OP,
If he's got a school in mind, the information will be on the website. I know several students who transferred after freshman year (now adults, so this was awhile ago) and it was great for them. However, I hope your son has an open mind!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your responses; he likes the school he's going to this fall, but there's another school he can't get out of his head, so he wants to keep his options open.

The school should have an admission counselor for transfer students. He should give them a call.

This. A few universities say they don't ever take transfers (Yale? I think Princeton, too). So call and ask. They also may prefer a transfer after your DS has established two years at the base college.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your responses; he likes the school he's going to this fall, but there's another school he can't get out of his head, so he wants to keep his options open.

The school should have an admission counselor for transfer students. He should give them a call.

There are no consistent rules about transferring. Many schools have deadlines for both semesters (November for January, March for fall). Admissions vary greatly depending on whether the school undershot its freshman class size (in which case there will be many slots) or overshot (likely no slots).

But if you can pay full freight, getting in as a transfer can often be easier than as a freshman, because many schools need the tuition and the stats of transfer students are not considered for rankings.

The best thing to do is to get the paperwork ASAP so you know the rules for a particular school. You don't have to use it.

For STEM subjects some schools may be particularly finicky about your classes and may even want to give the student a test as part of entry.

Even if the deadline is in March, you want to start early to make sure you have everything in place.

I believe he will also need to include his high school transcript and scores with the application in addition to the 1st semester of college. He needs to keep his grades up during that time, especially if his high school grades were on the fence for the school he still likes.

However, one thing to keep your head up about….I have heard that it is often easier to be accepted to schools as a transfer than as a freshman applicant. The school wants to fill the spots (from kids who have dropped out or leaving) and also they do not publish the transfer information. Having said that, though, your son's high school grades/scores need to be up to par for the school.

Good luck to you and your family!

Thanks for your responses; he likes the school he's going to this fall, but there's another school he can't get out of his head, so he wants to keep his options open.

Does dc think he'll want to transfer somewhere he did/did not get in as a first year student? What kind of school, ie larger state school or slac?

Check a few websites.

Here are Wesleyan's deadlines:
What is the application deadline for transfer students?
Transfer applications for fall matriculation are due March 15, with a notification date of May 15. Transfer applications for spring matriculation are due November 1, with a notification date of December 15.

Here's Amherst's:
Transfer applications for fall enrollment must must be submitted by the March 1 deadline; notice of our decision will be sent by mid-May. Transfer applications for spring enrollment must be submitted by the November 1 deadline; notice of our decision will be sent by late December.

My DC is a rising college freshman and may want to transfer after his first year. Does anyone know what the basic timeframe for transfer applications is? And is the app. based on only the grades earned during freshman year, or does it go back to high school GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, etc.? Just wondering what DC should be expecting. Thanks for any advice.