Transferring after a few years off and a few odd questions.

Transfer Students
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Hi there College Confidential,

I’m in a bit of unusual situation so I figured, instead of aimlessly trying to find pertinent advice, I should just post here.

I spent 2 years at a very small, midwestern, liberal arts school, and absolutely hated it. I made the decision to leave right before Junior year was about to start, it was a hasty decision, and I had no plan, other then to leave as quickly as possible. About a year and half has gone by, and I am finally contemplating transferring schools. Ideally I would reenter college in the Fall of 2017, so I’m thinking far ahead about this. However in investigating the process I’ve come up with a couple of questions about the unique situation I am in.

Firstly, I’ve noticed that some, but not all schools ask for letters of rec from professors. Well unfortunately, I never established any sort of rapport with any of my professors. It’s a mistake I will not make when I go back, but there is nothing I can do about it now. My grades were decent, but I didn’t speak up much in class, and I don’t think my professors remember me enough to give me decent letter of rec. Are colleges flexible with admissions requirements such as this? Or could they be, given that I don’t fit the profile of the average transfer student?

I’m also in a unique situation financially. My parents don’t make that much money, ~65k before taxes, and we live in an incredibly expensive part of the country. In addition my sister is attending a very well ranked, but expensive school on the east coast. Despite the good financial aid they gave her, she still has to cover room+board, which is doable but difficult for my parents. But wait, there is more to the situation! I managed to land a job doing administrative work for a very, very prestigious company (one of the big 3 consulting firms). Despite my lack of experience, I am compensated pretty well. Assuming I save my money at the current stable rate, I will have accumulated about $35,000. Now this may sound nice, except I worry that it won’t make a difference. If I save up this amount of money, won’t it significantly effect my financial aid? I’m afraid that making the money that I do, will mean that I won’t receive much aid, and I’ll have to take out a lot of loans. Do student savings significantly effect financial aid? Is there anyway to legally shift around my money, to lower it’s liability in the financial aid process? It’s frustrating to think I could be penalized for being financially conservative and having a good job.

Finally, I have a broader question. Outside of College Confidential, what are the best sources for information on the transfer process? I can’t seem to find a whole lot of info out there.

I really want to go back to school, but this process seems so frustrating and confusing, especially compared to applying straight out of high school.

If you have taken the time to read this, thank you, and I would appreciate any knowledge or input you may have!

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Some of the best information can be obtained by talking to the admission office of the school you wish to transfer to. They can provide you with the financial implications and they can also let you know if you can provide letters of reference from your employers instead of professors from a university you left over two years before. In any case, starting to figure out where you will be transferring to and talking to these schools if your best first step.

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Letters of recommendation:
Yes, you can ask your old professors. Start with whoever was your advisor there. That person will remember you at least a little bit. Other than that, look at your transcripts. Which classes did you get good grades in? Which are likely to apply toward your new major? Contact the professors who taught those classes. Let them know that you are in the process of looking for a good place to complete your degree. Remind them which semester you were enrolled in their class, and what your final grade was. Ask if they feel that they know enough to be able to write a letter of recommendation. If you were a reasonably diligent, fairly well-behaved student, it is likely that at least one of your old professors will be able to write an LOR for you.

Savings and financial aid:
If you put your savings into a 529 plan, even though it is your money, it will be assessed as a parental asset for the FAFSA (5.6%) instead of as a student asset (20%).

Do you want to go back to college full time? Or would you rather work at least part time while you study? Does your employer offer any tuition benefits? Some do. It might make sense for you to keep working and let your employer help you finish your education affordably.