How to Successfully Apply to College Mid-Year
There is a noticeable difference in the experience of starting college in the fall semester versus midyear versus spring semester—I attended both. In fact, I transferred schools three times while earning my bachelor’s degree in order to graduate early. As a result, I showed up at one school in the fall, another in the summer, and a third in the spring, and each was a completely different experience. Here’s what I learned about successfully starting a new school during a non-traditional time of the school year.
Communication with administrators (a lot)
Whether you’re moving to a new school mid-year or just starting over in January, you’ll need to maintain an open line of communication with counselors and administration officials. What’s special about the start of the fall semester is that the school prepares for it in earnest, offering welcome events and accessible meeting spaces. You may feel more independent in the spring semester, so reach out to the admissions staff and advisor with any questions you have—it’s their job to help you. They also have fewer students coming to them with questions and concerns, so the plus here is that you will get more one-on-one attention.
However, keep in mind that administrators are not very available during winter break. In my experience, getting through to one of them may be a little easier in the fall semester as they prepare for the year and actually work all summer. They take the winter holidays very seriously, so you may find yourself in limbo with last-minute questions. My advice: keep emailing. Eventually they will come back to the office and see your messages.
A few questions to ask:
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How to get a student card?
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Do I need to go to the office or do any administrative tasks on the first day, or can I go straight to class?
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Are there any welcome or student-oriented events held mid-year?
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Are meal plans or other packages prorated or otherwise different when paying for only one semester?
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What does my graduation schedule look like?
Plan your activities carefully
Yes, you should always plan your studies carefully with an advisor to ensure you’re on track for graduation, but many programs expect you to work on a year-long model, meaning four years for a bachelor’s degree and two years for a master’s degree. . The biggest agony of my undergraduate career was that, despite my (maniacal, ill-advised) efforts, at the last minute, due to a transfer credit issue, I graduated in December instead of May. If attending a big graduation ceremony (rather than the sad, weak winter version) is important to you, you may have to take more classes during the middle semester to get there on an accelerated schedule since you’re a semester behind everyone else. . (In some cases, you may be able to graduate after the fall semester and then hang out with other graduates in May, but this is something you’ll need to ask in advance if it’s important to you.)
Another thing to keep in mind when planning your first semester is how much you value the social aspect of school and how prepared you are to learn. Your peers will be in the rhythm of school all semester, but you’re just getting started in the second half, so if you have concerns about adapting to a school schedule, consider taking online classes so you can study at your own pace. and experience the whole college story.
On the other hand, your peers will also have one semester to get to know each other, join clubs and get a feel for the school itself, so you should attend at least one in-person class if you want to get the full experience. experience. In a small school or program with cohorts, you’ll be spending a lot of time with the same people, many of whom already know each other, so communicating with them (and your teachers) can be key. In larger schools this isn’t as much of an issue since you’ll be in classes with people who probably don’t know each other yet, let alone you. When I transferred from a large university to a smaller one mid-year, I enrolled in a major where I attended all of my classes in a group of about 20 people. That first semester when they were all friends and I was an outsider was a little hard for me, but I felt better as I got to know them and they got to know me. In college, the “new kid” stink doesn’t last as long as it does in high school, but you have to make the effort to meet everyone and get involved in person.
“My first semester was spring, and I took half my classes online and half in person,” says Domenic DiCostanzo, who returned to school last year in his mid-30s to finish his degree after years away from the classroom. “The online classes helped me get used to studying and I’m glad I took them, but the in-person classes really made me feel like I was going to school. I ended up meeting professors who helped me with letters of recommendation and things like that that online professors wouldn’t really do, and I met students who asked me to study with them. However, I had to make an effort to meet them because they were all already friends.”
Also keep in mind that your course options will depend on what your school offers in the second semester. Many schools pack required courses into the fall semester, leaving fewer sections for them in the spring “off” semester . Again, you will have to work with your advisor more closely than in the fall semester to make sure you are enrolled in the right courses and can make up anything you are missing, since most introductory and prerequisite classes are prerequisites for what you are not enough. you’ll take it later. If you take one thing away from this explanation, let it be that you need to be a constant presence in your advisor’s inbox or office to a degree that you wouldn’t have to if you started in the fall.
What to Consider When Applying to College Mid-Year
Life happens and circumstances get in the way, so if you have to start in the middle of the year, you have to start in the middle of the year. In an ideal world, I would recommend waiting and starting in the fall, but this is not always possible. Keep in mind that you are entering into a small ecosystem where everyone already has their own routines and behavior patterns. When I started my senior year of undergrad, I walked into my dorm room in mid-January to find out that my new roommate for the fall semester was living alone—and she was furious that she suddenly had to share her space . Unlike entering in the fall, when everyone is a stranger, I immediately entered a social environment where everyone on the floor was friends, and I was a clear outsider. If possible, ask your advisor for your roommate’s name and try to contact them online in advance. If you are awake, make sure your living arrangements are all arranged and you have a plan for how you will get to school and how you will meet people.
Club fairs are likely to take place in January and February. Try to choose extracurricular activities that don’t seem like they require much effort. You’re trying to get everything else behind schedule so you don’t have much time to dedicate to the hard work, but on some level it’s still good to get involved. Check your email for welcome events for transfer students and incoming students, and if you don’t see them, contact your advisor and ask about them.