College Transfer FAQs: What College Is Right for Me?

About this article
So you've decided to transfer schools. The question is: Where should you go? This article provides information you should consider when choosing which school to transfer to.
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There are several factors that you should consider when looking for a school to transfer to. The following nine criteria, adapted from About.com, provide plenty of considerations for you to find a school that fits your needs:

  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • College Rankings
  • Costs
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Location
  • Public or Private Institution
  • Size
  • Social Life

Academics

When considering academics you should think of it as a three-fold question:

  1. What is the level of academics of the school you want to transfer to?
  2. Does the school you want to transfer to offer the program you want?
  3. How many graduating students pass this licensing exam?

Of these three questions, the second question is probably most important. You want to make sure that the type of program that the school offers is the type of program that you're interested in. Often, a common program such as electrical engineering may vary from school to school.

Admissions

Admission is the first step that every student must take. Be aware of your grades at your current school. If the school you plan to apply for has high admission standards, plan accordingly. Work hard to increase your GPA. Also, study hard to do well on admission assessment tests.

College Rankings

College rankings are a touchy subject. While they have their place in narrowing down potential colleges you should never base your decision to attend a school merely on its rank. Why? There are several reasons for this: rankings don't stay the same, rankings don't consider most everything else this article talks about, and high rankings don't ensure a particular school offers the program you want.

Costs

For most people, the costs of a school rank up there as one of their top concerns. It's easy to see why. Not only do you have tuition, but you also have room and board (whether on campus or off), food, gasoline, entertainment, etc. Still, dismissing a school just because of the costs isn't a good idea because you could miss out on a great education, living environment and overall experience. Yet, choosing a college just because it is expensive (and thus must have a quality program) is not good either. Bottomline - apply and, if accepted, worry about costs then. Find out what financial aid is available to you on campus as well as off campus.

Extracurricular Activities

Do you want to be involved in extracurricular activities at your school of choice? Again, the larger schools generally offer more activities including clubs, groups and sports, than the smaller ones. If you are a person who likes to be involved in school activities, contact the school that you're interested in and inquire about what they offer.

Location

Where would you like to attend college? If a city filled with a variety of activities interests you, then choose a school in a major metropolitan area. On the other hand, if more people crammed into a smaller area isn't what you desire, then choose a rural or suburban school.

Public or Private Institution

While some may argue that private schools offer a better education, the main crux of the argument between public and private schools goes back to size. State schools are often very big, while private schools are usually smaller.

Size

Size is more important than you think when choosing a school. If you attend a small school, you are more likely to get one-on-one attention and have a larger number of smaller classes to choose from. On the other hand, a larger school offers more extracurricular activities, larger facilities and libraries, more resources, more majors. Still, a larger college obviously means more students and this can make it hard to get into the certain limited availability classes.

Social Life

Related to extracurricular activities is the social life available at the school of your choice. Do you want a lively living situation, night life, dating scene, party scene, and fraternity and sorority scene about as much as you want a root canal? Some schools are deemed 'party' schools and if this isn't for you, maybe you should look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are a social butterfly, a school with all of the above items may be just the place for you.

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Quantitative Research
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Quantitative Research)
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
      • Education Specialist in Teaching and Learning
    Master's
      • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
      • M.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Human Factors
      • MA in Curriculum and Instruction
      • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
      • M.A. in Communication with an Emphasis in Education
      • M.Ed. in Secondary Education with an Emphasis in Humanities (ITL)
    Bachelor's
      • BS in Psychology
      • B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance and Sports Psychology
      • Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an Emphasis in Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships
      • Bachelor: Business Admin
      • BA in Digital Film - Screenwriting
      • Bachelor: Accounting
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Bryant & Stratton College

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA - General Management
      • BBA Human Resources Management
      • BBA Medical Services Management
      • BS Human & Social Services
      • General Management (GM) - BBA
      • Health Services Administration - BS
    Associate's
      • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
      • AS - Business
      • AS - Criminal Justice
      • AS - Accounting
      • AS - Human Resources Specialist
      • AS - IT Networking
    Certificate
      • Business Assistant Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Services Diploma
      • Business - AAS
      • Business Assistant - Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Svcs. - Diploma
      • Accounting Assistant Diploma
  • Online Programs Available
    3. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters in Psychology
      • Masters in Dispute Resolution
      • Masters in Legal Studies
      • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Masters in Clinical Psychology (Licensed Professional Counselor)
  • Campus and Online Programs
    4. Full Sail University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Science - Film Production
      • MS - Entertainment Business (Campus)
      • Game Design Masters - Campus
      • Entertainment Business Masters - Campus
      • Computer Science Masters - Online
      • M.S. - Entertainment Business
    Bachelor's
      • Sportscasting Bachelors - Campus
      • Bachelor of Science - Software Development
      • Communications Bachelors with Creative Writing Concentration - Campus
      • Film Production Masters - Campus
      • Communications Bachelors with Media Communications Concentration - Campus
      • Visual Arts Bachelors with Game Art Concentration - Campus
    Certificate
      • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online
      • User Experience Bachelors - Online
  • Online Programs Available
    5. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • DME: Doctor of Music Education
      • LLM: International Legal Studies
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Elementary Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Middle Grades Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Secondary Education
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
    Certificate
      • CTG: Communication
      • CTG: Criminal Justice
      • CTG: Curriculum and Instruction
      • CTG: Higher Education Administration
      • CTG: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • CTG: Psychology
  • Online Programs Available
    6. Fordham University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
      • Masters in Social Work
  • Online Programs Available
    7. Penn Foster High School

    Program Options

    High School Diploma
      • HS Diploma
  • Campus and Online Programs
    8. The Chicago School

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.A. Psychology
      • M.A. Behavioral Economics
      • M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
      • M.A. Forensic Psychology
      • M.A. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: ARP Track
      • M.A. International Psychology
    Certificate
      • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
      • Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning
      • Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge Program
      • Certificate in Behavioral Economics
      • Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Certificate in Organizational Leadership
  • Online Programs Available
    9. Penn Foster

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Career Diploma - Dental Assistant
      • Career Diploma - Motorcycle Repair Technician
      • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk
      • Career Diploma - Diesel Mechanics/Heavy Truck Maintenance
      • Career Diploma - Home Remodeling and Repair
      • Career Diploma - Medical Billing and Coding
  • Campus Locations:
    10. Universal Technical Institute

    Program Options

    Associate's
      • Aviation Maintenance AAS
    Certificate
      • Collision Repair and Refinish Technology
      • Motorcycle Technician Specialist
      • Automotive Technology
      • Wind Power Technician
      • Marine Technician Specialist
      • Diesel Technology

Featured Schools

Grand Canyon University

  • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
  • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Bryant & Stratton College

  • BA - General Management
  • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
  • Business Assistant Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Dispute Resolution
  • Masters in Legal Studies

What is your highest level of education completed?

Full Sail University

  • Master of Science - Film Production
  • Sportscasting Bachelors - Campus
  • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online

What is your highest level of education?

Liberty University

  • DME: Doctor of Music Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • CTG: Communication

What is your highest level of education?

Fordham University

  • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
  • Masters in Social Work

What is your highest level of education completed?

Penn Foster High School

  • HS Diploma

What is your highest level of education?

The Chicago School

  • M.A. Psychology
  • M.A. Behavioral Economics
  • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
  • Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning

What is your highest level of education completed?