The entire college admission process can be extremely stressful for anyone involved. The thoughts of up-rooting your life, applications, essays, standardized tests and rejection are enough to make anyone’s head swim. One of the most daunting parts about the college admission process is the common belief that you have to find the right college on the first try. This, however, is a misconception. Potential applicants can take solace in the fact that people transfer all the time and there is no shame in doing what’s right for you.
Take Pamela Pini for example. Pini is currently a junior at Marist College majoring in Psychology. She knows first hand how stressful the college process can be.
“The only school I liked was Boston College that I considered dorming at,” said Pini. “I got rejected so I had no choice but to go to a school near me, Hunter College.”
For Pini, Hunter College wasn’t the right fit. “The first day I started Hunter, I knew I was gonna transfer. It was just no one talked to each other really. Everyone commuted so students went to class and then went back home so there was no time to socialize. The second I visited my friend in Maryland, I knew I wanted to dorm at a school.”
For Pini, the application process was stressful the first time, and having to do it twice was even more stressful. In the end though, it was worth it.
“I looked at Marist because my friend’s sister said that I would love the school and obviously I trust her since she knows me really well,” said Pini. “So I visited Marist and I loved it so I ended up applying and I got in. What’s funny is I ended up getting into Boston College but decided I liked Marist more.”
Being on your own and living with people you don’t know is something a lot of students think is the most stressful part about starting college. Marist combats this worry by helping their transfer students get to know each other.
“I was happy that at Marist all transfers are thrown together,” said Pini. “It was good to experience something new with people who have been in a similar situation as me.”
The application process can obviously be very stressful on young adults, especially when they think it’s all or nothing, but it never is. Plenty of students– like Pamela Pini– transfer, and while it’s a pain to re-engage with the application process, it’s worthwhile to find a place you will be happy at.
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