Guide to Transferring Colleges

It's been said for years that our time in college will be our greatest experience in life. College provides a fantastic environment for strict academics while also serving as a last chance for teenagers to have fun before becoming full-fledged members of the workforce. If you feel all of your work is too easy and there's no room for you to learn, or if you simply don't like the kids you're encountering, what's the point in staying at your school? Transferring may at first seem like a far-off pipedream, but it's actually quite easy. There are plenty of print and online resources available to make the application and transition processes as easy as possible.

Before applying anywhere, you need to find a new school which can fulfill your needs. The best books to look for schools in are the Princeton Review (http://www.princetonreview.com/ ) and Fiske Guide to College (http://www.fiskeguide.com/ ). Both books have the best 300-400 colleges in the United States, along with tons of stats, rankings, and testimonials from current students. The best web resource is by far Collegeboard.com; a website with a plethora of colleges and universities to choose from, featuring an extremely competent search engine. The most important element in searching for a school is to see which schools have your major available. Once you've sorted your list by major, start to narrow down your choices individually (it should be noted that some schools don't allow transfer students to apply in a certain major. All schools have these excludable majors listed, as you'll soon learn to look for).

You should have a pretty long list now that you've sorted schools by your major. This is where your personal preference matters. Start searching through each college and try to get a feel for it. Peruse through the university's website, see if you can take a virtual tour. Collegeboard, much like Princeton Review and Fiske, has plenty of information to scour through, info such as demographics, majors, acceptance rates, deadlines, financial aid resources, student clubs and organizations and much more.

Again, personal preference is a key aspect at this stage. If you want a school more focused on academics, be sure to look at the acceptance rate (don't get caught up in thinking this is the most important aspect in judging if a school has good academics, the acceptance rate is a only an indicator), the spread of high school graduating GPAs and class percentile, academic & accelerated learning programs, study options and the percentage of students in certain majors (for example if you're an English major, look for a liberal arts school which has around 8% or higher of the student body as English majors. Anything less means the school isn't necessarily aimed at that major). If you're looking for more of a social scene, look for the amount of students involved with the Greek society. Also look at their sport teams (see how many Division I teams they have and if they have a good record), as there seems to be a common trend between schools which excel in sports and schools which are known as party schools.

Now looking at these elements, begin to narrow down your list to only the schools you're interested in. Once you have this list at a comfortable amount, being to assemble all of the resources needed to apply. Collegeboard is the best resource available at this stage of transferring. The most important thing to look at for now is the deadline. As a rough guideline, if you're applying for the Fall semester most schools want your application and other resources submitted and in their hands by around March 15^th, while applying for the Spring semester usually results in a November 15^th deadline (this date changes with every university, to see when everything needs to be submitted for your school look under the "Deadlines" tab in Collegeboard, under "Transfer Students" toward the bottom. Some schools also have a rolling deadline, meaning rather than having a deadline the school stops admitting students when they've decided they have enough).

Make sure you do all of your looking ahead of time, since you'll need a bit to assemble everything you need to apply. To see what a college is looking for in transfer students, which is DIFFERENT from what they're looking for in incoming freshmen, look under the "Admission" tab, and scroll down to transfer students. Here you will find the amount of transferees previously accepted and enrolled, what grade levels and terms the college is accepting and what resources they find the most important. While each college looks for different things in a student, most schools look at your recent college GPA and the amount of credits which will successfully transfer over. Here is a rundown of the most important things you will need:

College Application: This, along with your current college transcript, is the most important thing you will need to submit. See if your prospective school accepts applications online or if they must be mailed in. Many schools are now accepting the Common Application (https://www.commonapp.org/), a simple form which can be sent to all of the schools which accept it, to replace the need of rewriting the same information on different applications. Make sure you submit your application on time, and be wary of the cost of it (most applications cost $50-$75, with the fee being potential waived if you qualify).

College Transcript: This is just as important as your college application. You can formally request your transcript online via your college website or through your admissions building at your current school. If you choose to get your transcript in person, make sure it is in a sealed envelope. Schools will not accept a transcript which isn't sealed.

High School Transcript: This is also extremely important, although if you have enough college credits most schools won't mind if your high schools grades weren't the best. College grades are more recent and reflect your current ability as a student, so they're weighted heavier than high school grades. Contact your former high school through email or telephone. Most high school guidance centers will offer to mail a copy to the school you're applying to, if not then you might have to pick up a copy in person.

These are the things that are absolutely mandatory for all schools. Below you'll find items that most schools will either want to see or will better your chances of admittance if you submit them:

Standardized Test Scores: Some schools require them, some don't. It really depends on how many college credits you've already completed. It's also a mixed bag on how they weigh your scores with your other admission factors. If you find your scores lacking a little, don't fret. The most important factor is most definitely your college grades, which you're capable of improving if you need to. Collegeboard send your scores to the SATs, SAT IIs, ACTs, or whatever other standardized tests you've taken for a fee. Give them 3-4 weeks to send your scores; otherwise you'll have to pay for express delivery which costs significantly more.

Letter of Recommendation: Try to obtain a letter of recommendation from your college advisor, a recent professor or even your college dean. If you choose a letter from your professor, try to get one from a recent class you took, as their word will describe your most current academic performance. It will look bad if you're applying as an entering junior and you get a recommendation from a freshmen year professor, unless you were involved in some kind of academic program outside of the classroom with that teacher.

Essay or Personal Statement: Colleges want to make sure you're capable of writing. Most schools will have their essay topics listed on their application or website, but the most common seem to include: why you left your current college, why you chose the school you're applying to, how you would fit into the school you're applying to, or simply show a desire to learn. If a school doesn't require an essay, it is still encouraged to write one.

Resume & List of Extra-Curricular Activities: List off all recent jobs you're had (I recommend all the jobs within the past two years, unless you've had significant work experience before that), along with any sports, clubs, or organizations you were involved with during college and the last two years of high school (from what I've seen most colleges don't care about activities from freshmen or sophomore year of high school, again stressing your most up-to-date records). Most schools don't want strict bookworms; they want well-rounded students who are academically and socially capable. Positions of leadership are most important here.

Interview: Interviews help the Board of Admissions put a face and a personality toward all of the paperwork you're submitting. They're usually recommended only, since it would be unfair to expect every applicant to make their way to the school. If you're a great conversationalist or are generally people-oriented, then an interview can only help you. I've never personally conducted an interview with a school, but it could be the extra step needed to be accepted.

I've applied to many transfer schools by now, and from my personal experience the best way to be accepted seems to be from getting the best grades possible, recently, in the classes which are aimed toward your major. If you accomplish this, everything else submitted seems to just seal the deal that you're the student your applied school wants.

Once all of these records are submitted, it's time to simply sit back and wait. I recommend using this time to visit the colleges you've applied to. Most colleges offer a website which tracks everything you've submitted, some even offer their decision before they mail it out. Expect much mail in the coming weeks from all of your schools, mostly thanking you for your interest and confirmation of receiving your application.

You'll soon receive acceptance or rejection letters from your potential future schools, and if you're accepted, congratulations! Acceptance letters are similar to the letters you received while applying to schools as a freshmen - they'll detail your financial aid reward if you're filled out a FAFSA, and will possibly detail your future orientation. The only difference now is that the school will outline which credits they've accepted and which they haven't. It's rare that a school accepts every course you've taken in college, so expect around 50-75% of your credits to transfer over. This may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that you can always take general-education courses at your local community college during the summer and have those transfer over, or possibly take some necessary classes online. Focus on taking classes in your major first, with gen-eds taking a backseat for now.

Now just wait for your orientation (schools have separate orientations for transfer students and incoming freshmen), and enjoy your new school! Good luck!