Tips from Emerson & Olympic College on how to Avoid Transferring Schools in USA

America is home to hundreds of prestigious colleges that attract students from all over the world on a yearly basis. Finding a university that suits you is just the start of your study abroad journey; there are many things to consider before filling out any applications, so we went to the experts to see what advice they could give students everywhere!

Tips from Emerson College

Ms. Victoria Gonzales, who attended and graduated from Emerson College, said to Findadmission, “This is a topic that could have so many answers. Most Americans first decide if they want to go to a college/university in a rural area, or in a big city. From personal experience, my first year I went to a campus that was surrounded by nature, [only to realize] it had nothing else to explore outside of it. I ended up transferring to a bigger college in the middle of Boston instead, [as] it offered much more [both] academically and socially.”

Finding a college that suits the students’ academic and personal needs is important if you want to avoid transferring elsewhere after a year or so. Getting started at an institution that works for you in every way is the quickest way to get settled into your new life. However, the good thing about the American higher education system is that, while inconvenient, transferring is usually easier and more common than in other countries. 

Changes are okay

“I think new students [make the mistake of going] in thinking they must have it all figured out right away – but. [they] should be more encouraged to explore all the different options available to them, and realize that it’s okay to change their minds as they go through their first year,” Gonzales continued.

“Another huge thing is that America has this concept that if someone doesn’t go to college, they can’t be successful. It [would also] be interesting to look into [what] community colleges or vocational schools are [available, as] both still offer a good education [around courses that] are more [work-related]. [These types of schools] are also nowhere near as expensive when it comes to loans or debt, which is the issue the majority of [students] get stuck in after [they] graduate.”

A note from Olympic College

Findadmission also recently interviewed Rachel Good from Olympic College, which has a community college status; Good told us that attending community college can actually reduce your tuition fees by up to 50% overall, while allowing students to obtain a prestigious American education. This means you’d get the same education without paying the typical $16,000 out-of-state fee per year to do so.

You have choices

The trap that many international students fall into is believing that attending university abroad will break the bank. However, in actual fact, there are a range of options to pick from when choosing an American institution at a price that suits you, and Gonzales believes that the best thing to do is research. When research is done thoroughly, all students looking to apply to an American institution will be able to find something that works for them.

You can find out more about many of the institutions that we work with in the United States here.