How can I transfer from one university to another?

A reader writes:

"I want to transfer from UCLA to Stanford. Are there any tips? I know GPA and everything else is important. I really want to transfer as Stanford is my dream university."

Generally speaking, it is much more difficult to transfer from university to university compared to transferring to a university from a community college. The main reason for this is that university-to-university transfer students get the last bite at the apple. That is, university-to-university transfer students are admitted after incoming freshmen and community college transfers.

That being said, it is not impossible, but it is certainly a harder road to go down. To improve your chances of being admitted as a university-to-university transfer student, here are some tips you can follow:

First, contact the admissions office at the potential transfer institution immediately. Schools do not widely publicize the admissions process for university-to-university transfer students, so contacting them directly is likely to give you the best information to guide your journey.

When you are choosing classes at your current school, try to take classes as similar as possible to the requirements at the potential transfer institution. This will improve your chances of making a seamless transition from one school to another and prevent you from having to delay graduation.

Try to align your experiences at your current school with what you hope to do at the potential transfer institution. For example, if you want to join a particular student organization at Stanford and UCLA has a similar group, join it. Making connections between what you do now and what you hope to get out of transferring will help make your application stronger.

The last tips I have would be to try to enjoy your time at your current school. Although your mind is already at Stanford, you can't neglect your experience at UCLA. It is that experience that will help make you a competitive transfer applicant. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Don't fall for a scam artist

In response to to Should I list classes on my resume?, a reader writes:

"My son just paid $700 to have a professional resume done. They listed all his courses in business management. Is this something new or did they do if for filler?"

Wow. First off, I'm really sorry that your son paid $700 for a "professional resume." Listing classes on a resume is not something new. The key is that classes should only be listed on a resume when they are relevant to the employer.

Also, I would be highly skeptical of a "professional" that charges $700 and includes all of a person's classes. Both of those are indications of a scam artist. I hope he is able to get another (free or low cost!) review of his resume.

Really, there is pretty much no way all of his classes are relevant. When classes that are not relevant are on your resume, that is filler. And filler is the kiss of death for a well-written resume. So, unfortunately, your son was ripped off. 

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Working with college students is awesome

Here is a dirty little secret about my profession: We advisors like to share "war stories" about our students. That's right, we talk about you. We don't share students' personal information, and never give names, but we do like to share the juicy details about students...

And occasionally, it might end up in a Facebook post. Check out the latest college student antics I read from a colleague:

"Why do I love my job? Because I get to have meetings like the one I did right before lunch, where the student decided to protest our not letting him study naked in the lounge by stripping down to his birthday suit as he walked out of my office."

Most of the students we deal with are average folks, but every now and then something outrageous like this happens. Working with college students is awesome!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.