It's not easy getting ready to transfer to a big, 4-year school. There are times in the process when, to me, it didn't even seem logical. I was never very good at the whole "hurry up and wait" thing. I found out recently that I was not accepted into the Cornell School of Industrial Labor Relations, one of the most competitive of all of the schools at Cornell, so Social Philosophy at SUNY Cortland will be an excellent backup. As much as I love Corning Community College, it is time for me to move on and achieve all of the bigger things I have planned for myself.
Since I am about to complete the process, I want to share some words of wisdom for students who will be transferring later on.
First, talk to an advisor. Talk to any advisor. Just make sure you are comfortable sharing things about the process you are going through with them. Remember that they are here to help and guide you if you will let them, and take advantage of that. Advisors have all sorts of information and contacts that you will realize you never even thought of. They will be there if you need a shoulder to cry on or a congratulations on your acceptance to a school. Your advisor understands that transferring isn't always easy.
Don't be concerned about knowing what you want to spend the rest of your life doing when looking at schools. The Director of Admissions for one of the schools I applied to gave me some great advice in an email. He said, "If you are sure what you want to do for the rest of your life right now, you likely will have a difficult time in college. Your college experiences will change you and as a result your interests might change. No one should waste that much money if they aren't happy. And who says that you ever have to make a decision? You could paint for a while, teach for a few years, and retire from a long and successful career as the CEO of an up-and-coming company that produces the next iFad. Go to school for what pays the bills but if that doesn't make you happy, make sure you find something that does to participate in on the side." I completely agree with him too. Being open-minded leaves more room for opportunity to come a-knockin'.
You can apply to as many schools as you want, but you need to have a plan, a backup plan, and a Plan C so you know that you won't let your future fall through the cracks. Many students apply to at least one "reach school", a school they have a chance of getting in to but their grades or test scores are a bit lower than the average usually accepted. Cornell ILR was my reach school. Make sure that the backup plans you have will satisfy you too. If you don't make it into your reach school, it is so much less stressful being content with a second choice school you have gotten accepted to.
Those are the three most important things I've learned in my time as a student who is actively looking to transfer after my graduation in a few weeks. Always remember that your education is primarily for your benefit and then secondarily for the benefit of whatever industry you plan to go into. Use the resources available to you. There are plenty of them out there if you are willing to take the time to look.
And as I often say: We don't find ourselves. We create ourselves.
Good luck, all!
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