Let’s Talk About Transferring: Where You Start Doesn’t Have To Be Where You Finish
I was closing up my last few weeks of my first semester of college when all I could think of was transferring. The summer before that first year I could rest assured that whenever someone asked me about my college plans-- where I was going and what I hoped to study-- they would inevitably close the conversation with “Enjoy it, those are the best four years of your life.”
But after a handful of months in, I couldn’t imagine that this could be my peak. Homesickness coupled with managing a busy class schedule, finding friends, and surviving an unbearably cold Boston winter all led to me dreaming of other campuses where other versions of myself could experience the kind of happiness that had been sold to me in brochures and during all of those summer conversations.
While I spent some time that winter break researching transfer policies and meeting with my old college counselor for advice, I ultimately decided to stay at my college and in time, it proved to be the best decision for me. But while I didn’t transfer, the practice is incredibly common. Research has shown that about one-third of all students will transfer institutions at least once before earning their degree. According to research from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, that number was even higher in a research study that analyzed transfer rates amongst students entering college in 2011. The study found that almost 40% of students in the fall 2011 cohort transferred at least once over the next six years of college.
Where you choose to attend college is a meaningful choice and one that can help shape your life in years to come so students should feel empowered to consider transferring if they find that their initial institution is not best serving them or facilitating their growth. Still, despite it’s ubiquity, the process can be unwieldy so it’s useful to assess what’s driving your decision to transfer and build a plan to get you to where you can best thrive.
Why transfer?
Student's reasons for wanting to transfer are varied with some being pushed by external circumstances and others by internal desires. Many may come to find that their college is too large or too small for them to thrive socially or that the campus culture isn’t conducive to making friendships and connections that feel meaningful. Perhaps the culture of your campus is ruled by Greek life and you’d like to find a college that caters to a different set of interests or personalities. Another common-- and equally important-- realization may be that your school’s curriculum and coursework does not lend itself to your ultimate academic and career goals. Maybe you want to focus on engineering and feel that a school with a stronger STEM program would be a better fit and better prepare you for life after graduation. For other students, studden financial or family changes may necessitate them being closer to home or finding a college that’s more affordable.
All of these reasons are incredibly important, valid and should be brought up early in conversations shared with parents, counselors, and college administrators as you decide whether to transfer and where to apply. There are, however, other reasons that may spark your desire to transfer that are no less valid but perhaps should be interrogated a bit more. Often students (like myself years ago-) experience feelings of homesickness that drive them to reconsider applying to schools that are closer to home or perhaps ones that their high school friends attend. While homesickness can be uncomfortable and really difficult to battle, it's also, in some ways, an inevitable part of both college and the transitory period between adolescence and young adulthood. Consider how you can develop new ways to more deeply connect with friends and family back home while remaining at your institution and see if some of the feelings of homesickness dissipate gradually over time.
Considerations to keep in mind
Now that you’ve nailed down why you’d like to transfer, it’s useful to keep in mind some of the important considerations that you should weigh this decision against. There can be so many benefits to moving to another institution (more on that later) but there also can be some potential consequences. Knowing what those are beforehand can help you make a more deeply informed decision.
Firstly, transferring can delay your graduation date largely because some of the credits you’ve earned at your initial institution may not transfer over to your new one. For example, some schools will not accept credits from a class if you passed but earned below a C. In fact, in a 2014 study, 39% of transfer students did not receive credit for any class taken at their old institution. Further, the average transfer student loses 27 credits.
Another important fixture of your college life that may not transfer over as you enter into a new institution is financial aid and scholarships. Be sure to understand what financial aid opportunities that you currently rely on will cross over or if you need to complete additional applications in order to keep your tuition costs low.
Just as homesickness can push you to explore a new institution, the process of transferring can also create its own set of social and emotional challenges. Research has found that it’s common for students to experience “transfer shock” or a temporary dip in grades as they settle into their new school. Keep in mind that this adjustment period will be occurring as other students in your class have already settled into the institution which can trigger feelings of loneliness or a sense of being out of place.
Building the roadmap to your new college
Just because there are potential consequences that can come from transferring doesn't foreclose the possibility of it at all. Transferring can still be an incredibly positive decision and a meaningful life shift. Here are some tips to help you as you nail down your decision and make the process of deciding, applying, and finalizing your transfer that much easier:
Make sure to cultivate relationships with faculty at your current institution. Even though you may feel checked out and completely focused on where you’ll be transferring to next, the worst thing you can do is neglect your studies and compromise relationships with professors and administrators who can help you navigate the transfer process and pen letters of recommendation for you. Also keep in mind that college transfer acceptance rates tend to be lower than those for incoming first year students meaning your current grades and overall student profile should be as strong as you can possibly make it.
As you research potential schools to transfer to, find out if they hold an articulation agreement with your current institution. An articulation agreement is a formal agreement between colleges that eases the transfer process for students often by accepting most-- if not all-- of their previous credits.
Remember that you now have a bit more college experience under your belt and possess far more knowledge than you did when you were applying to college as a high school student. Think deeply about what you don’t like in your current institution as well as features of it that you do like and would like to find again in your new school. Use all of this information to your advantage and be sure to cross reference it as you research potential new schools.
Pay a visit to your prospective school. Chat with current students, learn about campus life, core curriculum, what programs are offered that align with your interests, and get a sense of the community surrounding the school as well.
The fact that there’s so much to be mindful of when navigating the transfer process should never override the fact that there are also immense benefits to making that decision. While “transfer shock” can temporarily worsen your academic performance, research shows that transferring does not have any long term negative impacts on a students grades or overall GPA. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed, 75% of school administrators agreed that students who decide to transfer perform just as well-- if not better-- than those who completed their degree at just one school.Finally, on a personal level, making the choice to transfer can be a reminder that even as a young person you have a say over your life and the ability to change course when things aren’t going in the direction that best satisfies you and suits your needs. As difficult as the process may be, that's a powerful lesson that will serve you long after you earn your degree.