I am going to be an incoming junior in college, and unfortunately I absolutely hate the campus I am on. I need a new environment and I want to transfer to a different school which is good for C.S, has an active campus life, and will not be too difficult to get into. So far I plan on applying to ASU, University of Arizona, and Purdue for Winter 2017. I want to know if applying for Winter 2017 will give me an advantage since their will be a smaller pool of applicants. I am also a California resident. Would that work in my favor since I am out-of-state? Also how much does ethnicity play a factor in admissions? Thanks for your help guys. Any advice is appreciated :>
Why don’t you just finish where you are and work hard towards the grad school you desire?
Can you afford OOS tuition? What if you have to take a fifth year due to credit transfer issues or course sequencing? I agree that sticking it out may be best. Can you go abroad for a semester?
@intparent I applied for a study abroad program, but I don’t if I have gotten in yet. Plus, I am not sure if my parents will even be comfortable with me going to a new nation all on my own. My parents are cool with me going oos, and the tuition won’t be a problem for us. I will stick it out if I have to, but I want to try my other options. Thanks for the response, but I am looking more for advice on applying as a transfer for winter semester.
@ClarinetDad16 That is an option for me, but it is the last one. Thanks for the response, but I am look more for advice on applying as a transfer for winter 2017. Plus I am not going to grad school, so I want to atleast have a good Undergrad experience.
Contact the places on your list, and ask about winter transfers. Check with the CS department as well to find out if enrolling in the winter will mean that you can’t take certain classes because they will be out of sequence. It may make better sense to just take a year off, and apply for summer/fall of 2018.
Transferring is not all that great. Friendship groups have already formed. And you might end up with a fifth year – are your parents really okay with an extra year of OOS tuition?
How many credits would you lose by transferring?
How much would that cost?
What’s the opportunity cost by pushing back getting a job?
Sometimes things just don’t work out. That’s why transfers are an option.
The only real disadvantage I see here is that almost all colleges and universities have a two-year ‘residency’ minimum, meaning that you’d have to be a student for at least two full years to be eligible for a diploma.
Because you’re a rising junior, that may mean that you’d need to add in another semester prior to graduation, regardless of how many credits/units you’re transferring in and that it may impact your intention to study abroad, if the program with your current school doesn’t work out. Note too, that not all credits/units are created equal and you’ll be at the mercy of the new school as to what qualifies.
As far as Winter '17 vs. Fall '17, for the schools you’re targeting, there doesn’t seem to be a real difference.
Have you checked with your targets to see if they’ll still entertain a transfer application for Fall '16? Since you know that you’re going to be transferring, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a call and find out.
Good luck.
What college are you currently at, and why do you dislike it?
For UA and ASU the semester of entry, OOS status and ethnicity aren’t going to be a determining factor in your admission.
Take a look at the general ed and major requirements. Classes you might think will easily meet a specific requirement might not. You will need approval from various departments on a per-class basis, and it’s a time consuming process. (This is assuming your current college does not have an articulation agreement with the school you transfer to).
Find out if there is a pre-major, and if you will be applying directly into the major. If you need to enter as a pre-major, it will add time to your degree completion and you won’t be guaranteed entry into the major.