How does suspension impact my college transfer process?

I've been suspended from college and am considering transferring to another school. Does a suspension affect my ability to transfer? What information will I need to provide to the new college, and how should I handle the situation?

Indeed, a suspension from your current college does have potential impacts on your transfer process, but it's not an absolute bar to admission elsewhere. Here's some helpful information.

First, when you're filling out transfer applications, most colleges will ask if you've faced disciplinary action at your current institution. Being transparent about your suspension is crucial. Purposefully omitting this information can have serious repercussions; if found out, your admission could be revoked, even after you've started classes at the new institution.

Second, keep in mind that colleges may request a "Dean's Report" or "College Report" from your current institution, which includes information about disciplinary actions, including suspensions. So it's unlikely that the suspension would go unnoticed.

Now, just because you disclose this suspension doesn't mean you're automatically denied from transferring. A lot depends upon how you handle discussing the situation.

In your application, you may have the opportunity to write an additional statement about circumstances that have impacted your academic or personal performance. This would be a good place to address your suspension. Be concise, honest, and objective, and reflect on the incident: what happened, why it happened, what you learned from it, how you've grown, and any actions you've taken since to make amends or ensure it does not happen again.

Colleges understand that students can make mistakes and grow from them, so do not be completely disheartened by this situation. It will be an uphill battle, but many students have transferred successfully even with these kinds of marks on their record. All the best!