<p>I'm planning to enroll as a freshman this fall at Loyola University Maryland, but I've been having doubts about my decision lately, and am thinking I may want to transfer after my first semester. I was so apathetic and lazy during the college application period last year that I didn't really put much effort into searching for the right college, and now I feel that I'm going to a school that doesn't suit me. I'm an English/Philosophy major (possible minor in Creative Writing), not into sports, not into partying, and think of myself as more of a quiet, serious person with a strong interest in the humanities.
Loyola doesn't seem to be any of that. A lot of the guys going to this school are sporty business majors, decked out in plaid shorts and collared shirts, few of whom like to read and most of whom spend their time waiting for the weekend so they can get drunk and maybe get laid. Of course I'm generalizing, but it's a somewhat accurate depiction of the kind of ethos there. I want to go to a school where kids like to read, are not really into sports or partying and are kind of serious. I mean I'm not saying I want to go to school with a bunch of pretentious hipsters, but somewhere where I can find more artsy English-y people.</p>
<p>So which schools might it be a good idea to transfer to?</p>
<p>Anyway, here are my high school stats, if they're worth anything.</p>
<p>GPA: 88.01</p>
<p>SATs:</p>
<p>Math: 580
Reading: 610
Writing: 750</p>
<p>Thanks for any help. </p>
<p>Oh, and also, when I'm applying for a transfer, do they look more at my high school grades or my first-semester college grades?</p>
<p>Anyone? I could really use some replies–I’ve been getting kind of stressed/depressed over this lately.</p>
<p>If you’re going to transfer after one semester, then your high school grades and scores will certainly count.</p>
<p>What about cost? Transfer students don’t usually get great aid. Will your parents pay for wherever you transfer to?</p>
<p>Do NOT cut any ties with Loyola until you’ve seen the aid package at your new school and fully understand it (if you need aid). It’s very unlikely that you’d get the aid you need as a transfer.</p>
<p>Wait…is it even possible to apply after one semester? I know that some schools’ deadlines for spring transfer applications are in November, so wouldn’t that mean I’d be applying before I even get my first semester grades at Loyola? Would that mean I would have to apply after two semesters? God, the thought of spending a whole year at a school I hate is just depressing.</p>
<p>I agree with mom2collegekids. Find out the difference in the cost first. Make sure your parents understand that there maybe a big difference in the cost. At the present, are they going to pay for Loyola or are you responsible? You might want to check with Loyola to see if they allow you to delay enrollment. Perhaps you can buy some time and take a gap year to rethink things over.</p>
<p>I’m not on financial aid, and cost isn’t an issue. I don’t even know why you guys are talking about that.</p>
<p>What I’m asking is this: Which schools would it be a good idea to apply to given what I said about myself in the first post? and…</p>
<p>Is is possible to transfer to a new college after one semester at Loyola? If the deadline is November 1st, as it is at Boston University (where I applied before and got rejected and might want to reapply), then would I even be able to submit freshman scores at all?</p>
<p>Usually, unless you apply with a certain number of credits, a school is going to look at your high school grades and scores.</p>
<p>you need to look and see what BU does.</p>
<p>tommytomato, The reason I’m asking is because I didn’t know whether you are on some type of financial aid, such as loans or merit-aid. If cost is not an issue, then apply to any school you desire. Keep in mind that once you give up your acceptance at Loyola, if you still can’t get into BU, you might not be able to get back into Loyola later. I know of people who have done that at other schools, and get stuck later on because they can’t get back in. As I had said in the previous post, check to see if you can take a gap year before enrolling because sounds like you need more time to think or to see if you can still get in at BU. Since you haven’t officially started any of your classes yet, you really can’t apply for a transfer, until after you have finished either a semester or a year depending on the BU requirements for transfer students. According to the BU site, Notes:
Transfer applicants applying for January admission must have completed one full semester of coursework.
Transfer applicants applying for September admission must have completed two full semesters of coursework</p>
<p>Thanks guys.</p>
<p>And Ocelite: I know it says on BU that I need to have one semester of work completed to apply for January admission, but what I’m unsure of is how I’ll be able to get my grades in for the November 1st deadline if a school semester usually doesn’t end until like December.</p>
<p>But, maybe I should call the school to figure that out.</p>
<p>I believe that the January admission for transfer students is for those students who may have completed coursework over the summer perhaps from another community college, etc.</p>
<p>tommytomato -</p>
<p>Pick up the phone and call BU and ask what the requirement of a semester of work means. I’m guessing that they want transfer students to have finished a full semester at college before they get there. If you would be at Loyola this fall, and your semester would end before the spring term begins at BU, that should be enough.</p>
<p>Since money isn’t an issue for you, you do have a lot of options all around the country. Taking a year off before enrolling in college might be the best choice for you. If you are certain right now that you don’t want to go to Loyola, then drop them a line and ask for a deferred enrollment, and come up with a solid gap-year/gap-semester plan. After school starts this fall, make an appointment with your old high school guidance counselor, and put together a new college list based on your new goals, and then apply to those institutions. Some might even admit freshmen students in January! This would also give you an opportunity to retake the SAT and/or take the ACT so that you can bring up your math and reading scores a bit.</p>
<p>For more ideas about transferring, pay a visit to the Transfer Forum. Start there by reading through the sticky thread at the top titled “Transfer Admissions 101”. Here is a quick link for you: [Transfer</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/]Transfer”>Transfer Students - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Good luck with everything!</p>
<p>Perhaps look into College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. It’s a very serious liberal arts college with exclusively undergraduates and a tight knit community. Nothing I’ve heard about it indicates that it is a party school. In fact, it’s often regarded as a close second to Notre Dame insofar as academics and superior to Boston College, Georgetown, Villanova, Santa Clara, etc. as far as Catholic colleges are concerned. Clarence Thomas and some other high powered folks came from there. Might be worth a look.</p>
<p>^ HC accepts <33% of transfer applicants and require the HS transcript. According to the CDS class rank and GPA are very important. The GPA translates to ~3.3 which is in the bottom 25%. Unless the OP is from a HS with tremendous grade deflation that school is a huge reach.</p>