What happens when you and your teen determine that the college he or she thought would be perfect just isn’t so? Your teen’s unhappy. You’ve tried talking it through; you’ve tried tough love; it just isn’t a good fit, and you student wants to leave. Good reasons to consider transferring:
Financial necessity: “Why do you want to pay for me to be unhappy?” It’s a tough argument to refute when you could be paying as much as $25,000 a semester.
A “major” discovery: Many students enter college undecided about their majors, and then they take an interesting course and get hooked. But their college doesn’t offer their new passion as a major, and they want to transfer.
If your student has genuinely become passionate about some specialized major, and he or she has researched colleges with strong departments and you believe the decision is rational, this could be a good reason to transfer.
Academic upgrade: If your student isn’t challenged and is losing interest in academics, transferring to a more competitive college could be the answer. It’s important to note, though, that being a star performer at any college will have its own rewards – including choice research opportunities, stellar letters of recommendation and strong employment recruitment.
Recognition of needs: Often, students from small high schools will select large colleges declaring that they want something different. Most adjust quite well. But some students who are accustomed to a degree of hand-holding are jarred by their newfound independence. They often feel that the university is too big and want a more intimate learning environment.
Culture clash: Sometimes, the party scene at colleges can be too intense. It also happens, although not as frequently, that students feel there isn’t enough of a social atmosphere at their college. In both cases, these could be temporary situations. Before targeting transferring as a solution, be sure to discuss the issues and recommend other options.
Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@collegeadmissionsstrategies.com.
