Let’s face it: the college search is quite the process! You make visits, speak with admissions and students and tour guides and then you fill out form after form and wait for your happy little acceptance letter in the mail. Sometimes, just sometimes, even after all your hard work – you might need a college transfer. Here are a few reasons why you may end up transferring colleges and what you can do now to avoid it!
Lower Columbia College / Lower Columbia College (LCC)
Change of Major – So you thought you really wanted to be an Engineer but you didn’t realize there was all of that Math or maybe after sampling a few different types of class subjects you’ve changed your mind and your new proposed major isn’t even offered at your current college.
Transfer Fix: Before you officially decide on a college, make a list of possible career paths and see if your school offers at least a few of the college majors you might be interested in – check out the strength of those majors at the school, too, if you can. It could save you the headache of having to do the college hunt all over again in a year!
Commuter college – Everyone packs up and heads home on the weekends. That’s fine if that’s what you want to do but what if you live too far away from family and old friends? How did you miss that one?
Transfer Fix: When you visit a college, after your official college tour, make sure to talk to actual college students. Find out if there’s anything to do on the weekend, if there are various scheduled activities or events throughout the week, and if everyone sticks around or takes off.
Not what you expected – Maybe you didn’t do your research. Maybe, for whatever reason, the campus just isn’t a good college fit for you. For whatever reason, things have changed, even you have changed in the past year, and the things that initially drew you to the campus might not be what you want right now. For example, did you think you wanted a small campus and now find yourself feeling suffocated or maybe you thought you wanted a big campus and feel more like a number than a student.
Transfer Fix: Sometimes, even after making a college campus visit and doing all the research that you are “supposed” to do, when you actually get to college you find it isn’t what you expected. Every campus is different so before you think “drop-out” you might want to think “college transfer.” Now that you are older and wiser you might be better equipped after a year of college to realize what it is you are really looking for. A college transfer might be the way to go.
You can’t get over your dream school – Still pining for your dream school and wishing you were there? Were you shot down for admission because you lacked a crucial subject like Chemistry or enough years in a foreign language? Maybe you did everything “right” but since they can’t take everyone…you didn’t make it in.
Transfer Fix: If you are still thinking about your dream school a whole year later, you might want to apply for a college transfer. Maybe now that you have been involved in college campus activities, have a great GPA, and some community service under your belt, the college that turned you away might just welcome you with open arms. Visit them again and see if you feel the same, then see what steps you have to take to make that dream school your school!
There is no magical solution to preventing a college transfer (and potential loss of college credits!). The college campus visit is very important, just like talking to actual students and trying to get a feel for a college before you dive right in. Meet with your student advisor when you need a little guidance and see what other options there are before you transfer.
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