How is applying as a transfer different from applying in HS?

I’m thinking about transferring and I’m trying to figure out which schools I can get into. For reference, I’m a college freshman. In high school, I was a decent student, not great, but good enough. I had an ACT score of 28 and a GPA of about 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. When I applied to colleges last year I probably overshot, especially considering that my major (nursing) is very competitive. I got into maybe 10 of the universities I applied to but only 5 or 6 of the nursing schools at those universities.

I am a much better student in college than I was in high school. I finished my first semester with a GPA of 3.65 on a 4.0 scale. Does that mean I can apply to more competitive colleges than I did when I applied the first time around?

Transferring as a sophomore (applying while a college frosh) will depend on both your college and high school record. Transferring as a junior (applying while a college sophomore) will depend mostly on your college record, with your high school record being of lesser (sometimes no) importance.

Merit scholarships tend to be less common for transfer students than for frosh, if that is a concern.

But what is the reason to transfer? If you are currently in a nursing program, why not stay in it through graduation (assuming 3.65 college GPA is high enough to avoid any weed-out policies)? Or is your current school too expensive?

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Thank you for the information. I am only in the preliminary stages of looking into transferring. I’m considering doing so because I’m unhappy at my current school. I’ve dealt with discrimination on campus (it’s a pretty Christian, conservative school) and it’s just not a good fit in general.

It’s very similar to the process of applying for freshman year. However, it may be a bit more challenging if you’re trying to transfer into another nursing program because spaces maybe more limited as nursing programs are often small compared to the overall student population and transfer spaces may be dependent on the withdrawal of existing students from the program/school. The fact that your college GPA is better than your HS GPA is a step in the right direction. I would not submit your ACT score if possible.

I suggest reaching out to the programs you’re considering to understand nursing acceptance rates and how your courses might transfer.

Also be aware that transfers often don’t receive the same financial aid as freshman applicants.

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A 3.65 is solid but would likely be too low for more competitive schools for nursing.