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Transferring Colleges
I want to transfer to a university after I complete two years of general education at a junior college. I want to know if I need my SAT scores in addition to the credits that I will be transferring to the university?
You'll have to check each university to which you want to transfer. Many will not require SAT scores or your high school academic record if you have achieved at least 30 hours or so (1 year) of credits in the college.
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I took a semester off from college about six months ago. I have been working, and I want to return to college but with a totally different major: pre-law to physical therapy. Will this affect my chances of getting in to a good college? Also, do I have to include recommendation letters? I dont know any professors or high school teachers that would give me recommendations.
It sounds like you not only took a semester off, but you are also changing colleges. The process you'll go through is simply to apply. You'll need your transcript from your previous school, and those courses which apply to your new major will get transferred. As for recommendations, they may be required, and if so, you'll have to deal with that. Good luck.
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I am an international student. What is the difference in applying to an American college as a freshman or as a transfer student? Which is better? How do I get financial aid?
Some colleges accept transfer students and some don’t. Usually, a student goes to a community college with the idea that he or she is going to end up at some bigger named college or university as a transfer. The reason you should understand your goal is because you want to be taking courses that will actually transfer as college credit to the particular school you ultimately plan to graduate from. Students approach college as a transfer for a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t have the money for the bigger school but want to begin racking up college credit. Maybe they don’t have the grades for the bigger school and want to show they can do colleg e level work. Maybe they aren’t ready for a big school atmosphere or to be far from home. However, when you enter a community college with the idea of transferring, keep your eye on your ultimate goal and make sure the effort you make will be worth it. As for financial aid, see some of the questions below, but keep in mind that some American programs may not be available to international students. The financial aid office of the colleges in which you are interested can advise you.
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I am a freshman at the University at Albany. I am very interested in transferring to Cornell University for the fall 1996 semester. What do you think I need to have (academically) to make this dream possible?
OK, first, let me say that I am not an expert on Cornell’s admissions criteria. Second, I’m going to assume that you applied to Cornell out of high school and for whatever reason, didn’t get in. Every university has a unique transfer policy; many schools welcome transfer students with open arms and go out of their way to make it easy for them to do so. Your first step in making your dream come true is to find out what Cornell’s policy is. Call the school’s undergraduate admissions office, tell them you’re interested in transferring, and ask for all the appropriate information. As a prospective transfer student, you will need to structure your current academic work so that it will transfer as credit for graduation to Cornell. This means you need to review Cornell’s requirements for graduation and begin to work toward that goal even though you are not a student there. This will likely require some contact with Cornell to ensure that the courses you are taking in Albany do transfer in the way you expect. Keep in mind, though, that you may eventually want or need to finish at Albany so it is best to try and take courses that “work” at both schools. The Back Door. This does not work at every school and has an element of risk, but I’m going to lay this out for you as truly an alternative for dreamers. Many universities have an evening college or continuing education school where you can take co urses offered by the regular university, often at the same time of day. The difference is that 1) you are not a degree candidate; and 2) you aren’t going to get certain benefits of other students (like the option of living on campus which, for freshmen, lessens the college experience). The strategy here is to rack up a number of hours (maybe 30-50) toward your intended major, then apply to the school for admissions as a degree candidate. If you’ve done well in these prior courses, the school typically admits you as a degree candidate. Again, there is always the possibility that you won’t get in, but if you discuss this possibility with Cornell openly, you may feel good enough about your chances to give it a try. I know a number of students who have gained admissions to colleges and earned degrees by this back door admissions approach. But by all means, apply to the school first as a transfer student. Good luck with your dream.
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I would like to transfer to a college in California, but I really don't know how to go about getting scholarships. What should I do?
Your best bet is to contact the financial aid office of the school to which you’d like to transfer and ask for information on scholarships. Also, check through the questions below; many address financial aid concerns.
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When transferring from one college to another in your freshman or sophomore year, are your SAT scores regarded? Also, how much would my minority status help, if at all, in the admissions process?
Of course, depending on the school, SAT scores for students who are transferring are weighted from a little to a lot. If your scores are high, no sweat. If they are low, I believe your transcript, assuming it is good, affords you the opportunity to say, “See, I can do college level work.” As for your minority status, schools do admit without regard to such factors. Still, behind the scenes, they are looking for diversity among the student body and seek balance. If your minority status helps achieve that, so much the better for you.
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My son is currently a college sophomore with a paltry 2.303 cumulative GPA. He sent in an application for transfer to another school and was rejected. After inquiring about the possibility of appealing the school's decision on his admission, they responded by saying it was possible, in lieu of "new academic information" which hadn't been previously brought to their attention. My question is: does this "new information" they refer to mean his current semester's final grades, or could it include high school grades, SATs, ACT, and AP Exams (none of which were given to them, as they said it wasn't necessary). At any rate, what do you suggest he do?
I think anything that enhances his academic standing would be of benefit. If his current grades are significantly different, not only would it enhance his overall GPA, but would demonstrate that he is capable of more. Once a student has college experience, however, test scores like the SAT and ACT play less of a role (often no role) in the decision process. My first step would be to encourage my son to have a face-to-face meeting with the admissions office at the new school.
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I am a second semester freshman at a well known liberal arts college in New England. I was terrified my senior year of high school about not getting accepted at any of my "top choice" colleges and, in a panic, applied early decision here. And now I'm miserable. I wish I'd applied elsewhere, and would like to transfer. The problem is, I want to transfer to one of those top choice schools. My GPA is barely a 3.0 here, and my state of mind has a lot to do with that. I did very well in high school (took 5 APs, and scored all 4s and 5s), but am afraid that my college record does not reflect my academic ability. Is there any way to explain this to an admissions office? Or am I just making excuses?
Tough situation. Without knowing your college preferences, it’s hard to say how to approach the situation. Transferring to a selective college with a 3.0 GPA is most likely possible, and I would check it out. But check it out by meeting with the admissions office of your intended college, not through applying. You might also be able to identify another college, particularly a state school, where you would be happier and where transferring is more likely. It is very difficult to erase a year’s worth of college in the application process. And, of course, getting in anywhere for the Fall ’96 is going to be next to impossible at this stage of the game. The other problem with transferring is that you often can’t secure living space on campus, and so you miss some of the “college experience.” But there is no way I’d spend three more years in hell. Find a college that you’ll enjoy and do whatever it takes to get in.
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I have transferred to three colleges already. The first one was an art school, then I went back to community college, then I transferred to a 4-year university. Do you think it's a good idea that I want to transfer again? Times are hard for me and I'm not really happy here.
I suggest you look for a pattern in your eventual decision to transfer with each of these schools. Are there real external negative things happening at the school, or are you just finding it difficult to make the effort to adjust to each new situation? One possibility is that you might have unrealistic expectations for your college education (that is, your college will fulfill you and make you happy). Or, are there real, legitimate factors (too expensive, no support from professors, etc.) that are guiding each of your decisions to transfer? If it's the former, I suggest you try to stick it out for at least a year in the place you're at now and see if it starts to turn around for you. I had a difficult first year of college myself, but I decided to just stay and see what happened, and by the time I was a senior I was so sad to graduate...I loved the school and my professors and community there by the end of my four years. Sometimes it just depends on the amount of effort you're willing to put in to connecting and making a place your own. Do you think you've really put in an honest effort? If there are circumstances going on in your life that are beyond the scope of this question, then that's something different from whether you just don't feel "completely happy." Does that make sense? You know better than me your specific situation. I am sorry that times are hard for you. Whatever you decide, I do thank you for seeking out advice from me...and hopefully you are seeking advice from other trusted people too. Take care.
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Can I transfer colleges after the first semester?
There's nothing that says you can't, but I'd encourage you to consider all the pros and cons of doing so. Probably not all of your credits will transfer, so just keep that in mind. Also, if you are receiving financial aid from the current school, that probably will not transfer unless a) it's a federal grant or loan, or b) you can earn new financial aid through the new school. I'd say, sit with yourself for a while and take time to reflect on what would be the
advantages and disadvantages of transferring (consider the impact your decision could perhaps have on your emotions, academics, and relationships). Sometimes it takes more than a semester to really adjust or settle into any sort of comfort at college, so keep that in mind as well. Good luck in your decisions.
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I was recently conditionally accepted to a Cal State University as a transfer student. I sent them my transcripts from the previous Cal State University I attended. I also attended an intersession at The Art Institute that I thought was regionally accredited, but it wasn't. I dropped out before finishing. Do I have to send Cal State the transcripts from this school since they aren't accredited? If I don't, will they find out?
Congratulations on your conditional acceptance to Cal State. As a general rule, if a university asks for all former transcripts, omitting any transcripts is a bad decision. If you explain your decisions, the transcript you mentioned won't likely hurt your admission. However, hiding a transcript could. My best advice is to call the admissions office, explain the nature of this transcript, and ask if it should be included. If you are unable to find an answer this way, include all former transcripts and air on the side of safety. If ever in doubt about whether a university will "find out," always assume they will. Dishonesty of any sort can come back to haunt you and your academic record.
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I am interested in transferring to a university after a year of community college. I did poorly in high school, and I have heard that if you plan to transfer within the first year of community college, universities tend to look back at your high school transcripts. I want to avoid that as much as possible by maintaining a 4.0 my first year and by joining as many clubs possible. Any other suggestions?
It's great that you're already planning to turn things around and succeed during your first year. Likely, if your transcripts from community college demonstrate improvement, high grades, and extra curricular activities, these strong points will mean much more to an admissions committee than your older high school transcripts. While a university will certainly pay attention to your past transcripts, I wouldn't let that get in the way of your new commitment to improve. My best advice is to focus hard during your first year of community college and make sure your transcript reflects a commitment to your education. Joining several clubs is a great idea, but make sure you join clubs that you have an active interest in pursuing.
Freshman year requires strategies to balance academics with other things like clubs, healthy living, networking, and getting to know your professors. Finally, there are some good universities that are considered "non-competitive," that don't put as much emphasis on past grades in their admissions decisions. You can get a copy of Barron's Profiles of American Colleges to find out which schools are more forgiving of past performance. Congratulations on making a plan and moving forward with your education, and good luck!
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I'm currently a freshman at Fordham University. I hope to transfer to a different college for next year. For my first semester, I earned four B's and one D. Although it's only one D, it ruins my entire GPA. (It was in a required class that has always been a subject of weakness for me.) Do I still have a chance of getting into schools that expect at least a B average (for example, UD and UMD), or should I not even try? Is there anything I can do to help my chances?
The best thing you can do is strengthen your GPA as well as your performance in the weak subject area. You certainly still have a chance of getting into a university, but you will likely need to raise your GPA to the minimum requirement before you apply. Try on-campus tutoring, and check with your adviser to see if it is possible to retake the course to improve the grade. While it's true that you won't have great chances of acceptance if your GPA does not meet the minimum, it is possible to raise your GPA. Meet with your adviser as soon as you can to discuss your plans and strategies to improve the transcript. Moreover, don't forget that grades are only part of what admission committees look at. Your test scores, extracurricular and community activities, recommendations and essays can often tip the balance in your favor. I encourage you to get involved in a few activities and devote some meaningful time to them. Don't give up hope -- it is certainly not impossible to transfer. You'll just have to work for it!
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