<p>Hi parents. It seems to me that every yr I happen to know of more and more students transfering, predominantly, after their freshman yr. I know that getting into colleges has becomin an impossible logic puzzle and the pressures associated with going to a good or prestigious institution are harsher than ever. That said, are alot of kids in my generation seem to be making the wrong decisions on where to matriculate for their undergrad careers. </p>
<p>Can anyone shed some opinion on why they think this is?</p>
<p>D1 just finished her sophomore year. Most of the kids she knows who have transferred are ones that went away from home and now want to be closer.</p>
<p>Here in Texas, we have the phenomenon known as being "capped" at UT -- you start at a satellite campus and get to go to Austin as long as you meet a certain GPA. That's how/why most of the kids I know who transfer do it.</p>
<p>My D transferred from an LAC to a mid-sized U. Her problem (one that I think is relatively common among students who transfer out of small schools) was that she did not understand the predominant social culture at her LAC, and the social fit turned out to be very poor. Students who are thinking about LACs (and small universtities, too -- any school with a population under about 4000) should figure out the school's prevailing culture before deciding to attend. If you fit in, great. Even if you don't fit in, if you are content to be part of a smaller subculture outside the mainstream, things can work out, too. But know what you're getting into.</p>
<p>I think there are almost as many reasons as there are kids. I know at my D's school they lost some to :</p>
<p>Going home to mama, daddy, boyfriend/girlfriend, friends.
Yes! I got into a school somebody has heard of!
Class? We were supposed to go to class?
I tried hard, why didn't I make an A?
Rodka vocks, pleash.
I keep getting my nose ring caught in my nipple piercing when I fall asleep in one of the required classes. </p>
<p>At others I'm sure it was:
How would I know a trustafarian wouldn't fit in that well at ORU?
The neo-goth punk scene at SMU ain't what I thought. </p>
<p>They keep teasing me about my sportcoat at Reed. I have half a mind to take off my tie and strangle somebody. </p>
<p>The parking places at Grinnell are just so tiny. My new Hummer keeps getting all scratched up in the student lot.</p>
<p>I don't know why I don't fit in. As an icebreaker I've aggressively witnessed to everybody on campus about my rebirth as a Christian. Brandeis kids just aren't that friendly, I guess. </p>
<p>I think too many are searching for a place that will make them happy rather than making themselves happy wherever they are.
"And she's buying a stairway to heaven."</p>
<p>cumedegon- you've got it :) The latter parts are definitely far and few and with some convincing, these kids do stay around.</p>
<p>I'm a transfer student who just graduated. What people don't seem to realize, I think, is the effects of transferring on the student. Even after I transferred to Colgate and decided to stay, I felt very ambivalent for a long, long time until the night before my graduation. But all around, I knew it was a good decision.</p>
<p>My friend and I both transferred out of Smith because we didn't feel comfortable in the student body culture (although I transferred to wjb's D's former school!). I transferred out for other reasons- weak history department, desire to be closer to my family (psychologically, Northampton, MA felt very isolated), and the need to take a break from the campus due to a crisis with a friend. We also both got better financial aid packages.</p>
<p>Sometimes transferring is a means of second chances for students who really wanted to go to their top choice schools. Sometimes we get so involved in our college admissions process that we forget or ignore the meaning of fit. Also, admissions for freshmen has gotten very competitive that sometimes it's worth a shot trying at applying for transferr. Brown has low freshman admissions rates but is the most transfer friendly of any of the Ivies.</p>
<p>ticklemepink: Nice to "see" you, and congrats on your graduation!</p>
<p>Curm: Hilarious. If the bottom falls out of what ever it is you're doing for a living (lawyering?), I just <em>know</em> you have a second career as a humor columnist.</p>
<p>I don't think Brown is the most transfer-friendly of the Ivies (I think that's Penn). Its acceptance rates fluctuate a lot, but last year or two years ago, it was around 3%.</p>
<p>My D is a transfer student. She will transfer as a sophomore. She liked her school, and it was a good fit socially. However, she changed her mind about what she wanted to be in life. With that change came the realization that another school - one that had been a tie for first choice when decisions needed to be made last spring - was a better place for her academically. She made the most of her freshman year & will miss her friends A LOT. She is looking forward to the classes she will be taking, though, and knows it is the best decision for her. She is not closer to home (well, 9 hours instead of 11) ... it is probably a bit less of a social fit on the face of it (although she has already met people she likes through Facebook ... there are plenty of people she can hang with) ... and she is trading a wonderful, friendly downtown for a different yet awesome downtown (and this time, the school is IN the downtown). </p>
<p>As Curmudgeon said, different reasons. He said it better, though. :)</p>
<p>two of my friends from high school both went to BU their freshman yr and are now transfering to Tulane. A friend of mine went to Syracuse with me and transfered to Tulane for second semester. I just feel like there are lots of kids out there who hear of a school and don't do enough research about it. yes, NYU does sound like a great school for me. but it wasn't until i visited and researched it the summer before senior year that i knew it wasn't the right fit, at all. thank god for that or else i might be one of thousands of kids transferring. of course, not doing research and visiting are only two of the many reasons ppl transfer.</p>
<p>My D is transferring, also, after her 1st year, for many of the reason's that kelsmom's D is transferring. She attended a mid sized university with an excellent reputation that really "sold" its program to her. However once there it became obvious that the program was really only doing lip-service to anything in the humanities and the course options were limited and not challenging or particularly interesting. She made lots of friends, did some leadership things, enjoyed the city and most definitely will miss much of it. But she chose to transfer to a smaller, offbeat LAC that has smaller classes, very diverse classes and aligns philosophically with her ideals much better. She joined the Facebook group at the LAC and found that she had a lot in common with the students there, and was envious of what she was reading and seeing them do. So, why couldn't she figure this out senior year? Well, she kind of had but went with the university with the great name pretty much based on reputation and encouragement from teachers and some family members. I know she'll succeed wherever but I think she'll be happier at the LAC.</p>
<p>The one confirmed transfer out of my daughter's class was a love triangle with the dorm RA that turned sour when RA's girlfriend returned from study abroad for spring semester. I guess the new girl couldn't handle the old girl banging on her dorm room door screaming at her in the middle of the night, day after day. I can't imagine why.</p>
<p>She transfered. RA was relieved of his command and graduated. Now, they are apparently engaged to be married and will presumably live happily ever after. Not sure what happened to the old girl friend!</p>
<p>Not only will the # of transfers rise, but also the competitiveness. At many schools, the amount of transfers allowed in is directly tied to sophomore housing. However, for junior transfers(who may choose to live off campus) this is not an issue. That is why junior transfers have a slightly better chance in any given year.</p>
<p>I'm transferring next year, btw. The reason is #2 in Curm's post, lol</p>
<p>I think it's because so many people apply to/matriculate to colleges "just" for the prestige-"fit" is often a secondary (if even taken into account) consideration...</p>
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I think it's because so many people apply to/matriculate to colleges "just" for the prestige-"fit" is often a secondary (if even taken into account) consideration...
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<p>I don't think parents do a good job of really talking to their kids about what college is like. I don't think students have any idea what to consider in choosing a college (which is why we get the same ol' tired "how is the economics department?"). I don't think students, with the help of their parents, make a list of attributes they would ideally like in a college. And, finally, far too little time is spent looking at issues of campus culture.</p>