IS TRANSFER IS THE ANSWER? by Dodge Johnson, Educational Consultant
from his Philadelphia Inquirer Column "Countdown to College"
Now that the long holiday vacation has ended, the Super Bowl is history and all that looms ahead are winter weather and long hours in the library, more than a few college students are wondering how long they and their school can stand each other - and whether they wouldn't be better off somewhere else.
By this point in the school year, libraries have become zoos and dorms rooms feel like cages. Idiosyncrasies that were charming in a roommate last fall are now motives for murder. And it's hard to say who finds whom more tiresome, professors or students.
Nonetheless, winter is the right time for serious assessment. The school year is more than half over. And if things aren't going well, there's time for constructive action.
Appalling numbers of people start college with the wrong attitude. A few years ago, when the American Council on Education polled 192,000 freshmen, only 53% expected to be satisfied with their college and 10% said they intended to transfer.
That's hardly the way to start a wonderful relationship.
If you're a college student thinking about transfer, the first question is whether you are giving your school a fair shot. Have you really tried to make things work?
If you and a roommate are at odds, talk it through. If your sorority feels confining, move. If courses are going badly, get help from instructors, tutors, the learning center. If you dislike your studies, perhaps your adviser or a sympathetic teacher can help you figure out why.
For blahs that seem terminal, consider an internship or co-op arrangement, an off-campus program, a change of scene as a visiting student, or perhaps earning a term's worth of credit in summer school and doing something worthwhile away from campus next fall.
If the problem is loneliness or depression or you're sitting on the sidelines of college life, head for the counseling center. Counselors aren't psychiatrists, but they are professionals. They know how to ask helpful questions and make practical suggestions. And if nothing else, they'll let you unload.
Whatever the problems, it's up to you to take initiative in dealing with them. And remember - if you decide to look elsewhere, admissions officers at prospective schools are going to ask not only what went wrong, but what you did to make things right.
When your college clearly can't meet your needs, transfer may in fact be the answer. If you fall in love with urban studies and your rural school doesn't have a major, it makes sense to shop for a college that does. If your homey campus helped you learn chutzpah, it may indeed be the right time to explore the resources of a large university.
If you've really tried, but you and your college are still oil and water, a move may be the best solution.
But transfer is tricky. Too many students find that among the baggage they unpack at their new school are the same problems they had before, so transfer solved nothing. And a surprising number transfer back.
If you decide to make the switch, here are some tips to help you along:
Some things are easier the second time around. If you gave your first search the care any significant investment demands, you are experienced in college searches. By now your interests may be more focused, and you'll know better what you're looking for. Having lived on one campus, you will recognize vital signs on another.
Other things are harder. If you live away from home, you'll have no family to push you along. There will be no guidance office. Most friends won't be in a college search, and you won't be at the same stage of life other people are or doing what they are doing. All you'll have to keep you on course will be your own energy and commitment.
Predicting acceptance is also more difficult. It's harder to judge whether you're competitive - high school grades and scores are ancient history and data on standards for transfers are hard to come by. Moreover, even if a college loves you as an applicant, their own needs will come first. These aren't always known until just before school starts - late in the summer for the fall, after Christmas for the spring.
Colleges use transfers as a way to adjust numbers - budgeting, recruiting, housing, and scheduling classes are easier if enrollments don't fluctuate. If the class you will be joining came in small, the college may add people to bring it up to strength. If it was large, it may let size drift down by not replacing students who leave.
Applicants who can plug a hole have an edge. If a college is short on classicists and long on computer jocks, you're ahead if your language is Latin rather than Pascal. If there's more space in women's housing, being a woman won't hurt.
And a warning: if a college takes large numbers of transfers and there's no steady stream coming from two-year schools, make sure it's not a revolving door.
Clients ask whether they should re-visit colleges they saw first time around. The answer is an emphatic yes. You have changed and the college may have too. So you need to confirm whether you're still right for one another. Also, if you were clueless then, you'll be a lot more savvy now.
Three other things can only be done on the spot.
One is to talk with students and faculty in any program or major you're considering. Read the fine print in the catalogue before you go, so you'll know what to ask and where to probe.
Another is to nail down which of your courses they'll accept. Don't expect credit for any grade below C or a course unrelated to the program you're entering. Do go armed with an unofficial transcript and your current college's catalogue, since a description may win you credit when a course title won't. Be prepared: it's not unheard of to be shorn of half your credits, so it pays to negotiate. Make sure that the written offer of admission will include which courses will transfer.
A third is to talk with a financial aid officer if you're currently receiving need-based aid. Policies and packages differ significantly from college to college, and aid for transfers may not be the same as for freshmen. The best time to win the best offer is before that offer is made.
If nothing else, remember your Aunt Angostura's cautionary maxims like 'marry in haste, repent at leisure' and 'look before you leap.' They apply doubly to transferring to a new college. And bear in mind too that in the dark of winter, any grass looks greener.
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