Avoiding the Pitfalls of College Transfers with Jaime Smith

College and Career Clarity

In this episode, Lisa and Jaime discuss:

• How to prevent unplanned future transfers for your teen.
• What a “planned transfer” is, when it might make sense, and when it won’t work.
• Common reasons why over ⅓ of undergraduate students transfer.
• Articulation agreements between colleges that can benefit transfers.

Key Takeaways:

• More than ⅓ of undergraduate students transfer at some point. It should not be a hush-hush topic. Transferring is not shameful.
• Planning to start at a community college should not be stigmatized. Amazing community colleges exist, and their successful graduates do amazing things in our communities.
• If your student’s only reasons for transferring are social, consider other options within their current school first. Transferring will not usually solve the problem, but changing roommates or joining clubs might.
• When applying to school, your student is not looking for a school they can get into; they are also looking for a school they can graduate from with a degree—that’s the ultimate goal.
• Reach out to admissions offices and transfer specialists. Your student should ask questions and do their research.

“If you have a student who's not really sure what they want to study, it is much cheaper to explore different options and different kinds of majors at a community college than it is to go all in at a four-year university on a major you're not sure about and then have to pivot later.” – Jaime Smith
About Jaime Smith: Jaime Smith, M.A., MS.Ed., is a Certified Educational Planner with 25 years of experience in the field of education. After many years of teaching English at the middle, high school, and college levels, Jaime turned to online education and founded a virtual K-12 supplementary education program, OnlineG3.com, where she continues to teach gifted and twice-exceptional homeschooled students. As a college advisor, Jaime specializes in transfer admissions, application essays, homeschoolers, neurodiverse learners, and other non-traditional applicants. In 2023, she completed a Post-Master's Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, and is a fervent advocate for transfer support. She blogs about transfer credit and admissions at https://www.transfersavvy.com and is working on her first book, a guide to college transfer, due to be published in the fall of 2025.
Episode References:
#119 How to Change Your College Major Successfully with Kaci Kortis
Transfer Savvy Resources: https://transfersavvy.com/transfer_statistics/
Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).
flourishcoachingco.com/video
Connect with Jaime:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transfersavvy
Website: https://transfersavvy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-smith-cep/
Email: [e-mail]

Connect with Lisa:
Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co