---
title: What You Need to Know Before You Decide to Transfer | CollegeData
description: When you are considering a transfer college, check out factors affecting admission, academic credit, and transfer support. What you find may sway your decision.
---

[Facts On Fit Resources | College Data ](https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit)

# [What You Need to Know Before You Decide to Transfer | CollegeData](https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-decide-to-transfer)

 Written by [CollegeData](https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/author/collegedata) | November 19, 2020

[Resources](https://www.collegedata.com/resources) / [The Facts On Fit](https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit)

# What You Need to Know Before You Decide to Transfer

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When you are considering a transfer college, check out factors affecting admission, academic credit, and transfer support. What you find may sway your decision.

## Transfer Admission Factors

- **Your SAT and ACT scores won't carry much weight.** As good as your test scores may be, your college grades and the essay outlining your reasons for transferring are more important.
- **Admission deadlines may be different.** Don't assume the application deadlines will be the same as those for freshmen. Many colleges offer different fall and spring admission deadlines for transfer students.

## Transfer Academic Factors

- **Your GPA will not transfer to your new college.** Unless you are transferring within a public college system, the GPA you graduate with will be calculated based on your grades at your new college.
- **Each college or college system has its own credit transfer policy.** This policy affects the credits they will accept from your previous college. Some colleges accept a limited number of transfer credits, and/or require that you complete a certain number of credits at the transfer college.
- **Some of your transferable credits might not count toward your major.** If the college can't find a match for a credit in your major classes, it may count it as general education credit. To get an estimate of your transferable credits, send your transcript for a credit assessment by the department responsible for your major.
- **Changing your major when you transfer can backfire.** You may end up taking extra time and expense to graduate if many of your transfer credits cannot be counted toward your new major.

## Transfer-Friendly Factors

- **Some colleges offer robust transfer support and some don't.** Before choosing a transfer college, look for schools that offer transfer-oriented counseling, orientation, housing assistance, scholarships, and social programs.
- **Some four-year colleges have articulation agreements with other colleges, especially community colleges.** These agreements specify which courses the destination college will accept for credit, and may guarantee admission once you complete a specified two-year curriculum.

[View full post](https://www.collegedata.com/resources/the-facts-on-fit/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-decide-to-transfer)

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