Can a transfer student ever be a freshman?

[Daria]

DS's high school years have been very disrupted by illness.  He's doing better now, but there's a lot of learning he missed both academically (math and languages have been particularly disrupted), and life wise (he's way more dependent on me than a typical 18 year old).  He's also got an F and a D from a semester of dual enrollment where he kind of fell apart.

 

He's not going to college this fall.  He needs another year at home to work on transitioning to adulthood.  In my ideal situation, he'd use that year to work 1/2 time while retaking the 2 dual enrollment classes, keep working on his math so he can test into college math and maybe fill the requirement at CC, and take another semester of ASL, filling the foreign language requirement at some of his top choice schools.  He'd then go away, and start as a freshman, living in the freshman dorm, and using the breathing room from the extra credits to take a somewhat reduced load for the first year or two.  

 

However, on a college tour last week, an admissions person told me that anyone who comes in as a "transfer", is automatically placed in an upperclass dorm, doesn't do freshman orientation, doesn't take the freshman seminar that essentially teaches them how to "do" college.  If there's ever been a kid who needs those things, it's mine, both because he needs help learning to do college, and because he's very nervous about making friends and being the one "new kid" isn't the answer.

Is this a common policy? 

 

I know he won't go through the freshman admissions process.  I'm OK with that.  I just want to know if there are colleges that allow people who come in with a less than a year's worth of credit to have the freshman experience.

 

The other option would be for him to declare next year as his last year of HS, and continue with ASL and homeschooling math, and not make up the college credits, but the CC where he took them doesn't allow retakes for DE students, so that F and D would remain.  

[OneStepAtATime]

I don't know what to do regarding the DE F and D but it really sounds like he should have more time as a High Schooler before considering himself graduated and moving on to college.  Did you and he ever talk to the professors regarding his health issues, etc. and maybe try to get those grades removed or switched to incomplete or something?  How long ago were they?  I don't know how DE operates where you are, so maybe that isn't possible.  Just wondering if anything had been tried?

[JanetC]

Ugh, that's a tough one.

 

Random thought: how well documented is his illness? Could you try to change the D and F to W through a retroactive medical withdrawal?

[Janeway]

DS's high school years have been very disrupted by illness.  He's doing better now, but there's a lot of learning he missed both academically (math and languages have been particularly disrupted), and life wise (he's way more dependent on me than a typical 18 year old).  He's also got an F and a D from a semester of dual enrollment where he kind of fell apart.

 

He's not going to college this fall.  He needs another year at home to work on transitioning to adulthood.  In my ideal situation, he'd use that year to work 1/2 time while retaking the 2 dual enrollment classes, keep working on his math so he can test into college math and maybe fill the requirement at CC, and take another semester of ASL, filling the foreign language requirement at some of his top choice schools.  He'd then go away, and start as a freshman, living in the freshman dorm, and using the breathing room from the extra credits to take a somewhat reduced load for the first year or two.  

 

However, on a college tour last week, an admissions person told me that anyone who comes in as a "transfer", is automatically placed in an upperclass dorm, doesn't do freshman orientation, doesn't take the freshman seminar that essentially teaches them how to "do" college.  If there's ever been a kid who needs those things, it's mine, both because he needs help learning to do college, and because he's very nervous about making friends and being the one "new kid" isn't the answer.

 

Is this a common policy? 

 

I know he won't go through the freshman admissions process.  I'm OK with that.  I just want to know if there are colleges that allow people who come in with a less than a year's worth of credit to have the freshman experience.

 

The other option would be for him to declare next year as his last year of HS, and continue with ASL and homeschooling math, and not make up the college credits, but the CC where he took them doesn't allow retakes for DE students, so that F and D would remain.  

You would need to not graduate him this spring and have him be a dual enrolled student for the next school year. 

 

That is, in fact, what I plan to do. My son will definitely be ready to graduate spring 2019. But I want him to wait until 2020 to go off to college. So I intend to just label him as graduating 2020, but letting him take whatever he would have as an adult from home as dual enrolled for the 2019-20 school year. I think some people call it a "super senior year" and often do it to retain status for scholarship reasons for college.

[Mom22ns]

As long as the courses he takes are DE or taken while he is in high school, he will still be considered a freshman at most colleges. Some such as dd's college work harder at maintaining freshman status. There any student with less than 24 hours of transfer credit is also treated as a freshman - freshman dorm, freshman scholarships, etc. 

 

You could consider giving him a super-senior year as suggested by Janeway. That seems to be becoming increasingly popular. You could also check with the schools he is considering and find out if taking a year off and just retaking those classes would make him a transfer or not. This is a school by school thing. There are no hard and fast rules.

[G5052]

At the state colleges in my state, dual enrollment doesn't make you a transfer student unless you've completed 30 or more college credits by the time you graduate from high school.

[Daria]

The school where he took the DE classes doesn't let students continue in the DE program if they have any grades below C. So he can't return there until he graduates. Then it is open enrollment so he can retake.

 

He can continue to take ASL because that's a different college, but he can't take other classes there.

 

So if we "super senior" him then the F and D don't get replaced before we apply.

[Daria]

The scholarship aspect isn't an issue, at least at his first choice school.

[GoodGrief]

Is there an appeal process at his school for removing the D and F due to the extenuating circumstances of his illness? Was there a doctor involved who could document the problem? My oldest had to drop out of classes twice due to her illness, but the school allowed the grades removed from her record once the appropriate paperwork was filled out.

[lmrich]

This varies state to state and even college to college. Ask and investigate to find your answer. 

 

[luuknam]

However, on a college tour last week, an admissions person told me that anyone who comes in as a "transfer", is automatically placed in an upperclass dorm, doesn't do freshman orientation, doesn't take the freshman seminar that essentially teaches them how to "do" college.  

 

 

I went to UTD as a transfer student after one semester at a CC, and they insisted on treating me like a freshman - I could live with doing freshman orientation, although I would've preferred to skip it, and I really didn't like having to take the 1 credit hour class that was supposed to teach me how to "do" college - I tried to talk them out of it, but they insisted, so I went, and the guy teaching it was fine and understood that my situation really wasn't like all the freshman kids, so I thought it'd be okay... but then he left after the first week because he'd gotten a job elsewhere and I got stuck with a master's student who thought he knew everything... IIRC, I eventually managed to convince the university to let me drop that class, but it was a lot of effort... but the guy substitute teaching it was completely unreasonable (he gave me a 99 on a paper, and I asked him why not a 100, and he gave me this "no-one is perfect" attitude... which, okay, no-one is perfect, but at least flipping tell me what's not perfect about my paper - stuff like that - grades affect GPA, which affect whether I got to keep my scholarship or not, so I didn't need points deducted for nonsense reasons). Seriously, that class was a major major headache and I probably would've done better that semester if I hadn't had to deal with it.

 

I think they would've made me stay in the freshman dorm too, except I was married, so I got out of that that way. 

 

But anyway, the answer is "yes, at some universities you can be treated as a freshman even if you're a transfer student".

[luuknam]

a retroactive medical withdrawal?

 

 

Wait, that's a thing?

 

Things they don't teach in freshman seminars: medical withdrawals and other important-to-know things.

 

Things they do do in freshman seminars: teach study skills, take a personality test, and other useless crap.

 

ETA: Just wanted to clarify that I knew medical withdrawals were a thing, I just didn't know you could retroactively get a medical withdrawal. I assume that over a decade is too long ago, right?

Edited April 30, 2017 by luuknam

[OnMyOwn]

You would need to not graduate him this spring and have him be a dual enrolled student for the next school year. 

 

That is, in fact, what I plan to do. My son will definitely be ready to graduate spring 2019. But I want him to wait until 2020 to go off to college. So I intend to just label him as graduating 2020, but letting him take whatever he would have as an adult from home as dual enrolled for the 2019-20 school year. I think some people call it a "super senior year" and often do it to retain status for scholarship reasons for college.

 

We are considering this as well because I want my ds to retain freshman status in order to get all the support that they receive.  He would greatly benefit from that kind of support, but he may also need an extra year at home before he will be ready to get the most he can out of college.

[katilac]

I would say yes, it's a very common policy. However,  I would delve a little deeper at each school and see if it's an absolute rule, or just the standard way of doing things (with maybe some wiggle room). 

 

Then, I'd take a deep breath and realize that either way is workable.

 

Nothing earth-shattering is taught in the freshman seminars, ime. Go to class. Actually read the book. Talk to your professor as needed. Very simple time management. These are things he can read about and work on at home, in whatever setting he winds up in. Or take an online or in-person class, just not for college credit. 

 

Unless he is looking at the tiniest of schools, there is no one "new kid" at college, and even schools that have freshman dorms sometimes wind up with freshman and upperclassmen mixed. My dd's school at some kids at a hotel last semester! 

 

Look for schools that have lots of planned "get to know people" activities at the start of fall semester (with sometimes a milder version in spring as well). It will be called Week of Welcome or something similar. The activities are varied and cheap or free. They are open to everyone but of course a lot of freshman go, so that's a way of meeting other 'new' people. My dd's school has parties, picnics, academic open houses, short and fun service projects, movies, lots of things that are open to all students. 

 

If at all possible, make repeated visits to campus once he has a very short list (or to any schools that are fairly local). Do preview days, visit departments, walk around, eat lunch in the cafeteria. This improved my dd's comfort level a lot. 

 

Some schools might let him register for freshman orientation upon request. I mean, you do pay for it! Schools that have better housing for upperclassmen might be open to him living in a freshman dorm  :laugh:

 

You never know until you ask directly. This includes the CC and their DE policy. Your son should go, hat and medical records in hand, and beg them to make an exception. 

[luuknam]

Nothing earth-shattering is taught in the freshman seminars, ime. Go to class. Actually read the book. Talk to your professor as needed. Very simple time management. These are things he can read about and work on at home, in whatever setting he winds up in. Or take an online or in-person class, just not for college credit. 

 

Look for schools that have lots of planned "get to know people" activities at the start of fall semester (with sometimes a milder version in spring as well). It will be called Week of Welcome or something similar. The activities are varied and cheap or free. They are open to everyone but of course a lot of freshman go, so that's a way of meeting other 'new' people. My dd's school has parties, picnics, academic open houses, short and fun service projects, movies, lots of things that are open to all students. 

 

 

Some more thoughts: aside from things already listed, freshman seminar at UTD also included a lecture on money management (don't sign up for credit cards and pretend they're free cash - they're not... of course, you should've already told your kid about that yourself), some relationship stuff about date rape, DV, not walking around campus alone in the middle of the night wearing your headphones, etc. Again, nothing you'd have to pay hundreds of dollars in tuition to learn... most of that stuff you probably should've taught your kid yourself. 

 

As far as getting to know people, welcome week wasn't super useful, ime... however, form or join study groups in at least some of your classes - if they're classes in your major, so much the better, because it's good for future networking and they're obviously kids you have some interests in common with. Also, universities tend to have a whole bunch of different clubs and activities you can join - so, if your kid is into e.g. karate, there might be a karate group or something that practices once or more a week that you can join, possibly for free (was free at UTD). 

[Bootsie]

How many hours would you estimate that he would have completed before transferring?  He might still have freshman status if it is not too many.  Some schools have special orientations for students who fall into this in-between category.  Also, some schools will have dorms that are for transfer students that might be a good compromise.  Sometimes a slightly older student does not fit in well with the 18-year old, first time in a college class students in the dorm. 

[Daria]

Wait, that's a thing?

 

Things they don't teach in freshman seminars: medical withdrawals and other important-to-know things.

 

Things they do do in freshman seminars: teach study skills, take a personality test, and other useless crap.

 

ETA: Just wanted to clarify that I knew medical withdrawals were a thing, I just didn't know you could retroactively get a medical withdrawal. I assume that over a decade is too long ago, right?

 

 

This is what he needs though.  Because his high school career was so interrupted he doesn't know how to record assignments, because that function got taken over by me (he was missing too many classes to keep it straight himself).  Because high school graduation was in jeopardy, we specifically chose online programs with no due dates, and lots of support, but as a result he's way behind in time management.  

 

He's got the capability to learn it, but he needs all the support he can get.  

[Daria]

How many hours would you estimate that he would have completed before transferring?  He might still have freshman status if it is not too many.  Some schools have special orientations for students who fall into this in-between category.  Also, some schools will have dorms that are for transfer students that might be a good compromise.  Sometimes a slightly older student does not fit in well with the 18-year old, first time in a college class students in the dorm. 

 

He'll enter with something between 12 and maybe 22, depending on what he ends up taking, and whether they transfer P.E. credit.

 

Frankly, if they said to me he could come as a freshman with 12, then we'd make sure he stops at 12. 

[Bootsie]

You will need to check with individual schools, but if he has less than sophomore standing, some schools will allow him to be in a freshman dorm and take freshman orientation.  Most students transferring in do NOT want these things.  So, many policies are written with that in mind, not so much that the can NOT do those things.  Are you considering transferring to a state school or a private school?  Is there a study skills, freshman orientation class he can take at the community college this next year?

[GoodGrief]

This is what he needs though.  Because his high school career was so interrupted he doesn't know how to record assignments, because that function got taken over by me (he was missing too many classes to keep it straight himself).  Because high school graduation was in jeopardy, we specifically chose online programs with no due dates, and lots of support, but as a result he's way behind in time management.  

 

He's got the capability to learn it, but he needs all the support he can get.  

 

My daughter's fiance is taking a single class called "Preparing for College". Maybe there is something like that he could take before enrolling full time?

 

[J-rap]

In our experience, it depends completely on the college.  All of my children took a year off before college, not taking official college classes but traveling and doing other things.  Most colleges accepted them as new freshmen, but one college (actually, the main university in our state) said that even that one year of experience would require her to enter college as a transfer and not a freshman.  We were so surprised!

 

A couple of my kids did end up transferring, and the schools worked hard to put them in rooms with other transfer students who were a similar age, and it worked out fine.  They didn't go through the typical orientation but were part of a condensed transfer student orientation, which really wasn't very helpful.  Still, everything worked out fine in the end.

[katilac]

I really like this color-coded daily study list method: 

 

http://organizedcharm.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-to-make-daily-prioritized-study-list.html

 

I haven't tried it, but this study skills course looks decent and reasonably priced: 

 

https://thinkeracademy.com/study-skills-course/

 

Schmoop has one, if he likes that type of humor: 

 

http://www.shmoop.com/courses/study-skills/syllabus.html

 

Alison has a free one: 

 

https://alison.com/course/study-skills

 

And the library generally has tons of books on study skills and time management. I'd start with cheap or free because it can take more than one go-round for it to really sink in. 

[luuknam]

This is what he needs though.  

 

 

Yes, sorry, I went off the rails a little. Can you tell I didn't like that class very much? Anyhow, when I said they taught some study skills, it seemed like it was intended more like a review/reminder - they didn't spend that much time on it... like I said, they covered a whole bunch of different things, from relationships to money and "oh, yeah, don't forget to read the syllabus - it's what it's there for". That said, I assume what is covered and in how much depth will vary widely from college to college. I really wouldn't count on a freshman seminar class teaching him the skills he needs - for one, since he'd be taking it concurrently with other classes, it will kind of be too late, depending on how much work the other professors assign right off the bat - I've had professors do a full lecture on the very first day of class and then assign 100 pages to read before the next class, whereas freshman seminar might very well do relatively little that first week other than introductions and probably that reminder to read the syllabus (which, realistically, all professors teaching lower-division courses tend to give that reminder themselves too - some even read the entire thing out loud the first class, as if literacy is not a prereq for college). 

 

I've seen a lot of threads here (well, mostly the Logic Stage forum, I think) where people have mentioned using The Great Courses "How to become a superstar student" - it looks like it might have some useful things, and you can get a 7-day free trial on Amazon, or alternatively, The Great Courses Plus probably has some sort of free trial too, or your library might have it. I haven't tried it myself though, what with my oldest only being in 4th grade.

 

https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-SuperStar-Student-2nd/dp/B00P3QQVFO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

[katilac]

 

 

I've seen a lot of threads here (well, mostly the Logic Stage forum, I think) where people have mentioned using The Great Courses "How to become a superstar student" - it looks like it might have some useful things, and you can get a 7-day free trial on Amazon, or alternatively, The Great Courses Plus probably has some sort of free trial too, or your library might have it. I haven't tried it myself though, what with my oldest only being in 4th grade.

 

https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-SuperStar-Student-2nd/dp/B00P3QQVFO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

We did like this, but it's geared more for middle school than late high school. 

[OneStepAtATime]

FWIW, I wouldn't count on a ton of great detailed instruction in study skills and time management for freshmen at college. A cursory review might be more what is offered. I agree with others that getting help developing those skills before he goes would probably net more than anything offered during freshman year at college.

[luuknam]

We did like this, but it's geared more for middle school than late high school. 

 

 

Good to know - I only recently have started to occasionally look at *some* of the high school/college board threads, whereas I've been reading the logic stage board for quite a while now, so I wasn't sure if it was just the difference in what I'd been reading, if that makes sense (I don't think I've read any of the high school 2017-2018 planning threads, for example, whereas I think I've read all of the 1st-8th grade ones).