What does it mean to be a transfer student? Do universities care about your status as a transfer student? Do you need a specific GPA to transfer to another school?
Which university offers a transfer admission to applicants? These and other questions are what we shall be discussing in this post. So, let’s dive into action without taking much time.
What does it mean to be a transfer student?
A transfer student is a scholar who successfully transferred his program from one university or college to another university at the same level.
After starting your undergraduate program in one university, then you are given admission by another school to continue the same program at the same undergraduate level.
In other words, a transfer student is someone who, after earning academic credit at one school, decides to change institution and wanted to bring over the credit to a new institution.
However, there are some files and documents you must possess to become a transfer student, including transcript(s) from previous academic performance and credits earned.
Do Colleges Care If You Transfer?
Yes, the admission committee pays more attention to transfer students than freshmen. They examine every detail provided by the transfer applicants with close attention and maximum concentration.
They assess your performance in your current institution via your GPA, your reasons to switch schools, high school performance, your written essay, letter of recommendation among other significant documents that might influence their final decision.
Transfer GPA Requirements
As mentioned above, your present GPA is one of the requirements you need as a transfer applicant.
Every school has a unique grade applicant must possess to stand any chance of being offered admission. Luckily, many American colleges and universities require a cumulative 2.25 GPA, which is more obtainable.
However, you must know that your program sometimes determines the GPA needed to obtain admission. Some programs require nothing less than a 3.0 GPA, while some demand 3.5, depending on the number of applicants and the school’s acceptance rate.
Do medical schools care if you transfer?
Yes, medical schools care if you are a transfer student like other colleges in the state. According to stats compiled by AAMC, med school applicants have only 70% of admission chances compared to other applicants.
It equally suggests that the number of schools you previously attended could affect your chances. It is believed that your chances of gaining admission into medical school decrease with respect to the number of institutions you’ve attended.
Do transferring colleges look bad for medical school?
One might argue that transferring colleges look bad for medical school as there are a few spaces for transfer students, but that’s not the case.
Transferring college doesn’t look bad for medical school because most medical school accepts premed qualifications obtained in community colleges across the country.
In the same vein, you have nothing to lose, apart from the application fee, if your request isn’t granted.
As much as college students don’t have high hopes of gaining admission into medical school as transfer students, that shouldn’t stop you from trying — you never know the outcome.
Do medical schools look at transfer grades?
Yes, your transfer grade is arguably the most important factor you shouldn’t joke with if you must be admitted into any medical school in the United States.
It is one of the first things the admission committee will check while assessing your application.
You must obtain an A, B, or C in each of the classes you attempt to boost your chances of being considered for transfer admission.
Your GPA is calculated based on the credits obtained from the total classes you attempt. This is why you must strive for high credits in all the classes you attend in your current school.
Don’t hesitate to withdraw from any class you doubt your ability to pass with at least ‘C’ credit as it is better to have a ‘W’ grade which signifies withdrawal than ‘F’ credit.
Like most tertiary institutions, medical schools require nothing less than a 3.0 GPA. Ensure you don’t go below this grade while you back it up with impressive SAT, MCAT, and BMAT tests
Meanwhile, every medical school has unique transferring policies. Some medical schools only accept students in their third year of study in a very reputable institution, while others lay much emphasis on remarks from the dean of your current school.
They believed that the dean’s remarks will testify to your academic performance and overall character shown in your transcripts.
Some medical schools also need transfer students to pass Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), meaning you can only join them as a third-year student because the USMLE examination is organized for students in their second year of medical school.
Does transferring colleges reset your GPA?
No. Transferring colleges doesn’t reset your GPA. It doesn’t affect your GPA. As much as your targeted schools value your GPA, they don’t need you to reset it in exchange for your desired course or program.
What do med schools think of withdrawals?
Withdrawing from one or two classes shouldn’t and will not affect your chances of being admitted by medical school. However, having a series of withdrawals will jeopardize your chance irrespective of the dean’s remarks.
Results with more than two withdrawals portray you as an unserious student who doesn’t deserve a spot on the ever-competitive list of transfer students.
Unfortunately, the admission committee will be forced to look for other applicants with better result unless you successfully convince them of the reasons for the withdrawals.
Luckily, the secondary essay provides you the template to explain the reasons for the withdrawals in short and understandable content while submitting your application.
Nonetheless, you should avoid numerous (Ws) in your result to be on the safe side since prevention is better than cure.
Which university offers a transfer admission?
Almost all universities in the United States permit or accept transfer applications. Cornell University clearly stated its readiness to accept transfer students irrespective of their reason to transfer programs.
In this same vein, the University of Chicago, Loyola University, University of Notre Dame, and Laurentian University all offer transfer admission to qualified students.
Meanwhile, do well to contact your desired institution to see if they permit transfer applicants or not.
Why Do Students Transfer
There are numerous reasons why students transfer from one school to another. This includes:
* Financial status: Some top-ranked colleges are more expensive while others are cheap and affordable. Hence, students don’t mind switching schools from expensive to affordable ones.
* Change of career: Every student’s dream is to land his or her dream job. Most students change schools once they found the one that offers a better route to achieving the aims and objectives.
Other reasons why students transfer include a change of location, change in major, college decision, poor performance, etc
Sources
https://www.elearners.com/transfer-students/
https://blog.collegevine.com/how-do-colleges-evaluate-transfer-students/
https://apply.sc.edu/register/transfer.gpa.requirements
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-do-medical-schools-view-transfer-students