<p>I'm entering my first go-around with the world of Transfer Students. I've been quite surprised, I guess I was naive, at how different it is from entering college as a Freshman. For example, at schools my daughter was looking at as a high school senior they made a big deal over how they move the freshman into dorms. For transfer students it's almost like, 'come on in...your room's over there'. I'll put up the disclaimer that I'm just reading up on transfer requirements at this point so what really happens with transfer students may actually be more 'caring' than it reads on the websites. We haven't spoken to any admissions counselors yet about transfers. Not all transfer students are coming from 4-year schools, many are coming from 2-year and have never had the 'campus' experience so it would be nice in my opinion to have all the fanfare associated with being a new 4-year student. </p>
<p>Now that I'm done rambling...I think...what are your experiences as parents of transfer students? How friendly and receptive were the admissions officers, staff, school in general, in acclimating your son/daughter to their institution? Any tips, or suggestions that may not be in the Transfer Student forum that you encountered that will be helpful?</p>
<p>Many state universities have a lot of transfer students coming in as juniors after attending community colleges.</p>
<p>But it is also likely that a larger percentage of transfer students are non-traditional, including those who went back to school after deciding that their path right after high school was not what they wanted to do for a long term career.</p>
<p>But also note that a large percentage of students at four year schools overall attend the local state university, often commuting there rather than living in the residence hall.</p>
<p>It would be unrealistic to expect colleges to duplicate the freshmen experiences for the few transfer students. Some will have events for all the new transfers, but no where near the freshmen orientation programs. </p>
<p>It is the price you pay for arriving late to the party. That said, if the transfer student is outgoing and joins plenty of groups s/he will assimilate with time.</p>
<p>My kid won’t be transferring, but I’ve spent 20 years in higher ed (SSS program at a small LAC) and I’d have to say I agree with your assessment. In student development and retention circles, the focus on the “Freshman Experience” has been huge. Lots of articles published and theories put forth. There’s been an explosion in the breadth and depth of freshman programs. Nowhere near that much effort goes into transfer students.</p>
<p>Some of the reasons are practical. Transfers enter at any point during an academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer), unlike freshman who enter en masse in the fall. Harder to run a program 3 times a year. There are also always fewer transfers. Can’t really hire a fleet of people to integrate a few students. Some of the reasons are also related to the transfers themselves. They feel they already know the college ropes, and many do. They know how to get themselves registered, read the catalog, pay the bills, avoid the parking tickets, etc. This means transfer orienations are often poorly attended. Few want to live in residence halls. (Who can blame them, even though I loved living on campus.) Many are not traditional aged. </p>
<p>Unlike freshmen, transfer are just tougher demographic to reach as a group.</p>
<p>My son transferred to the University of Denver this fall. Transfer students there had a full orientation experience just like freshmen, complete with parent orientation and festivities.</p>
<p>My daughter had an outstanding transfer experience. she went from an OOS U Honors Program to a well-regarded LAC. The Orientation experience at the school she transfered to was eons better than the state U. It was longer, more structured, and mixed overall orientation events with those designed specifically for the transfers. There were about 60 of them (it was a larger than the norm LAC, and very transfer-friendly) and they really bonded. That was 10 years ago, and three of her closest friends are from that group. I can’t say that her experience was the norm, but it sure did confirm that she’d made the right decision to change schools!</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback thus far! I can see why there would be differing opinions by schools on orienting transfer students. Although I understand why many students choose to go the Community College route first (I’m not really looking at transfer from the perspective of the adult student. I was an adult studen and it doesn’t fit the scenario I’m dealing with at the moment), from the perspective of the 4-year college freshman orientation hype, I would recommend all my children (I’ve got 2 more left to finish high school) go straight to a 4-year school and get that freshman experience. I will also advise them to choose wisely in the hopes that it will be their undergraduate home. What I often hear is, ‘if you don’t like it you can always transfer’. While that may be true, transferring is NOT the same as the initial experience. By no means do I feel students should remain somewhere they are unhappy, but I do feel they need to make their college decision with all the knowledge available on beginning as a freshman at a 4-year school and starting as a sophomore or later and that it may not be as simple as ‘if I don’t like it I can transfer’ from where I am. I hope this makes sense. I’m sure it all depends on what you’re looking for, but sometimes the grass always greener elsewhere, until you get there. </p>
<p>What my daughter says she is looking for in her transfer school that she doesn’t have where she currently is enrolled: 1) sports and more school spirit surrounding sports, 2) more traditional, campus environment (she’s at an urban school), 3) more diversity, 4) a bit closer to home. Even though she’s made some great friends where she is now, these are things she can’t get there.</p>
<p>My son transferred into Wash U and the convocation for transfers took place with the freshman convocation. Everyone had T shirts and the transfer T shirt said, “I had a freshman floor it just wasn’t here”. There wasn’t a formal orientation that I’m aware of but I think that has changed, there might be one the summer before fall semester. My son didn’t feel like a step-child at all and he had the best college experience there.</p>
<p>My D transfered because she wanted more diversity, more academic engagement in the student body overall, and less drunken/bigparty atmosphere. The school she transfered to, Wesleyan, gave her all that and more. Her one sadness “I wish I could’ve started over as a freshman, so I could have experienced all four years.” </p>
<p>I agree that making the best of the first school is a good starting point, but when you really can’t, then looking for the place you need to be, if it’s feasible, makes sense. Good luck to your daughter, rgaines, as she explores these possibilities.</p>
<p>Entering college as a transfer student was very well organized. In S’ case there were a lot of them and they were all housed together making it very easy for them to find new friends. Also the academic and adviser issues were handled in a smooth, even great way. </p>
<p>However, not once was there any reference to their experience on the day they graduated. All, and I mean literally all, speeches included sentences like “when you arrived as a freshman 4 years ago”. All the speeches were describing the process that the traditional college students had been going through. Somehow this didn’t feel good.</p>