<p>
</p>
<p>OK Johnny, top public to Y, good enough for ya?? More than a “relatively high GPA with a good courseload” necessary. If you think the time it took to “ask” for a LOR is all that’s involved in getting a LOR at the level necessary for a highly selective school, great, I hope that works for you.</p>
<p>Really glad your so on top of things!</p>
<p>@entomtom: Thanks! 
Like I said earlier, a little planning and legwork is all it takes. Not some incredible feat of patience or whatever else. I’m not sure why you took my post in a pretentious manner, I really figured the process just that easy.</p>
<p>1) You decide to transfer
2) Research
3) Legwork
4) Submit application
5) ???
6) Profit!</p>
<p>Not sure where the hard part kicks in there. Nor was I asking about state/private school because I gave a flip where you went, it was because I was curious if it was more difficult for you guys to transfer vice community college. (Where I am attending.)</p>
<p>And yeah, “asking” was all that was required. Did you use telepathy to get yours? 
I’m on good terms with nearly all of my teachers and most faculty due in part to me being in a close age range (30 years) and spending a large amount of time in the military. Maybe it is more difficult for younger students, if so, then say it instead of posting a useless, hostile response.
P.S- I am applying for highly selective schools, thanks for the well wishes.</p>
<p>As a freshman taking a load of classes (18 credits and I’m an engineer major) it’s not easy applying to colleges as a transfer. Also its hard making decisions whether it be financially or whatever else it may be. I would rather apply somewhere that I have a 50% chance at over a place where I have a 5% chance. And yes community college can be more easy, thus giving you more free time. My weekdays involves nonstop work an studying sometimes. Weekends I have some free time, but that time has been going to think about my applications and what I really want to get out of my life.</p>
<p><em>Since I did all my application stuff last year by myself it has made things easier this year. But I still have to write my own reasons for transferring in a clear professional way</em></p>
<p>^I wholeheartedly disagree. Transferring from a university is not easy. Sure, the process is straightforward and doesn’t take much time. However, having to tell your friends and professors (the ones writing the recs) that you’re transferring is very tough, especially when you’ve grown very close to some of them. Not to mention the uncertainty that arises as you await your decision letters. Overall, I simply cannot wait to receive my letters.</p>
<p>Agreed Johnny. It really isn’t hard to get recommendations. If you’re good with people and can build meaningful relationships with your professors… Not a couple of contrived office visits where you flatter the professor just to get a recommendation and then never communicate with him again… then you’ll get excellent LORs. </p>
<p>I like to think that even if I didn’t need LORs, I would still have great relationships with those professors.</p>
<p>The most difficult part of transferring is dealing with the pressure of maintaining close to a 4.0 GPA, knowing that your current semester will directly impact your future.</p>
<p>For me personally, anytime I’ve gotten less than a 95 on an exam or a paper, it’s been mentally taxing to the point where it’s all I think about until the next paper/exam for that class.</p>
<p>Additionally, community college is designed for transferring. You know going in that you will eventually be leaving (I’m a CC student as well). At a four-year school, most students are struggling with the decision to leave friends and make serious decisions about their future that they never planned on having to make. It’s not necessarily the work involved in applying (though I’ll point out that getting a LOR at a four-year school involves approaching teachers who may wonder why you’re leaving, etc.), but the emotional burden.</p>
<p>So Johnny, there are differences, and your sarcasm isn’t really appreciated on a board where people ARE stressed about transferring. I’m glad your experience has been so smooth, but try to be considerate of other people at all kinds of schools.</p>
<p>@brishe: I apologize for the sarcastic tone. I did not realize it would make people stress more about transferring… I thought me saying that it isn’t too hard from my experience would encourage people. Some say it more difficult, I thought it was a bit easier. I personally could not understand the stress from a lot of attachments because of my life constantly being on the move, but it makes sense that people with a more settled down lifestyle would worry more about the change. No worries though, we are all expressing our opinions based on our experiences and schools right? Hopefully whoever is reading will find a happy medium between each side </p>
<p>@DreamingBig: Completely with you there. I talk with a few on a daily basis, eat lunch out with occasionally, etc. (I think I’m lucky that most classes are 20 or less here as well, which probably helps.)</p>
<p>
I am currently at a state school so here is my point of view.</p>
<p>Some of the following don’t apply to community college students. Again, people may agree or disagree with me, but I am just putting a list of some issues with transferring. All of these vary from person to person.</p>
<ul>
<li>Everyone needs a backup plan in case you don’t actually transfer</li>
<li>What is that plan?</li>
<li>Housing next year at your current school</li>
<li>Registering for classes at your current school for next semester</li>
<li>Then withdrawing once you transfer</li>
<li>What to do with your school clothing (colors, mascots, etc)?</li>
<li>Financial aid/scholarships (if applies) at current/transfer school</li>
<li>Not knowing if you will transfer until May</li>
<li>Keeping your grades up for final transcript and midterm report</li>
<li>I’ve spent 40+ hours of research/writing for each college i’m applying to - again depends per person</li>
<li>Less parental help than in high school for freshman admissions</li>
<li>Some college advisors/professors needs advance notice for appointment</li>
<li>Every single professors asks “Why are you transferring? Where to? Why don’t you stay here? Why don’t you talk to our advisors/career services?”</li>
<li>You get either irritated or embarrassed from these questions</li>
<li>Your friends will probably think differently of you - saying "you dont know if you are going to live with them until May, then if you transfer and cancel housing you pay a fee)</li>
<li>Professors/advisor/high school dont send forms on time</li>
<li>Your documents get lost in mail</li>
<li>You are either scared of calling colleges, or they dont give you any useful information</li>
<li>Application fees (transcripts, mail, etc) add up quickly</li>
<li>TRYING to live a somewhat normal (whatever your definition of normal is)</li>
<li>Added stress of waiting for admission decision</li>
<li>Since you decided to transfer, you know how important of a decision it is to your future. What if you dont get accepted?</li>
<li>Wondering if your professor wrote a good recommendation</li>
<li>How will you say goodbye to your friends again? (once in high school, again after fresh year)</li>
<li>Some people have jobs/personal life problems</li>
<li>If you do transfer, will all your credits transfer?</li>
<li>If you do not get accepted anywhere, your friends may laugh/gossip at you</li>
</ul>
<p>Again, these factors differ from person to person.</p>
<p>All of this is BEFORE you actually transfer to your new school. There is another “hassle” list to be made AFTER transferring.</p>
<p>Like the University of Pennsylvania says
"The decision to transfer is a difficult one… "</p>
<p>ON TOPIC:
Many people settle for what they have at their current school. There is nothing wrong with that. For some people, like us transfers, we want something different that our current school does not offer.</p>
<p>Also the more schools you transfer to, the more stress (of the above list) is added. Top schools have small transfer rates, so many people don’t want to waste time or have added stress because they applied to a school they will probably not be admitted. So they simply avoid the extra, unnecessary stress by not applying and instead applying to other schools.</p>
<p>PS: Sorry if the list makes you more stressed. But you should face these issues so you are not surprised later on. Hope for the best (transferring), plan for the worst (staying put).</p>
<p>Perhaps those that are qualified enough to be accepted at a top school tend to have made the right choice when choosing a college in the first place. If you have the skills to excel perhaps that means you have excellent decision making skills. </p>
<p>And yeah, I’m transferring from a cc and have found it incredibly stressful. Just figuring out where to apply was a headache alone. Keeping track of transfer requirements, pre-req’s, dates and then figuring out where might be a good fit for me. FA is a major consideration for me so having to find a school where I can get in, would want to get in, and could afford to get in is hard. Most schools seem to kind of disregard transfers to some degree which makes it even harder. </p>
<p>Then figuring out how to get my old SAT scores, my h.s. transcript, who can do the college official report(my college didn’t even know who could fill it out), asking professors for recs(i’m kind of shy and haven’t had all that much reason to really talk to professors out of class), writing all the application essays, the financial aid paperwork(most colleges give little direction to independent students), finding a copy of my 2009 tax return, etc. </p>
<p>Then finding out that your top choices like people who visit and show interest so now you have to figure out how to afford to go visit schools you might not even get into.</p>
<p>All this while working and getting As in 18 credits this semester so I don’t ruin my 4.0 GPA is stressful. Now applying to the regional state university or even the flagship state university is a whole different story. Much easier, much less involved.</p>
<p>While Ace’s exhaustively compiled list is daunting, I’m sure others think that the end result, if it proves favorable, is well worth the extra effort. </p>
<p>For example, it may be fair to assume that Entomom’s son or daughter, who successfully transfered to Yale, shares the above sentiment.</p>
<p>
Agreed.</p>
<p>The potential benefits of transferring outweigh the hassle of doing it. That’s why people transfer in the first place.</p>
<p>Which is why I’m surprised at the relatively low number of people who believe the potential benefits will outweigh the hassle.</p>
<p>I’m not too surprised… Being frank, it is easier for a person to stay in their comfort zone and do nothing then to change, even if for a better future.</p>
<p>A particular case stands out while I was in the military, a volunteer call went out for people to go on a 1 month deployment to South America. Granted, you would be working, but in my eyes all I saw was a sweet 1 month vacation all over South America while maybe working some each day!</p>
<p>Out of over 900 people, I was the only one that volunteered. After my initial shock, it turned out to be just what I stated above: People wanted to stay home with their families, not spend money, not see new countries, didn’t like to fly, wanted to play video games at home, etc. They were basically comfortable where they were and didn’t want something new.</p>
<p>Granted this does not describe everyone as there are many with legitimate concerns, (Financial aid, family situation, etc) but I would bet there are plenty who believe it to just be too much work. (Whether it actually is or not.)</p>
<p>^Exactly. In transferring, you have to make new friends, join new clubs, learn to navigate through an entirely different campus. You’re basically a freshman all over again.</p>
<p>Which again, may be outweighed by the opportunity to attend a place like Yale, especially when you’re coming from a commuter campus, even if it’s a 4 year one (I know some of the non Chapel Hill NCs are commuter styled–the same may apply to other state schools).</p>
<p>There’s no point in trying to transfer to Y or H. Check out the numbers. When a school only accepts about 10 applicants do you really think it’s worth the time and effort? Sure, anyone can BS their application but that’s only leading to a rejection. Even if you do put time and effort the odds of acceptance are so low. Applicants who get accepted into H or Y do so because they provide something others can’t. It’s the intangibles.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-school-general-studies/1098644-fall-2011-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/columbia-school-general-studies/1098644-fall-2011-a.html</a></p>
<p>Transfer rates:
Columbia GS = 36%
UT-Austin = 40%
Baylor = 35%
UHouston = 90%</p>
<p>Wow, reading up on me in other threads for the sole purpose of again derailing a useful thread by posting information irrelevant to the topic just to spite at me. That’s only slightly petty and vindictive, hope it works well for you on the outside. You definitely epitomize the even nature of a Super Moderator. </p>
<p>Maybe to a person like you that is applying to schools like Yale, all of my choices are pathetic. For someone like me, who went from being homeless in the ghetto to fighting in war zones and feeling like I have an opportunity to get into schools like Columbia and UT Austin it is a dream I never expected.</p>
<p>Check your pretentious nature at the door. There is a difference between driven/refusing to accept failure and acting haughty. Here I was worried you thought <em>I</em> was the pretentious one, heh</p>
<p>Anyways, back to the topic. Thanks for the thoughts from other experiences everyone else. I had not realized that uprooting oneself from a school to go to a another could be that difficult.</p>
<p>@Johnny, I go to a community college, too, and the process may be easy as pie for you, but it’s not at all the case for me.
From the financial burden of the application themselves and the serious increase of tuition from CC to 4-year school, to staying on top of school work, application essays and making sure professors write the recommendation letters in time and my internship and an entire host of other things.</p>
<p>Regarding the OP:
I think after a certain point, “rank” starts to mean less and less for some people and where they fit starts to take precedence. Then there’s intimidation and a million other reasons that differ between applicants.</p>
<p>^^ LOL, my man Johnny with the smooth comeback. </p>
<p>I agree with you, I think people are scared to leave their comfort zones in a lot of cases so they don’t even try to transfer even if they have the GPA for it. But it’s all part of growing up, isn’t it? You can’t live in your little gated community forever.</p>