5 Reasons to Transfer Business Schools Mid-Degree
By Lauren Cusato
“Am I really in the right place?”
If you’ve asked yourself this question at some point during your university career, you’re definitely not alone. Every year, thousands of students decide to make the move and transfer to a new university or college.
After completing my second year, I asked myself that same question and decided to transfer to a new business school in the middle of my degree. At the time it felt like a big risk, but I can honestly say it has been the most rewarding choice of my academic career.
Based on my experiences, here are five reasons why choosing to transfer business schools might be right for you!
- It’s never too late to pursue your career goals
Choosing a degree and where to study is a big decision to make. Sometimes students don’t discover a subject they are passionate about until they are already enrolled in university and taking courses for a different degree.
And that’s okay.
When I was in Grade 12, I had a lot of different interests and ended up applying to both science and business related programs. I know, it seems like two opposite ends of the spectrum. I settled on general business administration and moved away from my hometown of Pickering, Ontario to a large university in the United States.
The general business administration degree I was studying involved several business courses, such as marketing, human resources and accounting. In high school, I never would have imagined myself studying accounting, much less specializing in it. However, in my second year, I took two introductory accounting courses that totally changed my perspective. It was as if a lightbulb went off! The material was all totally new to me, yet I wanted to keep learning more.
It was then that I started looking into the requirements to obtain my Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation at home in Canada. The Goodman School of Business at Brock University stood out to me right away, offering both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in accounting with the most streamlined way to reach my CPA.
I think it often helps to know that it’s OK to change your mind. Sometimes the school or program you select in high school doesn’t line up with what you ultimately decide to pursue.
Transferring universities allows you to move towards your goals in an academic program best fitted for you.
- Find a community where you can grow
Sometimes, the business school you originally chose to attend proves not to be the best fit for your personality or style of learning.
Perhaps you started at a really large institution (like me) and you’re tired of feeling like just another number. Transferring schools is a great way to find a community where you can truly thrive and grow.
Part of this might involve finding a positive learning environment that suits your needs. This is part of what made the Goodman School of Business stand out to me. There is such a clear focus on intentional, collaborative and real-world learning.
Goodman’s small class sizes, engaging professors and impactful service-learning projects really was the perfect fit for my learning style. I have truly enjoyed getting to see familiar faces in my classes and interacting on a much more personal level.
Finding a business school with a wide range of extracurricular and leadership opportunities is also a huge advantage of transferring. I had the opportunity to get involved with the Goodman Accounting Students’ Association (ASA) team this past year, and it was such a great way to make friends and further develop my soft skills.
Choosing to transfer allows you to find a school that best suits your needs and helps you get the most out of your learning experience both inside and outside the classroom.
- Begin to build connections
The university experience is about so much more than just your academic program.
I’ve always been told that “it’s not about what you know, but WHO you know.”
I think this is especially true for the business world, as you never know what doors will open or other career opportunities will arise when you take the time to build intentional connections.
University allows you the opportunity to start building a network of individuals who could shape your future career. This includes friends and fellow peers, professors, alumni or other industry professionals that your business school is involved with.
I knew that the Goodman School of Business had a great reputation within the accounting profession, and that small classes and a variety of experiential learning opportunities would be the perfect opportunity to kickstart my professional network.
In this way, transferring business schools allows you to find a school to start building connections with your future career in mind.
- Location, Location, Location
Choosing to transfer business schools can also allow you to move to the location you want to be in most!
Maybe you are looking for a change of scenery and are seeking adventure in a new city? Or maybe you are looking to move back closer to home and your support network?
For me, while I did make the move closer to home, I still needed to find a house to live in closer to the university. As an upper-year student, I was concerned about finding a space to live in a city I wasn’t familiar with on short notice. It was also important to me to find a group of students with similar values and living habits who I would fit in with. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to check all those boxes.
Universities usually have their own off-campus living website you can check out for available rentals. I ended up finding an amazing group of people to live with through the Facebook page of a student club at Brock University, and was able to tour the house and sign my lease all remotely while I finished my semester.
So, no matter where you are or where you’re planning to transfer to, there are so many convenient ways to find a great place to live!
- Transferring business schools is not as complicated as you think
University applications can often seem like a daunting task. Filling out forms, completing supplementary applications and asking for reference letters can be a lot to take in.
So, the thought of repeating this process in order to transfer can feel like an administrative nightmare to avoid. I was worried about issues with my credits transferring over, especially coming from an international school.
However, I can honestly say that the process could not have been easier.
Within a few days of submitting my application documents, transfer professionals from Brock University reached out to me with an offer of admission and detailed information on how some of my remaining transfer credits would be evaluated. I ended up receiving many more transfer credits than I expected, the majority of which fit into my degree program!
Following this, I was quickly connected to academic advisers at the Goodman School of Business who were so helpful and answered all of my questions relating to course sequences, registration and transfer averages.
Thanks to the amazing team at Goodman, I was easily able to manage this process while completing my school semester.
So, I would encourage you not to worry about the administrative details: you can do it! The university you transfer to will likely have a team of advisers and staff who are ready to support you and help guide you through the whole process.
Take the Leap with the Goodman School of Business
Ultimately, the time you spend in university should be spent making the most out of experiences that will lead you toward your career goals. As someone who just started a master’s program, I can assure you that time is very short! No matter where you are in your academic journey, it is never too late to find a business school that is the right fit for you.
If you’re interested in transferring to the Goodman School of Business at Brock University, you can take your next step and book an online appointment with a liaison officer. If you’re worried that your grades from your current university aren’t good enough, Brock has a new pathway called Fresh Start that considers students’ high school grades even though they may have already attended post-secondary school.
So, take the next step and go for it! Look up business schools you’re interested in transferring to and watch the virtual tours, speak to alumni or book an appointment with an adviser so you can learn more.
Transferring business schools may feel like a leap, but it is a leap worth taking!
Lauren Cusato (BAcc ’20) is a current Masters of Accountancy student at the Goodman School of Business.
She transferred to Goodman’s undergraduate accounting program in Fall 2018.
