When should I transfer?

Your first experience at university didn't go as planned so you've decided to transfer. Plenty of students transfer during their college career for any number of reasons so you far from alone. Now comes another step in the process…when are you going to make the move? Here are some questions you should answer and steps to take ahead of switching schools.

Reach out to your chosen school

You should get in touch with the new college you've decided on before applying to transfer. Talk with the admissions rep to make sure it's a good fit and find out what their transfer policy is. That rep will be your go-to contact at the university until you arrive on campus to move in. They can give advice about when would be best for you to arrive.

What year are you?

The earlier you figure out you want to transfer the better. If you're in your first semester as a freshman, you might want to give it one more semester. We'd recommend doing research on other schools to wrap up the fall semester. It would not be a bad idea to visit the school you're considering and then applying first thing in the new year. That way you can arrive for your sophomore year at your dream university all ready to go.

Do you transfer into the spring semester or wait until the fall?

There's defintely pros and cons to each of these. If you're a freshman, you really can't go wrong. You can transfer into the spring semster as a freshman and you defintiely won't be the only one. It might be tough walking into the social groups that have already been formed. Some schools will purposefully house transfers together, which can give you a built-in friend group to hang with as you get used to your new campus.

Plenty of students wait to transfer into the fall semester of sophomore year and make the switch between schools over the summer. The break can give you valuable time to regroup and plan for your new school and dorm.