Transferring due to harassment

There is advice out there to explain why someone left their last job due to a toxic environment without actually saying so. Things like “I didn’t get the support I needed,” or “It wasn’t a good culture fit” or “The environment wasn’t conducive to me reaching my full potential.” Yes, these are beige statements that don’t really get at what happened to you, but admissions officers can read between the lines.

Yes, these statements are the type that I’m looking for. I had posted a link earlier to one regarding former toxic workplaces.

Going into admission warning them that there might be people out there badmouthing you is not advisable. It is extremely unlikely that your previous university is contacting other colleges to undermine you, academically or otherwise. If you have proof that they’re doing it, that’s another story,

So legal counsel instead for defamation?

They are likely very happy that you left and as long as you aren’t making a big deal out of things, they won’t either.

Not true - current staff are being retaliated against and threatened their employment likely due to my desire to transfer, another reason for the bullying.

And no admissions officer is going to contact any previous school to check unless you give them reason to do so (and probably not even then because they’re more likely to just say “no” to your application).

From my knowledge, they have already been in contact. So, legal counsel instead.

If you want to tell your whole story to the schools you are trying to transfer into, you can just do it even if nobody here says it’s a good idea

Not my intent, please do not accuse me (and others have repeatedly mentioned that I just want to defame the university too).

Could you clarify why the quoted paragraph was the opposite of what you mentioned? I think you’re saying that it’s too specific and to be vague instead.

I’m a new commenter. I’ve read all of the posts in this thread, and am going to restrict my comments to the two concerns you’ve asked to be addressed:

For future commenters, please address the following concerns mentioned in earlier comments to keep the discussion moving forwards:

  • I’m sure they would want more explanation so the same issues don’t repeat at the transfer institution.
  • I’m not yet completely convinced because I would be skeptical of an application without an explanation that simply says it isn’t a good fit but doesn’t justify why performance would suddenly improve at another university.

You express that these are “concerns” that you have. I agree with earlier posters that AO will have different concerns and that you should stick with generic reasons for wanting to transfer. Whether you would be skeptical of an application that didn’t address these issues isn’t really relevant here because you are not an AO.

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generic reasons for wanting to transfer

I assume you mean to keep it vague/not mention it. Generic wouldn’t be convincing if there are many people with the same reasons, but vague and no mention could possibly.

isn’t really relevant here because you are not an AO.

If my view isn’t relevant since I’m not the actual gatekeeper, how would it differ from any other poster’s views? I guess I should ask the AO directly?

I will reach out but wait a bit for some more responses since I want to get as much feedback as possible because contacting directly will require stating that my grades are lower/my application has deficiencies.

“I didn’t get the support I needed,” or “It wasn’t a good culture fit” or “The environment wasn’t conducive to me reaching my full potential.”

From @splash1 however is any negative statement considered “badmouthing” as others have stated? (I also asked this earlier without a response.)

Instead, “there are better resources and support at xyz institution”? So this won’t mention the current university at all, but it is implied that the current is not as good of a fit as the other institution.

The passage you quotes very specifically says that the person is being retaliated against and the new employer might or may already have heard about it. My advice is to be more subtle.

Not every negative statement is “badmouthing.” For example, as you write:

Is a much better approach.

I confess, I don’t really understand what’s going with your situation. Your old coworkers (at a job outside of the university) are being retaliated against and threatened with firing because you want to transfer colleges?

Also, how do you know the university has contacted colleges to badmouth you? All colleges? Certain colleges? Before you’re even applying to any? I honestly don’t even know how that would work. Plus, in all my years in academia, I have never heard of anything like that happening with a student. Colleges are even extremely careful when it comes to discussing faculty members who leave one school to go to another.

Based on everything you’re saying here, I think legal counsel is a very good idea. You obviously need help navigating what sounds like a very complicated situation that involves harassment, defamation, and threat not only to you but to your old coworkers. You can’t spell everything out here, but you will be able to with an attorney.

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The new college(s) will know your past university because you are required to send transcripts from all previously attended colleges.

It sounds like you are concerned that your current college grades aren’t going to gain you an acceptance at another top tier college. Is that correct?

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I confess, I don’t really understand what’s going with your situation. Your old coworkers (at a job outside of the university) are being retaliated against and threatened with firing because you want to transfer colleges?

Something like that. I don’t think it makes a difference the specifics, and this is hearsay that I do not know about for sure, but is highly likely because of multiple reasons.

Also, how do you know the university has contacted colleges to badmouth you? All colleges? Certain colleges? Before you’re even applying to any? I honestly don’t even know how that would work. Plus, in all my years in academia, I have never heard of anything like that happening with a student. Colleges are even extremely careful when it comes to discussing faculty members who leave one school to go to another.

Targeted media. Again, I do not know about for sure, but is highly likely because of multiple reasons.

Based on everything you’re saying here, I think legal counsel is a very good idea. You obviously need help navigating what sounds like a very complicated situation that involves harassment, defamation, and threat not only to you but to your old coworkers. You can’t spell everything out here, but you will be able to with an attorney.

I highly agree. Thanks for sharing. I’m unsure if there are many available legal counselors whose interests would be against “top” universities, though. I will look out for that.

Partially but not entirely. I believe this is all mentioned in the original post, but other commenters have been focusing more on GPA over other aspects.

Hi OP. I read through the thread and just wanted to chime in to say that I don’t have experience with your specific situation but have been in academia for many years and I definitely think you should transfer. You don’t give enough specifics (for anonymity purposes I assume) for anyone here to give really meaningful advice about what transfer strategy to adopt. The harassment and bullying you have experienced would most likely fall under the purview of a Title IX office, which your current university is sure to have. Maybe you have already gone down that route, since most students have to take title IX training before starting their course of study. Again, like many other posters I find myself assuming, and that is why the advice we are offering is not hitting the mark for you. In your transfer application you could simply mention that you have filed a Title IX complaint (that was not resolved to your satisfaction) and that is one of the main reasons you wish to transfer and leave it at that? I am a big proponent of being yourself and honest in your applications ( rather than a fabricated image that would be more pleasant to admissions officers) because that way your chances of landing at a school that fits you and your needs is much greater. I know many CC posters advise against that strategy because it probably works against your chances at admission. And therein lies the crux of your dilemma in my opinion: be 100% yourself and your story and risk not getting the admissions results you desire (but maybe the admissions results you need) or play the admissions game, which many of the above posters are counseling you well on, and probably get better results. This is something only you can decide because it is your values that matter. Good luck with it all, OP!

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OP, since you’re new here, you’re likely unaware of blossom’s stellar reputation both nationally and within this community, on the very types of issues you’ve raised.

Numerous long-time posters here who have spent years volunteering their expertise, both professional and personal, have sought to give you thoughtful, fact- and reality-based advice. If that’s not your cuppa tea, perhaps a different forum would give you that which you seek. Even better, stepping back from social media and contemplating your options may turn down the noise and bring you some clarity.

P.S. Complaining about moderator decisions is against the TOS.
P.P.S. I expect you’ll issue me a big red X or thumbs down for this post. That kind of response tells me all I need to know, but since you’re new here and are unfamiliar with this site’s culture, those kinds of responses are not how we react with one another.

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New commenter here. As a former court stenographer, I assure you that there is a lawyer out there who will take even the worst case just for the publicity. If your case is good, which it sounds like you think it is, even more lawyers will want it. Not all will do pro bono work just for the publicity so you’ll need to search a bit, but you only need one to take your case. Maybe instead of spending your time here on CC you should use it find a pro Bono lawyer? It doesn’t sound like you feel you’re getting good advice here anyway, so why keep wasting your time on CC?

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Getting a lawyer is your best option, and have the lawyer handle this completely separately from your transfer application.

I’m half-joking and half-serious: if you’re able to resolve all your issues satisfactorily, you can one day write a book about all the things that have happened. You seem to be a good writer, and I have no reason to doubt that you are confronting serious issues. But a college application is not the way to deal with these problems. Your own lawyer, looking solely after your issues, is the way to solve them.

As MANY, MANY of the posters here have said, bringing in your issues into an application for transfer to another school is very likely not going to appeal to most admission committees.

And, yes, there are a number of lawyers who specialize in education law.

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I really think you have two options. One, say nothing about the bullying and issues at the current school, except that it was not the experience you were looking for and think School B would be a better fit for you and why (smaller classes, more personal interaction with professors, better living situation, a better focus on your interests). Only answer the questions they ask. If your current gpa is only from one semester, they might be more interested in your hs gpa and honors. If you are transferring as a junior, they’ll be more interested in your college grades and as Hanna said many posts ago, you can’t really change them, they are what they are. With a limited number of transfer spots available, the school is likely to accept those with the highest gpa or a particular match for the school.

Two. Make a big deal about it and put it all out there not only with the transfer school but with the current school. Do be the whistleblower, call the media, get an attorney. Some people have become important and maybe even ‘wanted’ after incidences that they probably didn’t want to experience (Mattress Girl at Columbia, a couple of the students from Marjorie Stoneham when they took leadership rolls). It’s a difficult path, for sure, but it brought them forward as activists. Some schools will not be happy with this path and quickly decide they don’t want the issues following you, but others will look at you as brave, a leader, find it reasonable that your grades weren’t what they should have been. It’s a risk.

You have to decide if you want everyone to know, or no one to know. You really can’t have it both ways, that you want to keep it quiet but use the situation to explain your grades.

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I am not completely caught up on the thread, but it appears that the OP asked for advice and does not like the advice s/he received. And will continue to try argue his/her case - maybe hoping people to tell him/her what s/he wants to hear? (I hope this does not come off as harsh; I don’t mean it to be.)

Save yourself a boatload of time and do what you feel is right for you.

I truly hope it works out for you!

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I work at an elite university and I’ve interacted with my fair share of transfer students. Top universities have more applicants than they have spaces, so they don’t have any reason to want unhappy students to stay. Elite colleges do accept transfers, but the number they take is usually very limited, so transfer students really have to be able to sell why they’re a good fit. Everything in your application should support how you’re a great fit for the new school. Highlighting the fact that your GPA is low for the school doesn’t do that.

Do you know enough about your target schools to know what will show it? If not, that’s one of the first things I would focus on. The other is finances. Most transfer students don’t get much aid. If your parents can afford to send you wherever you want, that’s great. If not, you need a financial and academic safety picked out first. Then choose a couple of matches. Only then would I focus on reach schools.

If you give us a rough idea of your budget, intended major, current GPA, and what area of the country you’d prefer we can probably give you some suggestions.

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Top universities have more applicants than they have spaces, so they don’t have any reason to want unhappy students to stay.

This was mentioned earlier - it turns out that there are several people being threatened their jobs.

Do you know enough about your target schools to know what will show it? If not, that’s one of the first things I would focus on.

That is good advice.

If people’s jobs are threatened, those people need to go themselves to HR or their EEO office or their legal counsel office. That has nothing to do with your application to transfer.

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This is solid advice.

Two. Make a big deal about it and put it all out there not only with the transfer school but with the current school. Do be the whistleblower, call the media, get an attorney. Some people have become important and maybe even ‘wanted’ after incidences that they probably didn’t want to experience (Mattress Girl at Columbia, a couple of the students from Marjorie Stoneham when they took leadership rolls). It’s a difficult path, for sure, but it brought them forward as activists. Some schools will not be happy with this path and quickly decide they don’t want the issues following you, but others will look at you as brave, a leader, find it reasonable that your grades weren’t what they should have been. It’s a risk.

Haha, mattress girl, forgot about that story. That’s a good point. I’ll call media and get the attorney either way.

You have to decide if you want everyone to know, or no one to know. You really can’t have it both ways, that you want to keep it quiet but use the situation to explain your grades.

I’ll call media and get the attorney either way. We’ll start with that.

Completely agree. But they’re not doing that, or they have and it didn’t go well so the message got to me. And won’t be my fault with a lawyer.