First, congratulations on deciding to transfer! The ability to know what you need out of your college experience and choose to make a change is an extraordinary thing! You should be proud of yourself for discovering what is truly best for you.
Second of all, wow, the transfer process can be really daunting. Not only have you gone through the application process once before, but now you need to balance applying to schools while managing a college course load. Personally, this was a lot to handle, so here are some things I wish I had done before transferring.
- Analyze what you are missing: Make a list of the things you feel like you haven’t gotten out of your college experience yet. What experiences do you feel like you missed out on? What courses have you wanted to take but couldn’t? How was the student body and professor relationship? Did your institution provide you with resources beyond academics?
- Use your missing list to decide on what you want out of your next institution: Are you looking for an institution bigger or smaller than your current one? Is there a specific major offering you are looking for at your new school? What extracurriculars do you want your next institution to have? What could your next institution provide to fulfill your missing list?
- Use your “want list” to narrow down the institutions you will apply to.
- Think about what your “missing list” and “want list” say about you as a student, peer, friend, and future leader. Allow these larger ideas to guide your application: Your “want” and “missing” lists say a lot about you as a person. They show what you value in a community and your goals for the future. Allow these values and goals to shine through on your application.
- Try not to stress out too much about the future! This is way easier said than done, but truly, it will all work out. It is easy to get into the mindset that where you are going next will determine your whole future, but remember that anywhere you go, or even if you stay, you have authority and autonomy over yourself and your future. You got this!
Personally, I applied to a boatload of schools as a transfer student. I didn’t really know what I wanted, just that I didn’t want to be at my previous institution. I could have done a much better job narrowing down what I really wanted and needed out of my new school. It wasn’t until after I applied to all the schools I did, that I realized I really wanted to attend a historically women’s college and find a tight-knit community like the one here at Scripps. Thus, I recommend figuring this out before you apply, but either way, you are on the right path. Transferring is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself, and I hope the process works out just the same for you.
If you have any questions, are in need of advice, or just want to talk out the transfer process as related to Scripps, feel free to email me! I love getting emails from prospective students and will try my hardest to answer as best as I can! [email protected]