Ridiculous Transfer Process

Transfer Students
1

<p>I am currently undergoing the most ridiculous transfer applying process known to the modern education world.</p>

<p>I sent in my application early April to a school that I would not like to disclose (top 20 though). I had my HS guidance counselor send in my transcript, my current school to send in my transcript, and a professor to send a recommendation. </p>

<p>2 weeks later, I check the school's website and it states that they have received my application, but nothing else. Really? I have all three send the same items again.</p>

<p>3 weeks later, they tell me they finally got my professor's recommendation.</p>

<p>This time, I am getting nervous because they stop taking applications on June 2. I have my college send a transcript on overnight delivery. It costs $35. Great. I also have my guidance counselor send yet another transcript. A week later, they have only received my college transcript. They did however, receive a fax of my high school transcript, that they didn't even keep in my file, but instead threw out because they can only accept official mailed ones.</p>

<p>It is now July 2, and I asked my guidance counselor to go back to school to send yet another copy (2 weeks after he has left school and onto vacation mind you)</p>

<p>So far, it has taken me 1 application, 2 recommendations, 3 college transcripts, and 4 (and counting) high school transcripts.</p>

<p>Is this normal? Has anyone gone through something similar.</p>

<p>I am getting very worried because I definitely want to attend this school and am pretty confident I will be accepted when it is all said and done. However, I am not confident at all that their admissions office will get their crap together to make it happen. </p>

<p>I guess my main question is, how long does it take the school to tell me my financial aid package after acceptance? Whether I decide to attend or not will depend on that. It is already July 2 and I have gone through 10 weeks of waiting and disappointment of the school's ineptitude. I have serious doubts to whether I will be ready by the time they make their decision. Assuming they get my transcript this time, they will need at least 2-3 weeks to decide. It will be August already. Will I find out what my financial aid package is immediately, or will I have to wait another couple weeks? There is only so much time to get stuff done, and from what I have experienced with their offices, time is not on my side.</p>

2

<p>There are some things I have not mentioned.</p>

<p>I am applying on my own without my parents’ help. They don’t know I applied to transfer, because I know they want me to go to this school really badly, so I don’t want them bugging me about it.</p>

<p>When do they need my financial aid information? The same time as when I apply, or after my acceptance? And if it is after my acceptance, how long does it take for them to evaluate it?</p>

<p>Also, my income bracket is around the $25,000 range, what kind of financial aid package can I expect from a top 20 school? (The school is in the south, a southern ivy if you will, so you can guess if you want)</p>

3

<p>Some schools send the FA package with the acceptance letter, others send theirs later (in my experience, usually within a couple of weeks).</p>

<p>FA information is usually sent in at the same time as the application or shortly after if the tax information is not available. They can’t give you an offer without the information.</p>

4

<ol>
<li>If you can not in touch with your HS guidance counselor, try someone else in the department or the school district’s central records. They can access your transcript.</li>
<li>Whether you notify your parents or not, you should have applied for financial aid for the upcoming year already for the school you currently attend. All it takes to send your financial aid to your transfer school is to add them to the list. (Unless it’s a CSS Profile school in which case you have to send along tax information and any documents)</li>
<li>Be honest with your parents</li>
</ol>

5

<p>That’s good to hear about the FA situation. So it shouldn’t take that long. All I would have to do is to just send along my tax information. </p>

<p>Ferryboat, it’s not a matter of being honest with my parents. If I told them about it, they would be nothing but happy. I have already done all the paperwork and everything. In fact, I handled everything my senior year of high school. They would just always bug me about it and get their hopes up for the small chance that I am not accepted. Also, I think this screwed up process should only stress one person at a time.</p>

6

<p>By the way you’ve described it, it sounds like you applied to Emory. I too began the process there, sending all needed materials well ahead of time, only to have to re-send basically everything. Finally, I gave up, having decided that I’d rather go to another school I’d already heard from that was actually on top of things.</p>

7

<p>If you really want to be sure that the college gets your hs transcript, have it sent to you first (or if you can, pick it up) and then send the sealed envelope to the school.</p>

8

<p>for financial aid, you should’ve filled out fafsa and any other forms the school requires, such as the css profile, a couple months ago. FA is usually distributed on a first come, first serve basis, so turning in the forms late does not guarantee you aid, even if you have a low income. anyway, the school you’re applying to, a private school i’m assuming, might have a lot of money left over for FA still, so good luck if you haven’t filled out any forms yet… unless you’re applying to NYU… it seems they give very little FA to begin with.</p>

9

<p>It’s obvious that you applied to Emory. </p>

<p>Uh you should probably apply for aid right now or as soon as possible. They didn’t even give me an aid letter with my acceptance and I don’t even know if they would’ve. They wanted me to send my matriculation fee in before I got my aid letter which is kinda…</p>

<p>Good luck though.</p>

10

<p>If it’s that obvious, I guess this is pretty common for them huh? Am I screwed, or will I be fine? Because I’m leaning towards the latter.</p>

11

<p>If Emory’s the school you want to go to, don’t trust us or some letter opener, call and do everything possible to make sure your admissions and aid materials were received.</p>