Hello Everyone!
My daughter is exploring the transfer scene for fall 2024 as a sophomore. Current first-year at UVA (out of state), who is enjoying her time, but doesn’t feel it to be the right fit. She is very involved and made a nice group of friends within the ministry + club sports team, but doesn’t seem to mesh with the school as a whole. Thinking the size and layout may just be too big/not her thing. Older sister is at a private catholic school, that has a tight-knit homey feeling, which is what she’s looking for. Notre Dame, BC and Wake were her top three in hs. Applied REA to ND, and ended up getting deferred → waitlisted. I was apprehensive about ED2 for financial reasons so we did regular decision to wake and boston college. Waitlisted from all 3 in the end. Her top 3 accepted schools were UVA, UF and Clemson. UVA gave much better financial aid and a “better” school. In hindsight, we loved the community/welcoming environment at Clemson a lot more but it was too expensive in the end.
Always had transferring in the back of her mind as ND was the dream school for years. About to start applications for the fall now and looking for any advice or experiences from transferring to a school fo similar rigor. Great high school stats, activities, and very strong writer.
Looking at Notre Dame, Boston College, Holy Cross, Wake Forest, and Villanova. Any other schools to keep on the radar?
1- transfer financial aid may or may not be as generous as freshman financial aid.
2- “right fit”- this is something your D needs to explore more fully. She won’t be transferring as a freshman with a bunch of other freshman- all eager to make friends, create connectivity- she’ll be in the minority, and will have to go outside her comfort zone to establish relationships (and join organizations, etc) where the other students are already established. Will this be more or less work than staying put and redoubling her efforts to find her fit at UVA? That’s for her to answer.
3-If she didn’t get into ND the first time, what has changed since then to get her in (with a much tinier applicant pool) this next time around?
4-Nobody needs to “mesh” with the school as a whole. The likelihood she was going to “mesh” with the entire school at Clemson or ND- not going to happen. People make their 5 close friends and their 12 “good buddies” and their 20 “They’d lend me ten bucks if I needed it” hallmates-- and after that-??? How many people are you going to mesh with?
Have your financial parameters changed at all? And if she’s looking for tight-knit and homey- I think schools like Fairfield, Stonehill, Providence are going to be the culture she wants, and not the BC/Wake Forest places.
She is interested in Fairfield as well. Will look into Providence/Furman as well. All schools mentioned above do take second-year transfers. Hoping to tour a few over break
The question to ask is NOT if they take second-year transfers. The key is “will the NPC be accurate for the amount of aid a second year transfer can expect”. And at many colleges, the answer is no. Not accurate, and the aid is generally LESS than freshman aid, not more.
I think you need to nail this down before you start touring. No sense in getting your D’s hopes up about an unaffordable option- psychologically it makes it that much harder to dig in second semester at UVA. She’s sad about ND (“dream school for years”) – don’t let her get sad about visiting a school she loves which does not have generous aid for transfers!
Thanks for the reply. Financial situation has changed so not an issue anymore.
totally agree. D is very outgoing and loves to be involved/meet new people. She’s made great connections at uva, and isn’t leading the year with an “i’m transferring mindset”. Going to submit applications, see the results, and may end up staying after all.
Took the SAT again, and will submit this time (test optional before). She is continuing her extra-curriculars in college and expanded her business quite a bit since applying. Not sure how they look at previous stats. A friend in a similar situation transferred in after being waitlisted, so going off of the experience.
Likes UVA, but doesn’t love the overall school culture, never truly did. Nothing at all against UVA, she just prefers a more personal approach, and dedication to students that we saw at ND, and Wake. LOVED how nice and welcoming it seemed at Wake whenever there. Clemson is a different story, in that respect, but she loves football and we have a ton of family who went there. Overall felt like the places had a different “vibe” around campus that she liked more.
Oh well, I guess D will apply and we’ll see how it pans out!
The issue with applying with one semester of post-HS grades to schools that denied her last year (ND, Wake, BC) is that not much has changed…her HS academics will still be the most important factor in the admission decision. Will she have straight As this semester at UVA? Even with that, her chances would be greater at that set of schools if she had 3 strong semesters under her belt when applying, so for Fall 2025. If she were to apply now and be denied from those 3 schools again, she is likely done with them (meaning they likely wouldn’t entertain a third app from her next year). I would be especially aware of the social scene at Wake if she is not in Greek Life (not sure what the rush opps are for 2nd year transfers, or even if she is interested in Greek Life).
If she is certain she wants to transfer for Fall 2024, she will need to add some less selective schools than these, like Fairfield, Providence, Furman. It seems Catholic is not a must, and that money is not an issue now? If so, why is Clemson not on the list? If she is applying at any of these schools and not asking for financial aid, that will be an advantage.
Thanks for the reply! Clemson is definitely on the list (forgot to add it).
UVA should be A’s. Good thinking with the 2nd vs 3rd year application. I don’t know too much in the realm of transferring, but wonder if it would be wise to reach out to the school with those specific questions. I know schools can vary on that.
She is looking in business, hoping to do a major in finance (possibly marketing).
She wants to have the option. While she’s making the best of her situation, not exactly where she wants to be. I’ve heard it can be better to transfer in as a sophomore than a junior.
I don’t know if Wake takes biz school transfers, but if they do that will also be highly competitive. Your D needs to research this for every school on the list.
For business I would add Marist. Maybe Babson and Bentley. Babson is small but won’t be warm and cozy.
To add to MWFan’s fine post- Bentley isn’t cozy either. There’s a difference between a small school/small campus (or relatively self-contained campus) and cozy.
FYI- it will be hard to find a high quality finance program which students would describe as a nurturing environment. Professors tend to be sink or swim (if you go for help, they will bend over backwards to help, but nobody is coming to the dorm room to shake you awake so you make it to the 8 am review session); the cut-offs for various internships are established by the companies, not the college; the pre-requisites tend to be pretty cut and dried.
Her chances are better applying to the school of Arts and Sciences, but it’s highly unlikely she would be able to get to Carroll from there. Does she have any idea if she even likes economics? It is not like studying finance or marketing. At all.
'If she is certain she wants some type of business I wouldn’t even apply to BC…go somewhere where she can study what she wants.
Providence and Stonehill are not going to be as cut throat/competitive for finance as BC, Wake, Villanova.
I’m getting lost though as to why UVA isn’t the perfect place for her… it’s got the academic chops she seems to want, she’s made friends, she wouldn’t be “trading down” in prestige (Stonehill is great for the right kid, but it ain’t UVA in the intellectual intensity department), etc.
Truthfully, she probably wouldn’t apply as econ. Not her thing. Would likely go in as an English major. She loves writing and adores every english class she’s taken. That would be her second choice to the biz schools.