I guess I don’t see why anyone would apply to a school where they could lose a whole semester of credits. I’m clearly a novice here. Just trying to understand if it’s likely that all (or the vast majority) would transfer in some way to new school knowing that he’s at a top 20 school now and would likely send multiple apps to schools like Northwestern, Vandy, BC and more. He understand that, if he takes spring off, his list also has to have safer schools on it if he has no intention of going back to his current school.
I have a friend whose D was unhappy at Scripps. She applied widely. Got into lots of schools including ND and Emory but they didn’t take a decent number of her classes. Why apply to those schools if that’s going to be the case? Better to have an idea up front. One, two, or three classes can maybe be made up in summer or via AP credit but he can’t have many more of his classes not count at all.
I think most schools will take lower level courses…but it’s not as easy with upper level ones that they expect you to fulfill at their college. My opinion. Not based on anything but opinion.
Here are some other potential issues with transfer credit, where the policy at the target college needs to be checked:
Some courses may not be accepted at all for credit toward graduation. These may include developmental or remedial courses, courses in subject areas not taught at the new college, or specialty courses at the old college (e.g. freshman seminar).
If the new college uses a 1 course = 1 credit system:
How does it handle transfer courses with varying numbers of semester hour credits which may or may not be equivalent to 1 course at the new college?
How does it handle transfer courses from another 1 course = 1 credit college but where the equivalence in semester hour credits is different? (Note: 1 quarter hour credit = 2/3 semester hour credit.)
I think all of the schools he’s looking at have one course, one credit. 32 credits to graduate. Or some might be on the quarter system and need 36 credits (three classes per quarter, no summer, 3x3 times four years.)
If the current school is the same, that can simplify things.
That can complicate things – would a quarter system school that requires 36 courses to graduate give 1.125 of a course credit for each transfer course from a semester school that requires 32 courses to graduate?
I’m not sure but someone here told me that their D went from Richmond (semesters) to NU (quarters) after freshman year and entered as a soph just like the kids who are current students at NU. I have no idea how that works.
It is something that needs to be asked of each transfer target school where the crediting system does not make it obvious how transfer credit would work from the current school.
Check each school’s transfer admissions page - it should say something about it. I don’t have a lot of experience at it, but I know Purdue has several tools populated with course equivalencies. My kids used it to see what credit they would get for DE courses.
Ask your young friend to reach out to current students at the colleges he’s considering to ask if they have friends who transferred in and would be willing to talk to a prospective student (Facebook can help… kids seem to be able to find anyone!) I think the question will be creepy coming from an adult, but a college kid asking might get some names.
And then ask! When did you transfer, which courses transferred and which did not.
I also think your young friend should discuss this with his faculty advisor who might have experience with this!
I transferred from a college on semesters to one on quarters. The full year courses were fine…but there were things like PE where I only took one semester…and needed 2 additional quarters to complete a year. Fortunately for me…the PE requirement was eliminated….but it was a scheduling nightmare trying to schedule my PE requirement with my courses in my major.
