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After completing her first year at college, my daughter returned home and informed me she wishes to transfer. The problem is that deadlines to apply for fall admission passed months ago. She is now looking into transferring in the spring.
Here's my question: will it hurt my daughter's chances of acceptance if she doesn't return to her school in the fall but instead attends the local state (SUNY Albany)? She is looking to apply to some competitive schools (top choice being Barnard). She was valedictorian of her graduating class and has continued her academic excellence with a 3.97 GPA this past year in her colleges honors program. Her activities at college were numerous, including Mock Trial, a weekly tutoring program, joining a sorority and election as an executive board member and chair of the member education on the Model United Nations Team.
I don't want to hurt my daughter's chances of geting into a college where she will be happy. However, we would be saving over $15,000 by sending her to a state school (plus if she does transfer in the spring financial aid will be nonexistent). Any opinions or suggestions would be a great help. Thanks

By Dadster on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 08:06 pm: Edit

Hi, WM. There are really two key questions in your post. First, there's the issue of whether a transfer app might be affected by attending a differnt school in the fall. Second, there's the unstated question of "is it worth the money to go to Barnard or wherever"?

It might be worth sitting back and talking about what your daughter expects from the other school, and how much your family can afford to contribute to that cause. (There are some great reasons to go to a school like Barnard - the location on Broadway in Manhattan, the urban cultural and other opportunities, the CU degree, the bright and diverse pool of classmates, etc.) I'd ask her to explain her motivation, though, mostly to get her to think through her reasoning if she hasn't done so already. Then, you have to decide on the funding issue - will she need to take out loans for part of it, etc.

Getting back to the first question, I suppose she could apply to transfer either way, but it would seem like her chances might be slightly better if she had some continuity of activities. It sounds like she got off to a strong start in that area. She'd be starting over at the local SUNY. I wouldn't force her to go back to someplace she hates, though - the consequences of that could be worse.

Good luck with this decision!

By Sally R. on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 - 10:00 pm: Edit

Here's another way to stop worrying, Mom. Since your daughter already has a pretty good idea of where she wants to land (and that's one good reason to stop worrying right there!) you shouldn't hesitate to call the office of admission at Barnard. Ask to speak to a counselor who handles transfers; there should be at least one. (Hint: If the transfer counselor isn't available, try to call back at a more convenient time, but if she's away for a while, most staff members should be able to help, too.)

Explain your dilemma directly to your Barnard admission contact. Chances are, with your daughter's strong record, a money-saving semester at a state college WON'T be a liability, but don't hesitate to ask. Be sure to record the name of the person you spoke with and the date of the call. (And, while you're at it, you can find out if there are any last-minute vacancies for the fall. If you are not applying for financial aid, there is always a chance that the summer "melt," as admission folks call it, was a little slushier than expected.)

I think that parents and students tend to overlook admission officers as the best source of information about a particular college's policies. Sure, sometimes the "party line" you get from these people will deviate from the "real story" that you and your family encounter, but, at least in this case, the Barnard transfer rep should give you the straight scoop. Good luck.

By Not so WorriedMom on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 08:35 am: Edit

Thank you so much Dadster and Sally for your excellent advice. Finding this website has been such a saving grace. There is so little information and support out their for transfer students. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again

By Sally R. on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 11:50 am: Edit

Actually, I wrote a book specifically for transfer students. It's called *The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges* (by Sidonia Dalby and Sally Rubenstone). The bad news is that it's way old (e.g., the Internet wasn't even a household word when this went to press nearly a decade ago.) In fact, there will be a revised version coming out--but too late for you and your daughter. The good news, however, is that you can buy the book new or used on Amazon.com, and there's not a single reason to spring for a new copy. While you certainly won't get up-to-date info on topics like Web searches and electronic applications, for three dollars and some change you'll find lots of answers to such general questions as "Is it harder or easier to get in as a transfer?" "How can I be sure I won't make another wrong choice?" and "What do admission officials most seek in a transfer applicant?"

Of course, you can also ask your own questions right here on this site, and I'll try to answer them for free (but keep the old You-Get-What-You-Pay-For adage in mind!).

Again, good luck.

By Jim Stewart Sr. on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 02:23 pm: Edit

My son is a freshman at Syracuse University (Newhouse School). Financially I'm not going to be able to keep him there. We reside in Georgia and he wants to transfer to UGA in the spring. He has 18 AP credits and will have 13 more at the end of this semester. He was offered admission to UGA this fall and also was offered entrance to the Honors College. What do you think his chances are of getting in this spring?