If you’re thinking about transferring colleges, you’re not alone. It is incredibly common for students to at least consider switching schools during their freshman and sophomore years. Given the current economic climate, it’s also become very popular to start at a community college and transfer to a four-year university for more specialized education later on. Whatever the reason, switching schools is a big task, and there are five things you should know before you get started.
1. You Can Get Money
Regardless of whether you’re going from a community college to a four-year university or making a more lateral move, odds are you’re going to be incurring some higher costs when you transfer. But don’t worry! Not only are there still scholarships and grants available for you, there are some that are specifically aimed at transfer students. Taking some time to do research on the free money that’s floating around out there will benefit you greatly. Wouldn’t it be nice to use your savings on something you actually liked as opposed to tuition?
2. It’s Easier to Live On Campus (at first)
Even if you feel too old or too independent to live on campus wherever you transfer, you should really consider student housing for at least your first semester. Not only will it help you become acclimated to the community, you’ll make friends much, much faster. Plus, trying to change schools (and possibly towns, depending on your situation) will be a lot of stress on its own. Piling on the search for an apartment or house and the means to pay for it will add another element of stress to an already intense life change.
3. The Process Will Take Time
Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can make a transfer happen in any less than a semester. Not only do you need time to find which new school is right for you, you need the time to physically apply, all the while keeping up with your current studies. You should treat this like you did your initial college application process. That means campus visits, interviews where applicable and backup schools. If you place your bet on the fact that you’ll get into Dartmouth College and don’t, you could be looking at another semester at a place you don’t like if you don’t have other options or the time to send them applications.
4. Not All of Your Credits May Transfer
If you’re going to transfer to a different college, you should be aware that not all of your credits may transfer with you. Do extensive research about each prospective school’s articulation agreements. You may not be able to avoid certain losses, but you can at the very least prevent yourself from getting excited about a place that won’t honor what you’ve already accomplished.
5. Study Hard NOW
If you think your high school grades will be enough to get you into a new school, think again. College grades are way more important when applying to a new school than your high school transcript is. Don’t give yourself another senior slide because you think your current school’s grades don’t matter. If you’re going to a new school specifically because they have a masters in accounting online you want to work toward, rocking a D in Finance 101 is going to hurt you more than your A in A.P. Calculus will help you.
Daryl Green