<p>Spent some time reading the "Transfer" threads and now looking for some input.</p>
<p>My D just finished her freshmen year at a top 10 LAC, with some time to reflect over the Summer she is finding herself unhappy at school and the topic of transfers has come up. A couple of questions if anyone has input....</p>
<ul>
<li><p>It seems we are too late for anything for her Sophomore year...and I assume this means the Spring as well?</p></li>
<li><p>She received a great financial package from her current school, similar to what one would expect from a top 10 LAC based on our income. If she applies and is accepted to a school that offers similar financial aid to incoming freshmen - could she expect similar financial aid treatment as a transfer student?</p></li>
<li><p>Does the strength of her current school have an impact on admissions chances on transfer?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks for any thoughts you can offer!</p>
<p>I am transferring to USC this fall after a year at a cc. I’m not sure about all schools but at USC there is one deadline for transfers and from there USC decides if you are in the fall class or spring class if you are admitted.
Coming from a strong school will help your daughter when she applies.
Some people transferring to USC got very strong financial aid packages. Again, I have only been reading about USC so that is all I can reference.
I think she should concentrate on a small number of schools (2 or 3) and make sure she keeps her grades up and meets there specific criteria.
Good luck!!</p>
<p>Davidbf,
Transferring for the spring isn’t closed. I believe many schools open their transfer applications over the summer, for spring semester and November for the fall semester. At least that was my experience when I applied to OU and U Arizona. </p>
<p>As far as financial aid goes, the top schools generally promise to meet all need of transfers. However getting into them is extremely competitive (arguably more so than if she applied as a freshman), and some like Columbia, are need aware for transfers. A friend is a tour guide at the school and he’s said that he’s yet to meet a transfer from a community college. Most came from decent to excellent four years. </p>
<p>If my friend’s experience can be generalized to most top schools, then the prestige of her four year school might affect her chances, but as I said before, these universities are extremely competitive for transfers. There are some schools which offer smaller merit based awards (IME these tend to be state schools) but they’re usually less substantial than what are offered to freshmen with similar stats. </p>
<p>What does your daughter find unappealing about her LAC? How much can your family afford?</p>
<p>Hmm, the Spring transfer option is interesting. I wonder how rare it is and if this makes selectivity even more difficult?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>C has need blind admissions for transfers; however, they do not guarantee to meet 100% of need (see Financial Aid Information on the right column):</p>
<p>[Transfer</a> Admission | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/transfer]Transfer”>Transfer Applicants | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>Brown has both need aware admissions and limited FA for transfers.</p>
<p>Schools are still open for spring transfer admissions, but not all colleges admit transfers in the spring.</p>
<p>FA varies with the college, some give less to transfers, others treat transfers like fr admits. You need to check the college websites for policies.</p>
<p>Strength of the current college is one more factor along with gpa, rigor of coursework, etc.</p>
<p>
Yes, how she do at her current school greatly impact on her chances to transfer to other schools.</p>
<p>My bad. I mixed up the two.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about how it changes selectivity, but why exactly does your daughter want to transfer? I saw that she goes to Wellesley which offers cross registration opportunities with MIT and Brandies. I’m not sure how logistically feasible those options are, but if she truly hates the school, she might want to look into spending time on other campuses (I’m not sure if she’s done that, but I know that a few Agnes Scott students who hated the school hung out at nearby Emory when they needed to escape their LAC).</p>
<p>Transfer applications for the spring semester are due in November typically, so she can apply to another school if she is unhappy.</p>
<p>Financial aid depends on the college. Many colleges will offer transfer students less money, but this is not always the case.</p>
<p>The college you are transferring from does make a difference. Particularly if it is a top college!</p>
<p>Make sure you talk to your daughter about what is important to her for a transfer. While it is difficult to be at a school you are unhappy at, it is important that you identify what is the most important to you. She should work to find out what she doesn’t like and what schools better fit her!</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Whenhen,</p>
<p>I don’t think she hates it, Wellesley has much to offer but the all female environment does create a certain culture that does not always fit. The MIT cross registration is an option but her study focus does not lend itself well to the MIT course catalog. </p>
<p>She is exploring options, we wills see. Thanks for the input.</p>