Transferring as a first semester junior?

<p>Hi all, this is my first time posting here. I am in a bit of a bind as far as making a decision and need some advice.</p>

<p>During my freshman year I attended the University of New Haven for criminal justice, with the goal of becoming a police officer. However, due to a medical condition I found out I was no longer eligible to become a police officer, so I switched my major to English and also transferred out of UNH to Marist College because of their better English program. 28 credits transferred.</p>

<p>I am currently a second semester sophomore at Marist. I enjoy the small class sizes, top notch professors, and academics, but I have faced a significant amount of racism here as an Asian American. Last semester, Residential Life had to switch me to a different dorm because one of my suitemates threw a beer can at my room door and called me some racial slurs while making threatening gestures. Throughout the year, I have faced a barrage of racist remarks, for instance, kids shouting out racial slurs at me through dorm windows or while driving by. The blatant racism is starting to take a toll on me emotionally, although I've still kept my grades up. I feel very alienated here, and feel tense and worried even just walking to class or going to campus activities.</p>

<p>I had been contemplating transferring to UConn, but my parents were not keen on the idea since I had already transferred from UNH for academic reasons. Back in March, I made up my mind not to transfer and decided to "tough it out" because of my parents' reluctance and the fact that some of my credits might get lost in the process and I won't graduate on time. However, I continued to have second thoughts and in the past couple of weeks a series of racial incidents happened to me that really finally drove the point home that I do not belong and do not feel comfortable on this campus.</p>

<p>Since I missed UConn's deadline for Fall 08, if I transferred it would be for Spring 08. Does UConn accept second semester Juniors, and would I lose credits since I would have more than 60 by then? My GPA right now is a 3.3. </p>

<p>I apologize for the long post, and thank you in advance for any replies.</p>

<p>First off, let me say I'm sorry you've had to go through that. I'm also sorry that your parents don't seem too concerned with your well-being. If you're continually being assaulted and/or threatened, you need to leave.</p>

<p>According to their website, they do allow for Spring admission:
UConn</a> Undergraduate Transfer Admissions - Application Deadlines</p>

<p>However, if accepted, you will probably have to complete 60 credits (basically 2-yrs.) at their school. This means you may not necessarily "lose" credits, but will have to complete additional courses to fill the req.</p>

<p>Good luck, :). I think you've got a good GPA, and very strong reason for transferring.</p>

<p>To be honest, I don't know anything about Ucon. I think that it would be nice if you could explore their website a little bit and see their transfer policy and see how many credits are transferable. If the information you will find online do not answer all your questions, you can still contact the admission office and request more information.</p>

<p>I am sorry for what's happening to you right now. Even if you could not transfer as many credits as you want, would you rather stay unhappy somewhere than spending an extra semester in a place where you can be much happy or at least people won't treat you the way they do in the other school? I know that money can be an issue when you are spending more time that you would like to in college but if you don't mind, you can still save some time by taking classes during summer and winter. Stay strong and I hope that you will have a nice summer with your family so you can feel better after what happened at your school.</p>

<p>I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. If anyone ever had a good reason to transfer, this is it. You owe it to yourself to find a better place to complete your education. If I were you, I would call the admissions office myself, explain the situation, and ask if there's any possible way they would accept you as a junior. Better to get a definitive answer than speculate and have your hopes dashed later. Best of luck!</p>

<p>I am so sad to read of your experience at Marist. It is just unacceptable to be treated this way and those kids need to learn a big lesson on tolerance and acceptance. That being said, transferring does seem like the way to go under the circumstances unfortunately.
What made you decide on UConn?
My son has a friend there and he is having a good experience but it has taken him a while to find his place there. He had a rough start. He is finally enjoying it now as a second semester junior.
Since you are considering the transfer, it makes sense to choose a school that is diverse in it's population so you do not encounter the same thing as you are at Marist.</p>

<p>I wish you the best of luck and hope you find a place where you are comfortable and enjoy your college experience.</p>

<p>Just as a side note....my son is transferring to SUNY New Paltz and I know they accept second semester juniors and have a great deal of diversity and acceptance of others. Just in case you want to look further.</p>

<p>UConn has a residency requirement of 1 year (2 semesters). That does not mean your studies at UNH and Marist have you on track to graduate on time though. If you have the time this summer, review the graduation requirements and course descriptions of the schools.
Undergraduate</a> Catalog 2007-2008</p>

<p>Thank you all for your input and advice.</p>

<p>Lilymoon, I decided on UConn because it is in my home state so I would be able to get in-state tuition. I have many friends from high school who attend there, so I'd know people off the bat. I also checked Princeton Review's stats and the campus seems to be much more diverse. A former classmate of mine who is a Junior there this year is the president of UConn's Asian American Student Association. Upon conferring with him it seems that UConn has academic programs and clubs that support and encourage diversity and respect for all cultures.</p>

<p>Also, thank you for your suggestion of SUNY New Paltz. The campus is across the river from Marist so I may head up there and take a look around.</p>