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Hey guys. 1L looking to transfer. However, being "part time" I will have accumulated only 24 credits after the spring and most schools seem to want 28 minimum. Am I screwed? This happen to anyone else? Any way around it?

PM, I transferred at PT to FT and to T14.

I'm another PT to FT, though my knowledge is mostly limited to the few schools I applied to. Will you be taking classes over the summer? Some general thoughts:

Some schools post a minimum but you're ok as long as you hit the minimum before you matriculate (i.e., you take enough credits over 1L summer at your old school.) At least one of my schools made admission conditional on my summer grades.

Some schools post a minimum and seem to mean it; you need to have completed the minimum credits before you apply. Sometimes, you can apply after 2L when you do meet the minimum, but you'll lose credits because they're going to restart you as a 2L. If I remember, there are some forum posts (not sure how old) from people who successfully transferred from PT to Berkeley-FT after their part-time 2L and had to lose credits (= wasted $$).

I suspect there are schools with a min/max where if you can't apply after 1L, you're screwed; that school is foreclosed to you. I couldn't name any off the top of my head, though.

I don't know if there are schools that post a minimum but are okay with you catching up credits during 2L & 3L. If your app is really compelling, I imagine they'd be more willing to relax the rules. I would guess, but don't know for sure, that the EA/ED schools (like Georgetown, Chicago), which have experience making transfer decisions on just one semester of grades, are also more likely to be flexible.

Actually, frankly, I think the rule of thumb for PT-to-FT transfers (and maybe even transferring in general) is that this situation is so uncommon, and so unimpeded by e.g. USN ranking considerations, that if a school really wants you, they'll be willing to relax the rules. Then, you're just left with a factual inquiry about whether your application is sufficiently attractive and their rules are sufficiently relaxable. Ex: the search link above suggests that NU is "minimum and means it" but I have (am?) anecdotal evidence that this isn't always true; they accepted me with fewer than 28 credits.

Or, I guess -- it doesn't hurt to try, other than application fees.

xfer999 wrote:I'm another PT to FT, though my knowledge is mostly limited to the few schools I applied to. Will you be taking classes over the summer? Some general thoughts:

Some schools post a minimum but you're ok as long as you hit the minimum before you matriculate (i.e., you take enough credits over 1L summer at your old school.) At least one of my schools made admission conditional on my summer grades.

Some schools post a minimum and seem to mean it; you need to have completed the minimum credits before you apply. Sometimes, you can apply after 2L when you do meet the minimum, but you'll lose credits because they're going to restart you as a 2L. If I remember, there are some forum posts (not sure how old) from people who successfully transferred from PT to Berkeley-FT after their part-time 2L and had to lose credits (= wasted $$).

I suspect there are schools with a min/max where if you can't apply after 1L, you're screwed; that school is foreclosed to you. I couldn't name any off the top of my head, though.

I don't know if there are schools that post a minimum but are okay with you catching up credits during 2L & 3L. If your app is really compelling, I imagine they'd be more willing to relax the rules. I would guess, but don't know for sure, that the EA/ED schools (like Georgetown, Chicago), which have experience making transfer decisions on just one semester of grades, are also more likely to be flexible.

Actually, frankly, I think the rule of thumb for PT-to-FT transfers (and maybe even transferring in general) is that this situation is so uncommon, and so unimpeded by e.g. USN ranking considerations, that if a school really wants you, they'll be willing to relax the rules. Then, you're just left with a factual inquiry about whether your application is sufficiently attractive and their rules are sufficiently relaxable. Ex: the search link above suggests that NU is "minimum and means it" but I have (am?) anecdotal evidence that this isn't always true; they accepted me with fewer than 28 credits.

Or, I guess -- it doesn't hurt to try, other than application fees.

Thank you for your awesome feedback. I emailed NYU and said i would NEED to meet it before july 15, which isnt possible with my schools summer schedule. I'll keep looking

Anonymous User wrote:

xfer999 wrote:I'm another PT to FT, though my knowledge is mostly limited to the few schools I applied to. Will you be taking classes over the summer? Some general thoughts:

Some schools post a minimum but you're ok as long as you hit the minimum before you matriculate (i.e., you take enough credits over 1L summer at your old school.) At least one of my schools made admission conditional on my summer grades.

Some schools post a minimum and seem to mean it; you need to have completed the minimum credits before you apply. Sometimes, you can apply after 2L when you do meet the minimum, but you'll lose credits because they're going to restart you as a 2L. If I remember, there are some forum posts (not sure how old) from people who successfully transferred from PT to Berkeley-FT after their part-time 2L and had to lose credits (= wasted $$).

I suspect there are schools with a min/max where if you can't apply after 1L, you're screwed; that school is foreclosed to you. I couldn't name any off the top of my head, though.

I don't know if there are schools that post a minimum but are okay with you catching up credits during 2L & 3L. If your app is really compelling, I imagine they'd be more willing to relax the rules. I would guess, but don't know for sure, that the EA/ED schools (like Georgetown, Chicago), which have experience making transfer decisions on just one semester of grades, are also more likely to be flexible.

Actually, frankly, I think the rule of thumb for PT-to-FT transfers (and maybe even transferring in general) is that this situation is so uncommon, and so unimpeded by e.g. USN ranking considerations, that if a school really wants you, they'll be willing to relax the rules. Then, you're just left with a factual inquiry about whether your application is sufficiently attractive and their rules are sufficiently relaxable. Ex: the search link above suggests that NU is "minimum and means it" but I have (am?) anecdotal evidence that this isn't always true; they accepted me with fewer than 28 credits.

Or, I guess -- it doesn't hurt to try, other than application fees.

Thank you for your awesome feedback. I emailed NYU and said i would NEED to meet it before july 15, which isnt possible with my schools summer schedule. I'll keep looking

OP Here: Welp this is pretty annoying. Seems as though my summer classes need be GRADED to count toward the 28 credit minimum, which they likely will not be before the application deadline. NYU and Columbia have both given me this answer, and I think they are the only in he area worth my time.