TestMagic

kkitkat · 2007 April 8th, 07:15 AM

i'm wondering how hard it would be to transfer from one university to another. i know that most universities don't give credits for previous grad work and that i'll most likely have to repeat the first year and i'm ok with that. i'm more concerned with getting lors and that sort of thing. after all when you accept an admission offer, the department kind of expects you to stick around so the profs might be reluctant to give you good lors. also, if you end up getting rejected by the school you want to transfer to won't the department sort of resent you for wanting to leave? any thoughts?

just to give a bit of background, i want to transfer for personal reasons not because i'm not happy with the offer i have now. do you think it would make a difference?

reactor · 2007 April 8th, 03:20 PM

I can see how you could face problems wanting to trasfer but I think that there will be no problem as long as you talk about it to the right people with the right way (in that case honesty is the right way).
i have friends who have successfully transfered. just search the forum "phd in economics" with keyword "transfer" and let me know if you don't find my posts.

savingtheplanet · 2007 April 8th, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkitkat

i want to transfer for personal reasons not because i'm not happy with the offer i have now. do you think it would make a difference?

I'd imagine that it would make some difference.

And transferring isn't unheard of, but you will have to do well in your program to be accepted to a place that presumably turned you down this time.

asquare · 2007 April 8th, 04:36 PM

Having a personal reason for transfering doesn't make the process of transfering much easier. Applications are due in December: if you want to use grades and LORs from the grad program you are enrolling in this fall, the professors won't have much time to get to know you at all. And in November, professors are often busy writing recommendations for job market candidates, so writing recommendations for a first year who they barely know and wants to transfer might not be high on the list of priorities. Is there a reason not to get LORs from the people who wrote them for you this year, instead of trying to get them from professors you'll know for only a few months?

Also, if you don't do well in your first semester classes or don't make a good impression on your new letter of reference-writers, you will be looking at transfering down the rankings, not up. It's a gamble. How does the school you want to transfer out of compare to the school you want to transfer in to?

If you really don't want to be at the school you are planning to enroll at, and you are willing to start all over when you transfer, then why not just wait one more year to start graduate school and apply again this fall, instead of starting and trying to transfer?

savingtheplanet · 2007 April 8th, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asquare

If you really don't want to be at the school you are planning to enroll at, and you are willing to start all over when you transfer, then why not just wait one more year to start graduate school and apply again this fall, instead of starting and trying to transfer?

Verily, this is my chosen course of action. (wish me luck!)

If possible, you could still take grad classes to strengthen your application. You don't need to send in Fall grades if they aren't great.

I understand that some schools require one new letter of reference when you tell them you are "reapplying", though.

reactor · 2007 April 8th, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savingtheplanet

If possible, you could still take grad classes to strengthen your application. You don't need to send in Fall grades if they aren't great.

Most schools ask for transcripts even if they have no grades but just show the courses that you are currently taking from all schools you are and have attended even if no degree was ever earned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by savingtheplanet

I understand that some schools require one new letter of reference when you tell them you are "reapplying", though.

This happens mostly when you ask the school to re-use some of your application material from last year. Otherwise I don't see why you cannot submit exactly the same material (+the transcript that I mentioned above).

As asquare said "If you really don't want to be at the school you are planning to enroll at...." which means "do not enroll to a program that you know you do not want to finish". BUT if I were you, I would try to defer this year's offer; life is full of surprises and perhaps next year you have changed your mind and wish to have enrolled to that program. (for example when I had my application rejected from all schools that I thought I wanted to attend, I wished I had applied to more.)

savingtheplanet · 2007 April 8th, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reactor

Most schools ask for transcripts even if they have no grades but just show the courses that you are currently taking

Yep. But they dont insist on seeing the grades of Fall courses. So if you do well, you can send in your grades. If you dont do well, dont send in your grades! (i doubt they will conclude that not sending in fall grades implies you did badly --- after all, most people dont bother with 'em)

Quote:

Originally Posted by reactor

for example when I had my application rejected from all schools that I thought I wanted to attend, I wished I had applied to more.

ouch. hope things worked out okay!

best,
SavingThePlanet

apropos · 2007 April 8th, 06:36 PM

You might want to try to inquire who is teaching the first year courses there. I think a professor who himself thinks about leaving at some point (specially some assistant professors who are looking for a permanent job) might be more willing to write an ethusiastic letter of reference. Still, a transfer is a difficult proposition.. you probably need to be near the top of their class to get the higher ranking departments interested in you. How do you know you will do well the first year? Next, if you do end up being a top student at a mid-ranked department, you might as well stay and finish your PhD degree there. Some of the mid-ranked departments consistently place their top students at major research universities, sometimes even at top 50 programs, while average graduates at the top 20 programs often get less exciting job offers.

savingtheplanet · 2007 April 8th, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apropos

if you do end up being a top student at a mid-ranked department, you might as well stay and finish your PhD degree there.

ah, but there were personal reasons for wanting to transfer!

apropos · 2007 April 8th, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savingtheplanet

ah, but there were personal reasons for wanting to transfer!

Oh I see, there must be a very strong reason though to make one want to go through this whole process again..

2007 April 8th, 07:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
kkitkat Within my grasp! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Guelph Posts: 164	University Transfer i'm wondering how hard it would be to transfer from one university to another. i know that most universities don't give credits for previous grad work and that i'll most likely have to repeat the first year and i'm ok with that. i'm more concerned with getting lors and that sort of thing. after all when you accept an admission offer, the department kind of expects you to stick around so the profs might be reluctant to give you good lors. also, if you end up getting rejected by the school you want to transfer to won't the department sort of resent you for wanting to leave? any thoughts? just to give a bit of background, i want to transfer for personal reasons not because i'm not happy with the offer i have now. do you think it would make a difference?

2007 April 8th, 03:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
reactor only Loeb spaces! Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 2,078	I can see how you could face problems wanting to trasfer but I think that there will be no problem as long as you talk about it to the right people with the right way (in that case honesty is the right way). i have friends who have successfully transfered. just search the forum "phd in economics" with keyword "transfer" and let me know if you don't find my posts. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ "It's easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner." Vince Lombardi How to write a lazy proof Teaching yourself how to prove

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

2007 April 8th, 04:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
asquare TestMagic Guru Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 1,725	Having a personal reason for transfering doesn't make the process of transfering much easier. Applications are due in December: if you want to use grades and LORs from the grad program you are enrolling in this fall, the professors won't have much time to get to know you at all. And in November, professors are often busy writing recommendations for job market candidates, so writing recommendations for a first year who they barely know and wants to transfer might not be high on the list of priorities. Is there a reason not to get LORs from the people who wrote them for you this year, instead of trying to get them from professors you'll know for only a few months? Also, if you don't do well in your first semester classes or don't make a good impression on your new letter of reference-writers, you will be looking at transfering down the rankings, not up. It's a gamble. How does the school you want to transfer out of compare to the school you want to transfer in to? If you really don't want to be at the school you are planning to enroll at, and you are willing to start all over when you transfer, then why not just wait one more year to start graduate school and apply again this fall, instead of starting and trying to transfer?

2007 April 8th, 06:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
apropos TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 767	You might want to try to inquire who is teaching the first year courses there. I think a professor who himself thinks about leaving at some point (specially some assistant professors who are looking for a permanent job) might be more willing to write an ethusiastic letter of reference. Still, a transfer is a difficult proposition.. you probably need to be near the top of their class to get the higher ranking departments interested in you. How do you know you will do well the first year? Next, if you do end up being a top student at a mid-ranked department, you might as well stay and finish your PhD degree there. Some of the mid-ranked departments consistently place their top students at major research universities, sometimes even at top 50 programs, while average graduates at the top 20 programs often get less exciting job offers.

TestMagic

Free GMAT, GRE, SAT Test, TOEFL practice tests