Transferring after sophomore year, then back?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Alrighty so, here's the dealio. My parents think paying for my junior year is going to be tricky, and they think I will have to borrow all of my senior year. (They've paid the first two years, I have some stafford loans but they're paying my interest for me.) I'm planning on huge loans for law school anyway, I had a really good, $12 an hour job this summer; and I'm saving for my retirement now so; I suppose I should be more concerned...? but</p>

<p>Is it possible to transfer to an instate college, then transfer back to my original college so that I can still graduate with that degree? I know that my grades will not transfer back, but my credits will.</p>

<p>Second question is, how do grad or law schools look at your GPA after that sort of thing? I'm assuming that when you apply, you hand them both of your transcripts. I'm doing well at my current college and will be working hard next semester, and for sure at the college I'd like to transfer to.</p>

<p>So, I'd really like to transfer to St. Mary's College of Maryland, which for me is instate. I'm currently at Bryn Mawr College. I participate in extracurriculars, have had several internships. I was accepted to St. Mary's as a freshman, but chose BMC instead. What do you think my chances are for transfer? (If you'd like any more detail, you'll have to PM me; by the honor code I can't be posting my stats in this thread.)</p>

<p>Next question is, does anybody know what St. Mary's poli sci department is like?</p>

<p>The other option is to choose College Park, which I know has a good poli sci dept, instead of St. Mary's, however I'm concerned that the social environment would be nowhere near St. Mary's, and I would be wasting a year and killing my grades. I also have friends at St. Mary's that are reasonably well balanced. (My friends at CP party, a LOT.) I also nearly fell in love with St. Mary's and it was second on my list.</p>

<p>Thanks for all of your advice.
~nc</p>

2

<p>You will have to ask this question of someone(s) at Bryn Mawr. I suggest you meet with a financial aid counselor there (or phone if you are trying to make this decision before fall 08 term begins) and/or an Academic Dean. Explain that the financial situation in your family has you exploring these options. See what advice and/or help they can give you.</p>

<p>I am assuming that the change in your parents' financial views is not such that you could file a FAFSA/CSS Profile and get better financial aid from Bryn Mawr.</p>

<p>I don't think this will affect how grad/law schools look at your GPA. Yes, you would provide both transcripts. You might ask this on the Law School forum... since I never went to law school, I can't be sure whether they look at things differently. I did go to graduate school after transferring. It was a non-issue.</p>

3

<p>There are a good amount of colleges that will allow you take courses at another institution. Some of these range from just one or two courses to taking an entire semester. While you are doing so, you are still enrolled as a student at your original school, and the credits and GPA will go back to your original college with you. However, I know that you can take a year off and study abroad, then come back. Not sure if you can do this domestically. It seems a bit insulting, by the way.</p>

4

<p>My good friend did something like this back in the '70s, spending her junior year at her cheap home-state university, and returning to Bryn Mawr for her senior year. I don't know if she transfered out and then back in, or if she did the home-state courses in a "visiting student" status (lots of colleges allow this, and not just for a junior year abroad). Talk to your advisor about how you can set this up.</p>

<p>Just make sure you understand how a year away can affect any financial aid you have from Bryn Mawr.</p>

<p>P.S. for baracuta_jones Students take classes at other universities for many reasons. Often because a particular course is not offered at the home institution. Sometimes two or more colleges have formal exchange programs. No one with real commonsense is insulted by this.</p>