. This, however, often leads to accumulating excess credits some of which wont be applicable to your major once you transfer.
Of course, were not saying that you shouldnt take any GE courses, just to not take too many. If you sense that there is a field you may be interested in pursuing , we recommend that you take some of those courses. This will allow you to see whether youre truly interested in the subject. If you are, it allows you to skip some core courses at your new college .
Should You Transfer To Another College
Spread the Knowledge. Share:
Transferring colleges makes sense for a lot of studentsbut for others, it’s not the answer. How do you know if it’s the right decision for you?
If you’ve started college, and you’re thinking of moving on, take a close look at the reasons behind your dissatisfaction before you decide.
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Maintain A High Gpa At Your Current College
Having good grades was important the last time around, but its doubly important as a transfer applicant. Whereas college admissions officers have to imagine what kind of college student a high school student will be, they can see it plainly for a transfer student! For this reason, your college coursework and grades are paramount in your transfer application.
Its especially crucial that you have good grades in your major coursework, whether in the subject in which youve already declared your major or the subject you intend to study at your new college. Those are the grades that matter most to transfer admissions officers, as they will become essential transfer credits at the school where you continue your degree.
Coordinate With Transfer Schools
The easiest way to transfer schools is to find a school that’s part of an articulation agreement with your current college. These agreements mean there are already clear guidelines for what courses transfer and which don’t, eliminating some of the hassle and worry for you.If there’s no articulation agreement and your schools aren’t in contact with each other, then see whether your new school has a transfer department you can coordinate with. The more information you can get for what credits will transfer and which won’t, the better off you’ll be.
Getting in touch early, even if you’re not accepted, can give you a clearer idea of what your next college will expect and help you plan out your time at your current school more efficiently.
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