Students who have received credit for their studies at one institution before transferring to another are known as transfer students. Students transfer for a variety of reasons, including relocation and the desire to pursue more educational opportunities. The majority of schools accept transfer students and have programs in place to help them through the process.
A student must submit an application in order to transfer. Depending on the school to which the student is transferring, the application may also include letters of recommendation and other supporting materials, as well as transcripts confirming the student’s credits earned at another academic institution. An evaluation of the student to determine his or her class standing, based on transcripts, and appropriate placements in math, language, science, and other classes, which may be determined using placement tests, is part of the application process.
Students transfer to a new school in K-12 education for a variety of reasons, including relocation or the belief that a new school will provide better services. Public schools are typically required to accept transfers as long as the students live in the school’s service area, though the school may require transcripts and proof of immunizations before allowing the student to attend classes. Transferring between private schools or between private and public schools is also an option for students. Because private schools are more selective, transferring to one usually necessitates a more extensive application process.
One of the most common reasons for transferring to a college is that a student has completed academic prerequisites at a junior college and wants to save money. These students apply to transfer to four-year colleges after completing the first two years of their education at a less expensive institution, and they must submit complete applications that include essays and letters of recommendation. Students may transfer between four-year colleges for a variety of reasons, including the fact that their current colleges do not meet their needs.
Getting used to the students and policies at a new school can be difficult for transfer students during the adjustment period. Because their educations may not have fully prepared them for classes at a different school, they may be at a disadvantage in some classes. This is a particularly serious issue in math and language classes. In small schools where new students are easy to spot, other students may single out transfer students for attention, and a whole genre of films and novels has been devoted to the experience of new transfer students.