It can be incredibly scary to admit that your college might not be the best fit for you. Rather than settling for a path that didn't feel right, Dhruv took a leap of faith by applying to transfer during his freshman year.
When Dhruv first applied to college, he didn't have a firm plan. He was interested in computer science and math, but also wanted to explore history and other subjects. "I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do," he recalls. After receiving several acceptances, he decided to attend the University of Southern California, drawn to its wide variety of academic programs.
However, after spending a few months at USC, Dhruv started to wonder if the school was the right fit. While he enjoyed his time there, Dhruv missed his home in Massachusetts. The student body and the campus felt bigger than he expected, and he wondered if he could return to his former dream of attending a school like Brown. "Around December, I started thinking-what if I applied to transfer?"
Dhruv knew he didn't want to navigate the challenge alone. During his initial application cycle, Dhruv enjoyed working with College Solutions, so he decided to reach out again. Applying to transfer isn't just about picking a new school-it's also about articulating why you want to make a change and how your goals might align with a new institution. Dhruv's counselor helped him articulate these reasons, providing support in narrowing down his school list and identifying his specific goals.
While he was able to use everything he'd learned from applying to college a year prior, the transfer application process was different: "The timeline was short between when I decided that I wanted to apply and then actually applying." His counselor helped him manage the time crunch, allowing him to balance extracurriculars and classes at USC and his transfer applications.
Dhruv was excited to gain transfer admission to Brown, Columbia, and Duke. After touring each campus, Dhruv committed to attending Brown, compelled by its small student body and the flexibility of their open curriculum. Dhruv is particularly excited to double major in computer science and applied math and to explore Brown's vibrant extracurriculars.
His advice for students thinking about transferring? "Be honest with yourself. If things aren't working out, it's okay to try something new-even if it's not the traditional path."
"The biggest thing that helped me, honestly, was having someone to talk to. Otherwise, it's just you applying, and that can be hard. College Solutions helped me figure out why I wanted to transfer and the certain goals I had in mind. Just having that support system throughout the process was very helpful."
"Dhruv wrote excellent essays that conveyed his academic interests and why he'd benefit from continuing his education at another institution. It was a pleasure working with him, and I'm so happy he's heading to Brown-an overall excellent fit for Dhruv!"
