Does your GPA start over after transferring colleges?

I'm considering transferring colleges and I'm curious if my GPA will start over at the new school or if it carries over. How does this process typically work for transfer students?

When you transfer to a new college, your academic slate is essentially wiped clean—in terms of GPA, that is. Your new institution will generally not use your GPA from your previous college when calculating your cumulative GPA at the new institution. It starts anew because grading scales, course levels, and academic standards may not be exactly the same between colleges, and it would be challenging to equate them perfectly.

However, this doesn’t mean your previous academic performance is disregarded. Colleges do look at your previous GPA during the transfer application review process. They evaluate your academic progress at your current institution and factor that into your admission decision.

The courses you've taken at your previous college should still count towards requisite credit hours for graduation, depending on the transfer policies of your new institution. Each college has specific guidelines on how they accept transfer credits, but generally, if the course content is equivalent and you earned a 'C' grade or better, it is likely to get accepted.

To paint a full picture of your academic history, both your current institution and your new institution will keep records of your previous grades. And if you are applying to graduate school or certain jobs in the future, they may request transcripts from all the colleges you've attended, so your original GPA would still be visible in this context.

To ensure a smooth transfer process, it's really important to keep a dialogue open with the advising office at both your current institution and potential transfer institution. They can provide you with guidance and support, answering any specific questions or addressing concerns about the process.

In short, be mindful that a "fresh start" is not an escape from past academic struggles, but an opportunity to improve upon them. The goal is to apply the lessons learned from your past college experience to the new one.