Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Should I Transfer?
Dear Guidance Guy,
I'm currently a student at Cal State Long Beach with an undeclared major. I'm not really happy with the enviroment and the commute (I live 40 minutes away from campus). So I decided to apply to two campus as a sophomore transfer student. I applied to UC Riverside with a Business major (later to be changed to philosophy), and UC Irvine as an Earth Science major. I don't know my grades for my first semester of college yet, but do you think I'll have a good chance of transferring?
Thanks,
Michael
*****
Dear Michael,
There are a few ways to answer your question. The first is that your grades are quite important, so once you find them out you'll have a much better idea of knowing what your chances are.
Second, you're asking the wrong guy. Every state university system (and every other school for that matter) has a policy on transfer students. In the case of a big system like California where many students transfer from two year to four year schools, or transfer between four year schools, the policy should be pretty easy to find. That's what I'd recommend for you, because (as the old saying goes) knowledge is power. So check with a counselor in the admissions office at Long Beach, check on the websites for Irvine or Riverside, or shoot an email to either of the two campuses you're thinking about attending.
One other thing, Michael...what's up with the Earth Science, Business and Philosophy major thing? Looks to me like you're not really thinking about a career path at this point. That's cool, since you're still a freshman. Take some time this semester and into the summer and do some serious career development activiites. See if your career development office has some software you can use for career assessment. And see if you can spend time at a worksite where people with all those majors work. I'd think about picking up "So, Your Kid Wants To Go To College..." for the Mindset section. Looks like you could use some focus.
Thanks for your letter,
The Guidance Guy
I'm currently a student at Cal State Long Beach with an undeclared major. I'm not really happy with the enviroment and the commute (I live 40 minutes away from campus). So I decided to apply to two campus as a sophomore transfer student. I applied to UC Riverside with a Business major (later to be changed to philosophy), and UC Irvine as an Earth Science major. I don't know my grades for my first semester of college yet, but do you think I'll have a good chance of transferring?
Thanks,
Michael
*****
Dear Michael,
There are a few ways to answer your question. The first is that your grades are quite important, so once you find them out you'll have a much better idea of knowing what your chances are.
Second, you're asking the wrong guy. Every state university system (and every other school for that matter) has a policy on transfer students. In the case of a big system like California where many students transfer from two year to four year schools, or transfer between four year schools, the policy should be pretty easy to find. That's what I'd recommend for you, because (as the old saying goes) knowledge is power. So check with a counselor in the admissions office at Long Beach, check on the websites for Irvine or Riverside, or shoot an email to either of the two campuses you're thinking about attending.
One other thing, Michael...what's up with the Earth Science, Business and Philosophy major thing? Looks to me like you're not really thinking about a career path at this point. That's cool, since you're still a freshman. Take some time this semester and into the summer and do some serious career development activiites. See if your career development office has some software you can use for career assessment. And see if you can spend time at a worksite where people with all those majors work. I'd think about picking up "So, Your Kid Wants To Go To College..." for the Mindset section. Looks like you could use some focus.
Thanks for your letter,
The Guidance Guy
