Thinking Transfer….Time is Now
So some of you have experienced college for almost a year or perhaps more than one year, and you have decided you want to change to another school for a variety of reasons. Some people want to advance to a school that has better programs in a chose major; others need to be nearer to home and family, and yet, still others simply feel they need to change. So the idea of transfer is what you have been discussing and thinking about. Well if you want to start in the Fall of 2018, many schools have deadlines for this closely approaching.
You need to start the transfer applications now. There is a Common Application for transfers, and some schools, not on the Common Application, have a separate application for transfers. So you might have to fill out more than on application. Some schools, especially large state university systems, have a rolling admission approach for transfers, so you might be able to wait until the end of the semester and still make the change before Fall. If your grades for the last semester are a little shaky, you might want to wait until you have the spring semester grades.
If you are ready to go, and your last semester grades are good, then start the applications NOW. Some deadlines are February 1, 15th, or March 1st. As state previously, there are also some rolling admissions programs that will take applications up to summer dates.
Great news, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE YOUR SAT OR ACT again!!! No more tests for the transfer.
Some applications have complicated supplement essays. I recently completed working with one student who was applying to ten schools. We had to do the Common Application and one other to cover all ten schools. We had 16 essays that were required. So you really have to start now.
You will have to write one main essay as to why you want to transfer. Please include your successes at your current college, and what you hope to gain from your transfer, and how you will contribute and grow by moving schools. Please make this essay about what you are gaining and keep the tone positive. This is not about what you do not like about where you are leaving.
You must send you SAT or ACT scores to the schools you are transferring. So go on those websites and release your scores again. Also you must have your high school transcripts sent to the schools. Email the administrator in your high school, and make sure you have the entire list. Some schools will charge you to do this, so have a credit card or some way to pay for these transcripts to be sent. Then if you are ready to apply right now, and do not need this semester’s grades to go, order your current college transcripts to be sent to all the schools as well. You can typically do this online through your school portal. Select the Registrar, and fill out an order for every school-again some schools charge for this, so have a credit card ready to pay. You will get confirmations emailed from the test sites and your college. Be sure to request confirmation to be emailed to you from your high school.
A word of warning about grades, understand if the school you are seeking does grade leveling or deflation. Yes, many schools do deflate incoming grades, which can be a problem for some. Some schools will also NOT TAKE all your credits, so you might not have enough credits accepted to enter the grade you feel you are…..some schools will actually offer you the option of what year you want to transfer in as….others will accept more credits by deflate. So you might have a nice 3.6 cumulative GPA< but starting in the new school, you might now have a 2.9. If this is something you do not want, you should rethink your transfer to these schools.
Then you must have your resume done and ready to upload as many schools ask for a resume. If you do not have a template, ask us for one, and we will send to you for FREE. If you had a resume from high school that you used to apply to college, find it. Update it.
Next, you must do the questions for each college, and this is where you will find supplement essay questions. Some colleges actually have a formal writing supplement. If the supplement is included in the questions, the essays are typically shorter than the main essay, but if there is separate writing supplement it is usually a long essay. You much think about these topics very sincerely. You should have researched the college you are applying to, and know why you want to attend that particular school. Often these essays are not similar but specific to the school. So, you really need to put in the effort to learn and write thoughtfully.
You must submit as soon as you have everything done. Get the applications in and some will send you a confirmation code. You much use this confirmation code and the link sent to check every week to see that your transcripts have been received, along with your test scores from the past. If they are still missing a couple of weeks out, follow up.
Now, it is in your best interest to get influencers to help you. You must have recommendations from teachers for many schools, but many will also accept personal letters of reference. This is where you need to get support and showcase your connections. It is especially cogent if your influencers are connected to the college you are applying to….be thoughtful and judicious about asking for a referral. This is a kindness, and you should be appropriately grateful for such help.
There are many pieces to this puzzle, but it is good to do it systematically, and keep track of what you are doing on a sticky or even plain on paper. Do your follow-up as well. And good luck. If you need support from a professional, please contact us.