<p>Hi parents! I posted this question on the Transfers forum but wanted to repost on here to get some parents' perspectives...</p>
<p>I'm thinking of applying for transfer into the Spring instead of the normal fall semester since by this upcoming fall I will be completely done with all my lower division/general ed courses. My main concern would be what, if any, major differences and disadvantages (or advantages) there would be to those who transfer in the spring. If any of you know someone or has a child(ren) who transferred to another school in the spring, your input would be appreciated!</p>
<p>**-Many colleges have good orientation programs and welcome events specifically for transfers in the fall, but not all have them in the spring</p>
<p>-Year-long classes, which almost always start in fall, are off-limits, as are semester-long classes with a Part I and a Part II, where Part I is the prerequisite and is only offered in fall</p>
<p>-You may be plunked in a shared room with the roommate no one else could live with during the first term. In fact, your housing options may be limited to wherever there is space. Although fall transfers are usually low on the room-draw pecking order, too, spring transfers are more apt to end up in a dorm where there are no other sophomores or juniors, or whatever you are, or in the noisy triple next to the lounge or bathroom … or both :eek:</p>
<p>-It can be harder to integrate yourself into dorm life in general when coming in mid-year **</p>
<p>But none of these drawbacks are always true and none should be deal-breakers, either. In fact, on some campuses being the only newcomer (or one of just a small handful) in the dorm at the start of the second semester can even be a plus since other students may be looking for a fresh face to brighten up a gray winter.</p>
<p>One of the biggest dis advantages is while generally there is limited financial aid for transfer students, there will probably be even less for spring transfers as most of the allocated finacial $ is already used.</p>
<p>At my school, from what I understand through people I’ve met in our transfer organization, spring transfer pretty much guarantees you will get the worst housing if any housing, and it is even harder to make friends than it is as a transfer student to begin with-- and it can be pretty hard. All of the above are true, too. But it really depends on the school and what they have to offer to transfer students.</p>
<p>Another issue is that there are often fewer spots open for transfer students in the Spring. People tend to think spring is less competitive, but it is often the opposite.</p>
<p>Some schools (many of the UCs for example) may not accept spring transfers. You really need to check each UC and your major.</p>
<p>For example, from the UC Irvine website:</p>
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<p>If you can transfer to the university you’d like and into the major you want and get classes that you need, I don’t see a problem with transferring in the spring.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone! I decided to stay with entering in the fall due to a lot of negatives that comes along with a spring entrance (financial aid, housing, etc)…so thanks again!</p>
<p>People do a lot of bonding in the first few weeks of school. By the time you get there, they’ve figured out their study group, their eating group, etc. Don’t let that stop you. Plan on making time to join some groups that interest you and take some classes that get you interacting one-on-one (ballroom dancing as a PE choice for instance – or something like an extracurricular gourmet cooking class where the group reshuffles a lot for each menu). </p>
<p>It will help if you are naturally outgoing. If not, resolve that this is your chance to build your meeting people skills. If you really work at connecting, then you should feel at home by the end of the semester.</p>