Advice on transferring as a sophomore

[Anonymous]

Kid is at a top 10 liberal arts school (current sophomore). Happy socially, but struggling academically to figure out what they want to do. Has done a bunch of STEM and non STEM stuff so been exposed to many different choices. Focused on political science right now, but wondering if they should consider transferring to a bigger school with a better range of options/choices for majors. Realize this may mean taking a semester off (as most transfer apps are closed now.) Realize this is their journey, but my money so want to help guide them properly! Considered pre-med, teaching, PA school, consulting, etc. Nothing at this school seems to have lit their fire. Academic advisor isn't helpful either. Advice?

[Anonymous]

You should hire a transfer counselor.

Or a career coach.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't really sound like someone who should transfer. They sound like they don't know what they want to do with their lives, but that's OK. They could transfer, but they might wind up taking an extra semester or year to get their degree, so would it be worth it?

I think a lot of kids in this generation think transferring will solve all their problems, but it's not always the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't really sound like someone who should transfer. They sound like they don't know what they want to do with their lives, but that's OK. They could transfer, but they might wind up taking an extra semester or year to get their degree, so would it be worth it?

I think a lot of kids in this generation think transferring will solve all their problems, but it's not always the case.

She might end up taking another couple of years experimenting with different majors in the new school. I had a friend who switched majors half a dozen times!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid is at a top 10 liberal arts school (current sophomore). Happy socially, but struggling academically to figure out what they want to do. Has done a bunch of STEM and non STEM stuff so been exposed to many different choices. Focused on political science right now, but wondering if they should consider transferring to a bigger school with a better range of options/choices for majors. Realize this may mean taking a semester off (as most transfer apps are closed now.) Realize this is their journey, but my money so want to help guide them properly! Considered pre-med, teaching, PA school, consulting, etc. Nothing at this school seems to have lit their fire. Academic advisor isn't helpful either. Advice?

The major does not matter for most jobs! Especially from a top school.
They are only a sophomore, why move them when they are doing well socially? They just need to pick a major such as political science, bonus if they can add a stem minor that they like, or double major. Do not move them. If it is truly one of the top -10 LACs it will have much better change of getting to know professors than moving to a big school. Talk with professors, for every class, ask them how they got into their field, ask them what other fields they know about. Go to careers services. They can focus on figuring out what jobs they definitely do not want and should try many other things including study abroad, summer fellowships in the US or abroad, see what inspires and what does not. Those opportunities are much easier coming from a T10 LAC.

CS major: now law school at a T5
History major: McKinsey
Poly sci and data science: JP morgan.
Poly sci: fulbright scholar to history phD
Classics: med school, made decision late after sophomore summer, got into T20 med after one gap year due to the late decision.
Entered thinking English then changed to Physics major: went to Engineering phD.

These are real examples of surprising outcomes kid's ivy and their high school best friends top-5 LAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should hire a transfer counselor.

Or a career coach.

Not needed. Everything the student needs can be found by talking to professors and the career center at the LAC. No one has it figured out as a sophomore. Those that think they do are usually burying the uncertainty.

[Anonymous]

Not a candidate for transfer. Your kid would need to be very specific about what draws them to the school and why they want to transfer. They seem all over the place. Saying “I can’t figure out what I want to major in but if I go to your big school, I’ll figure it out.”

Leave her where she is.

[Anonymous]

It's true that LACs are generally pretty limited in major offerings compared to larger schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's true that LACs are generally pretty limited in major offerings compared to larger schools.

It may be true but it does not matter at all for outcomes.
Major almost never matters. For nursing, ok, but one does not go to a LAC for nursing.
For banking, medicine, PA, teacher, social worker, law school, journalist, marketing, sales, consulting, phd, vet school, and every other job I can think of, you can get to that job with one of the basic majors that all colleges offer (english, chem, bio, econ, math, history, psychology....).

A lot of the specific-sounding niche majors are complete BS that the big schools like to list to make it seem like it is advantage. It is made up baloney.
There is no job or grad school that cares about urban studies, sports psychology, communications, industrial-manufacturing-engineering or criminology or any other novel-sounding major. Whatever job you list from those majors can be achieved with psychology, english, mechanical engineering, sociology, poly sci, history or any other basic major.

[Anonymous]

This situation reminds me of the Adam Sandler Romano Tours SNL skit.

You can move to a new school but you'll still have the same uncertainty, just in a new place. Agree with all the PP's who suggest staying put.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The major does not matter for most jobs! Especially from a top school.
They are only a sophomore, why move them when they are doing well socially? They just need to pick a major such as political science, bonus if they can add a stem minor that they like, or double major. Do not move them. If it is truly one of the top -10 LACs it will have much better change of getting to know professors than moving to a big school. Talk with professors, for every class, ask them how they got into their field, ask them what other fields they know about. Go to careers services. They can focus on figuring out what jobs they definitely do not want and should try many other things including study abroad, summer fellowships in the US or abroad, see what inspires and what does not. . Those opportunities are much easier coming from a T10 LAC.

All of this. Have them ask professors and career services if there is anyone that came to x career or switched majors/added majors as a sophomore for some of the things they are considering. Talking to people in a similar boat who didn’t know coming in what they wanted to do, but figured out and got to where they wanted to be would be helpful. If they talk to professors, career services, and alumni and figure out what they want isn’t possible from the LAC they should then consider transferring.