Transfer Opportunities - Liberal Arts College vs Big Size Research University

[ucbalumnus]

@MadGorilla

Recently, I’ve heard that when it comes to transferring opportunities, top colleges prefer students who have been educated in a liberal arts curriculum in another institution for 2 years or less. Presuming that a student at each institution, liberal arts college, and big size research university where students choose their majors in freshmen year, which type of college is preferable to top schools when it comes to transferring.

Different colleges that may be targeted by transfers may have different preferences for prior college origins. For example:

• Some have an apparent prestige / selectivity bias. One article in a student newspaper at a highly selective college about transfer students gave examples of those who all came from highly selective prior colleges.
• Some focus on non-traditional students, many of whom started at community colleges.
• Some have transfer arrangements with in-state community colleges.
• Some get transfer students from all kinds of colleges.

But really, if you are about to attend a 4-year college, choose the one that is the best fit for you (affordable, academic offerings of interest to you, and anything else) with the viewpoint of staying there through graduation.