<p>-Did any of you who successfully transferred encounter any animosity from your college while in the process of transferring? How did you deal with it? I've heard a few horror stories and I'd like to avoid some of the problems one of my friends had. </p>
<p>When did you tell your advisor that you wanted to transfer? I'm going to stay where I am for the first year. I'm an incoming freshman and I don't want my advisor to think that I'm making a rash decision and therefore not take me seriously.</p>
<p>Don't tell your advisor until second semester. S/he will think you're just trying to adjust to college if you tell him/her right off the bat and s/he won't take you seriously. Then when second semester comes around, get your paperwork for him/her and calmly explain why the school isn't right for you.</p>
<p>The most difficult people to persuade for transfer are your professors and class dean. My friend and I felt very bad after we told them but we persisted to gain their support. I don't think my former class dean is still convinced LOL</p>
<p>i told my dean that i was going to take a risk and i was going to follow a dream. not much she could say to that, so she kind of lamely replied "well, good luck, let me know if you get in".</p>
<p>of course, later i did think they were trying to prevent me from transferring because it took her FOREVER to send a letter she was required to send as part of my application... so a word of advice, check with the school(s) you're applying to transfer to and make sure they've gotten every bit of info that your current school "promised" to forward to them!</p>
<p>You have to give every school at least one semester. Don't say anything until second semester, if you can. Also, try to give your current school the fairest shot you can. You might very well end up liking it -- or hating your transfer school.</p>
<p>I didn't tell anyone I wanted to transfer (aside from close friends I had known since high school) until second semester and the applications were going out. My dean and professors were very helpful with filling out forms and writing recommendations (of course, I was very respectful towards them and the school and just said that it wasn't the fit that I needed). My advisor wasn't so helpful, because she kept insisting that I follow the track of a normal student, which would have left me missing some of the requirements for some of the schools I wanted to transfer to. I just went to the dean and had him override my schedule to make it how I needed it to be to transfer.</p>
<p>So, after all that, basically my advice is to wait until second semester to tell your dean/professors/advisor/etc. Build respect first, then let them know. I think that will make them respect your decision more and be more willing to help out.</p>
<p>Why do your schools seem to care so much? Are you all that close with your advisors/dean that they are personally invested in you staying at the school? You chose them in the first place. It's your education and experience and there are most likely thousands of students in your graduating class, I doubt that your advisor and dean really care THAT much that you want to try a new school. They may want to keep their retention rate up, but you're one person out of everyone who is leaving. No big deal. Do you all attend schools with really small student bodies?</p>
<p>well, RKATC, I transferred from Washington University in St. Louis to Sarah Lawrence College.
I was in the art school at Wash U, which has about 40 to 50 students per year. All art students have the same dean their first semester, and yes she does try to get close with all of them. She was also the person who interviewed me when I was applying so I had a history with her.</p>
<p>Naturally, if you are a good enough student to have a chance of being accepted for transfer at another college, you are someone they would want to keep at their college, no? I thought it was very nice of her to care so much, but it didn't sway my decision to transfer.</p>
<p>dpinmiami is right, respect is key. You can curse your current school and tell your dean all the horrible things you hate about it if you want, but if you need her to write a recommendation for you (as I did) that is probably not the best way to stay on her good side.</p>