My DS Says He Wants to Transfer

[Anonymous]

My DS freshman revealed that he has been unhappy at school pretty much this entire year, but hasn’t said anything because he was trying to make it work. He said he thought he could, and didn’t want to seem like he was giving up, so didn’t mention transferring. But he said it is all just getting to be too much and he really want to go somewhere else next year.

Aren’t all the application dates for transfer students passed?

[Anonymous]

How are your DS's grades?

[Anonymous]

Aren’t all the application dates for transfer students passed?

Pretty much, but it depends on the school. Have him start researching options immediately.

[Anonymous]

Even if the date has passed, sometimes schools are flexible but those seem to be smaller liberal arts colleges. What is he looking for?

[Anonymous]

That is too bad, but there are some schools whose deadline is 4/1. He’ll need to do some very speedy research and apps.

[Anonymous]

https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/transfer-deadlines

Hers a list

[Anonymous]

He may as well apply and see what happens.

My college wasn’t the great fit for me and in retrospect I should have transferred.

[Anonymous]

His grades are good and he made the equivalent of the dean’s list first semester (they just don’t call it that).

He’s currently at a state flagship. He is looking for a mid-sized university along the lines of G’town, Tufts, Vandy, etc.

We talked more and he was very calm about the whole thing, and thoughtful. He said he has friends and that’s not the issue (I believe that is true: he was invited to go on a spring break trip and he went. It sounded like he had a good time).

He said he was sorry for keeping it all in but he was truly trying to give it a chance. He said he kept looking at the transfer application deadline dates and talking himself out of applying because he didn’t want to be a quitter. But now he said he actually feels it in the pit of his stomach that he made the wrong decision, and he wants to right it if he can.

He said he would go and do more research but he believes some places have rolling admissions even for transfers.

Not sure how to support him, but I did tell him it was his decision.

[Anonymous]

What problem is he having exactly?

[Anonymous]

First of all, He’s not quitting if he’s transferring. Isn’t he almost through the first year? My niece did the same kind of questioning and sophomore year she got an apartment and now plans on staying there all through summer.

[Anonymous]

My DD’s freshman year roommate was so, so bad. A single the following year made all the difference.

[Anonymous]

The NACAC list publishes a frequently updated list of colleges still accepting applications once the regular deadline to commit has passed. The list specifies if the school is accepting only freshman and/or tramfer applications. My ds used the list successfully and is now happy (and there were schools we were surprised to see). Worth checking in May and later if still looking. Good luck!
https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/openings/

[Anonymous]

Instead of panicking about deadlines I’d warm up to the idea of a semester or two off. It’s really not the end of the world.

[Anonymous]

Contact the admissions offices for the schools that admitted him last year—they might take him

[Anonymous]

Allow him to transfer. Many schools have rolling transfers through the summer.

Depending on the school and its COVID protocols likely affected his semester.

Some schools are still wearing masks indoors [particularly on the East Coast] and those schools are just now dropping outdoor mask wearing on campus. Someone posted here a link to a Yale student's perspective where Yale has a snitch hotline to report students who were not making outside.

I am sorry your son had such a bad semester but he needs to know if he is applying to schools on the East/West Coast their COVID protocols are much more likely to be more stringent and last in the country to unmask.