Supporting the Student Who Has Transferred

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Mya Andersen, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.

Through my 15-plus years of working in student
services at two-year and four-year colleges and
universities, I’ve worked with many students
and have developed an affinity for transfer
students. They’ve concluded that something
needs to change in their environment or within
themselves; they can often identify what has
not worked for them and what they’d like their
new experience to entail.
With questions that prompt the students to think
about where the fit was off, we can guide them
to a place of self-discovery and reflection. The
emotional piece often plays a big part, along
with the practical considerations of determining
how many credits may transfer and if they need to
take additional semesters to complete their degree.
Support on the front end of the transfer process
prepares students for admission and enrollment in

the new institution, yet colleges often have a scaled-
down orientation process for transfer students. This

is where I see students stumble through their first
weeks and months at a new college, which prompts
the need for additional support.
Let’s discuss three scenarios.
Scenario #1: First College Wasn’t an
Academic Fit
This student has decided to transfer because they
struggled academically at their original college. They
were academically dismissed and have decided that a
new institution will be a better fit.
Working with this student, my first step is to create

an Academic Plan A and Plan B. Plan A is the best-
case scenario: these are the best classes for the

student to take together. This could include a balance
of writing classes with a math class, or a break
between classes that accommodates the student’s
need to recharge. We also determine what each term
will look like.
Then we shift to creating Plan B. Often if a student
is dismissed academically, they have bought into
a failure mindset. By creating a framework of
flexibility if Plan A doesn’t work out, the student
knows it’s going to be okay, because there is a Plan
B. Perhaps the student takes only 12 credits for
their first term back and see how that goes, or they
establish an action plan to attend their professor’s
office hours with specific questions once a week. It’s
important to build on and celebrate the little wins,
knowing they will become big successes, supporting
a flexibility mindset.

The next thing I do is ask the student if they would be
comfortable having a phone call with their academic
advisor and me as a guide. Often when students talk
to an academic advisor, it’s in the context of getting
them to graduation. Getting to graduation is more
than completing a set list of classes: it encompasses
creating a process of utilizing supports and resources,
and establishing behaviors. One of the first questions
I prompt a student to ask during that meeting is: “I’m
coming here as an academic transfer. What are the
three things I need to know to have academic success
at this campus?” That question has the potential to
open up constructive dialogue between the student and
the academic advisor and can help build the foundation
for success. If the suggestion is to create a study group,
I give them tools to build it. If it’s to use the writing
center, we look up the location and hours and practice
how to make an appointment. The key is for the student
to understand how to take action. It’s important to tap
into their self-awareness to let that be their directive.
Scenario #2: First College Wasn’t a
Social Fit
This student transferred because their first college
didn’t have the social environment they wanted and all
of their friends are having a fantastic time at this school.
The student has made this decision based on what
they perceive will be the perfect social experience.
For these students, it’s about creating catches, so
they don’t crash and burn. They must have a win
before they can bloom without relying on their
friends. Their friends can’t do it for them.
My first conversation with this student is: “What is it
that your friend is doing that causes you to believe
that their experience is ideal here?” Asking them to
articulate their vision for the best college experience
helps us create a strategy. I ask leading questions that

Mya Andersen can
be reached at mya@
collegeconnectors.
com.

continued on page M8

M8 IECA Member-to-Member INSIGHTS Spring 2023
build on each other. If the student wants to be on the Yell Crew at
games, where do they start to make that happen? Who is the person
on campus to facilitate that goal? What are you going to ask them
for? I remind the student that they have to ask for the things they
want; they cannot assume that because they transferred, everything
will fall into place immediately. Sometimes, the student gets what
they want, and they are chosen for the Yell Crew, but it’s also not
what they thought it would be. This can be a hard life lesson. We
know as adults that a campus is not limited to the Yell Crew or
pledging a specific fraternity. Helping a student through the crisis of
unmet (or sometimes unrealistic) expectations is difficult. We take a
breath and redirect. We create a new game plan by understanding
what the student is seeking and how to make that happen.
Sometimes the student needs validation that they did the right thing
because they are longing for something that someone else has.
Scenario #3: First College Didn’t Feel Safe
A crime occurred on the floor of the residence hall at the student’s
college. The event has caused the student to associate that campus
with being unsafe, and they are struggling with the idea of ever
feeling safe on another campus.
The first thing to confirm is if the student has mental health care. A
trauma-informed therapist will help the student navigate the complexity
of the incident and how to move forward. It’s also important that the
student can articulate their feelings and what they need to feel safe at
the next campus. It’s similar to the idea that students with ADHD or LD
diagnosis are most successful using their accommodations if they can
articulate their diagnosis and their needs. My role is to give students a
plan for addressing resources at their institution and to create an action
plan for each step in the form of a Support and Safety Plan.

A Support and Safety Plan could include:
1. Talk with the dean of students, explain what has happened,
and ask them to be a place to land if you are unsure where to
go. Ask if there are support groups on campus to connect with
students that have experienced trauma.
2. Meet with a nurse or doctor at the health center and ask who is
the best resource at the health center for their needs.
3. If living in university housing, talk to the hall director, not the
RA. If living off campus, make sure your roommate knows. If
living alone, introduce yourself to your neighbors. Create safety
plans so you feel empowered and safe.
(These titles and offices will vary from campus to campus.)
The student must self-advocate perhaps in a way they’ve never had
to before, so people hear their trauma. Part of what I spend time
on is helping the student articulate their story and take back their
power. If that student still struggles, sometimes taking a semester
off is really the best option.
Remember that these young adults have lived experiences that
don’t reflect our college experiences from 20-30 (or more) years
ago. Take time to consider things from their perspective, and that
there are external forces they have no control over.
Three final thoughts on supporting students who have transferred:
• Hear them when they speak.
• Structure strategies and goals for short-term success.
• Tap into campus resources and be their partner.