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It is estimated that up to 1/3 of all college students transfer before they complete their initial degree. While some students transfer from a 2-year to a 4-year college, many who begin at 4-year colleges decide they desire a change by the end of their freshman year. There are many reasons why you may consider moving schools, but this is a big decision that shouldn’t be made in haste. Complete these action steps before making the final decision regarding where you will finish your degree program.
Question your motivation
Don’t assume that a new college will make everything all better. If you are transferring, for example, because of academic probation, the habits and behaviors that got you in that situation will follow you. Or, if you didn’t make any close friends that first year, moving to another college will give you more of the same unless you challenge yourself to join in more. Make sure that you aren’t buying into the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side.
Question your major
If you are finding your original degree a disappointment, you may be able to change majors instead of transferring colleges. You have a better chance of keeping all of the credits you have already accrued if you stay where you are, but change your major. If your current university doesn’t have the program you are considering, start doing your research on what schools do.
Visit other campuses
Take the time to visit some other campuses before you make your final decision about where you want to transfer to. Even if you visited at the end of your senior year of high school, you are wiser now about what aspects of college life are important to you. Revisit potential colleges that you already visited and new ones that you haven’t seen before. Look at each campus with fresh eyes to make the best possible choice.
Ensure your credits will transfer
Whether or not you plan to stay in the same degree program once you change schools, you need to meet with a transfer counselor at the schools you are considering to see how many of your completed credits will transfer to your new school. This may be one of the deciding factors on if and where you move. If many of the credits won’t transfer, you may end up needing to stay in school a few additional semesters. Make sure this is acceptable before making your final decision.
Check into extracurricular activities, groups and clubs
Some students feel they are at a disadvantage being a new student who isn’t a freshman. It can feel lonely when other upper-classmen already have their social place, but you don’t since you are new to the college. Once you have narrowed down your top choices of transfer schools, look carefully at what opportunities they have to meet new people within your range of interests. You may be able to contact the groups before attending in the fall, so that you already feel connected. Look for group social media pages, such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. You may even find a transfer student group page for your college there too.
Final Thoughts
Some colleges “do” transfer better than others. But you should expect to do some of the legwork yourself to seek out opportunities and resources. Universities usually roll out the red carpet for incoming freshman, but that isn’t the case for transfer students. I guess they figure you’ve already done the “new student thing,” so you should be able to figure things out on your own. Make sure to take the initiative to get the most that your new university has to offer.
Lastly, remember that there are genuinely sound reasons for transferring colleges, but no college will be perfect. My daughter transferred after her first year, and though she is much happier at her new university, she can honestly say that there are some things that her original college does better than her new one does. But she knows she still made the right decision for her, even though it isn’t all perfect. Decide what aspects of your current university aren’t working for you and what ones are. Then you can use those insights to learn about possibilities that might be a better fit for you in a new school.