Time to Transfer (During COVID)?
In normal times, transfer students face a number of barriers applying to and switching colleges, but add the pressures of the current moment, and the transfer process is further complicated.
As colleges are forced to offer less-than-ideal college experiences, college students of all years are left wondering if they might find a more fulfilling environment elsewhere. Freshmen aren’t able to form a community. For sophomores, maybe this year is not as full as their freshman year was. Most students thinking of a transfer this year are considering it for one or more of these reasons: they are not getting the ‘college experience’ where they are with the restricted atmosphere; they want to live closer to home in case of sickness; they need to find an institution with lower costs because the family’s financial situation has changed; their current school is offering online classes only and they want/need to be in the classroom.
Despite predictions at the beginning of the pandemic that the number of students transferring for fall of 2020 would skyrocket, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released research showing the opposite - a drop in all types of transfers.
“The pandemic seems to be affecting students mainly by keeping them out of college, not by driving them to change colleges,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “Fewer students are enrolling as freshmen and fewer are returning… and despite fears that many would be forced to transfer to lower-cost or closer-to-home options, student mobility overall appears constrained.”
Why the pandemic is exerting a downward drag on transfers is unclear, but the research suggests a few reasons: business closures and job loss are causing financial instability for families, administrative hurdles are more difficult without face-to-face guidance and the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and when it might end have students deciding to play it safe.
If your student is talking of ‘needing to get out’ and ‘this is not working,’ urge them to carefully consider their situation, decide whether the issue is really the school or just strange times, and discuss alternatives first. Could they take a leave of absence for a semester or even a year and return to their school later? Could they withdraw from the school and then reapply after a semester or year away rather than starting over at a new school?
Of course, there are good reasons to transfer: financial considerations, a desire to be closer to home, a feeling that the student’s current school, beyond COVID factors, is definitely not the right fit. If a student ultimately decides that transferring is the right move, they should go in with the following advice:
Ask lots of questions. Students want to get it right this time around, so research by asking questions. Ask about transfer credits, which deadlines are firm and which are flexible, and how long it will take to finish a degree.
Credits may not transfer. Students should be prepared to lose credits in transfer (and then be pleasantly surprised if that doesn’t happen.) On average before the pandemic, students lost an estimated 43% of their credits in transfer. Many colleges switched to Pass/Fail grades in the spring and this fall. Normally, most schools do not accept credits in courses graded “Pass” only. Schools may make exceptions for the fall 2020 semester. Make sure you have at least a good idea of what credits will transfer.
A normally convoluted transfer process is even more so this cycle with administrative offices working virtually. Students may face delayed responses to transcript and recommendation requests. Be cognizant of deadlines. But, on the other hand, also recognize that because of the limitations, colleges might allow more leeway with deadlines. Don’t assume you cannot apply a little bit late. Ask.
The coronavirus and the shift to online learning have made it more challenging for schools to support students once they’ve transferred. There may not be as robust a transfer system this year, and students may fall through the cracks socially and academically. Students need to take advantage of all the help the new school offers, whether it is orientation sessions, an academic advisor, a transfer counselor, or a transfer center.