It’s that time of year. Midterms are in full swing, the pressure is on to get our grades up, and we are one step closer to ending the semester. By now, you may be in love with your school or you may be thinking that going somewhere else may be a better option for you. Either way, it’s time to decide what you want your future to look like and to take the steps to get there. If you are a person who is leaning towards transferring, here are some tips on what to expect and things you may need to watch out for in your journey.
- Expect a hefty apllication.
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While the competition among transfer applicants is less than the freshman applicants, the overall application process does not change. You’re still going to have to write those essays, send in your college, and possibly high school transcript, and possibly get a letter of recommendation from a professor. The transfer application should have a substantial amount of time put into it as well because you are most likely applying to fewer schools this time around and the time you spend putting the work into your application increases the chances of admission. The competition may be less intense for transfers, but the workload and time you should put into the application is not.
- Expect a lot of questions about transferring from your family and friends.
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You may know your reasons for why you are thinking about transferring, but your family doesn’t and this is extremely important to think about when telling your loved ones. Make sure that you have your reasons and feelings listed, or at least remembered, and be prepared to express them when explaining. Just because you understand why doesn’t mean that your family will automatically too. They may ask questions that seem to have obvious answers or just may seem silly to you, but they aren’t to them, so it’s important to be open to a long discussion without frustration.
- Expect to be conflicted a lot.
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Making the decision to transfer is not as easy as you expect it to be, not only does a lot of work go into it, but also a lot of thought. Don’t let this discourage you from doing what you think is best for you, transferring is not meant to be easy but it may be worth it in the future. When I was exploring the idea of transferring to CU, I was extremely conflicted. If you were in the same boat as I was, make a pros and cons list to get all of your thought out on paper. This is extremely helpful because it helps you feel more organized and even more prepared to make your decision. You could also talk to some family and friends about this to gain some other insights about the decision.
- Expect to possibly not graduate on time.
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If you transfer, there is the possibility that some of your credits may not transfer and will push you a step back in obtaining your degree. This is completely normal in the transfer process, but it also means that you may need to work harder to graduate on time and take some classes between the fall and spring semesters. Graduating on time, in this case, may be a little tricker, but it’s not impossible, so it’s important to know all of your options. Before you let this make your decision for you, reach out to your academic advisor at your current school to discuss what could transfer and what couldn’t. You can also reach out to someone from the department of the school you are interested in or check out their website to find out some more information.
- Expect To basically start over.
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No matter where you transfer to, whether it’s near home or if you already know people there, you’re going to be starting over. No matter where you go, you are going to be confused about getting around campus and the town for those few first weeks and will still constantly be meeting new people. I know that these two words can be a little scary when considering a transfer, it certainly was for me, but sometimes change is necessary for your life to get where you want to be.
Transferring can be a stressful and time-consuming process, but don’t let that discourage you from doing what you feel is best! Speaking as a transfer myself, the process is well worth it if you make it worth it.