Q: How difficult is it to transfer to another college? Is it easier or harder than getting admitted as a freshman? Also, does the college you are applying to look at your high school record or just your college record?

A: The basic answer to all your questions above is: It depends.

Openings for transfer students are made possible by other students leaving the college. A school with a high retention rate will have fewer openings. In general, the more selective a college, the fewer places it will have. On the other hand, a less selective school which is also more affordable,  may be experiencing a higher demand for places -- so it may be harder to be admitted as a transfer student there this year than it was last year.<!--more-->

In sum, the "it depends" factors are these:

  • the selectivity of the colleges
  • the number of openings they have
  • the strength of your academic record, both high school and college
  • the individual requirements of the colleges

Look for "transfer admissions" on a college's website. You will see that one school requires a minimum college GPA of 2.70 and another may require a 3.00. Having this GPA is no guarantee of acceptance. Another school may simply require you to be "in good academic standing" at your current college. You may also notice that some schools accept all of the credits you've already earned, while others may not. There is no one rule that fits all!

In general, your high school record will be looked at carefully if you are applying to transfer during your first year of college. Because you have actually not completed that much college work, the emphasis will be upon your high school transcript and test scores, plus any college work. If you apply to transfer during your second year, you will have completed a year and a half of college, so it will be your college transcript that is emphasized, and high school/test scores fade into the background. (You will still need to submit an official high school transcript so they can see you are a bona fide graduate).

If your high school record was not as strong as your college record, you will have a better chance applying to transfer as a college junior, rather than as a sophomore. People change and mature, and so do academic records. If high school was not your strongest time, do well at your first college, and you will have a better possibility of transferring. If you apply to graduate school or for employment, it's not where you began your college education that counts. It's where you complete your degree.

The best strategy is to make a list of the schools to which you are considering a transfer, examine their individual transfer requirements, and call the transfer admission counselors with questions. If the schools are nearby, it's best to set up appointments for personal meetings.