Why So Many College Students Are Transferring: What Connecticut Shoreline Families Need to Know

As we have been deeply involved in college counseling over the last several years, we have also been immersed in helping students transfer colleges. The number of freshmen—and even some sophomores—seeking to transfer or at least explore the possibility has grown dramatically. Several major factors are driving this trend.

1. The Post-Pandemic effects.

Many Shoreline families in towns such as Old Saybrook, Madison, Guilford, Essex, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford, and Stonington faced limitations when visiting and, oddly enough, it seems that parents are not visiting colleges at the same rate as pre-pandemic.

2. FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

Social media has created unrealistic expectations about how much “fun” college is supposed to be. Students often compare their day-to-day reality to curated thirty-second videos of peak excitement posted by friends at other schools. When we speak with college students exploring a transfer, they almost always reference the idea that “everyone else seems to be having a better time.” It’s not true—but it feels true to them.

3. Declining Social Skills

After running SAT classes and working with thousands of Shoreline teens over the past twenty years, I can say with absolute confidence that increased technology use has led to weakened social skills. Students today have a harder time initiating conversations, building relationships, and navigating the discomfort of new social environments. This makes the college transition significantly harder.

4. “Why Make New Friends When I Already Have Old Ones?”

Because of constant tech connectivity, many freshmen continue to spend more time talking to high school friends than making new ones. Boys often turn to hours of video gaming rather than dealing with the awkwardness of meeting people in person. Girls often retreat into TikTok and other social platforms. With these diversions, students don’t feel the same urgency to build an on-campus social life.

5. The Anxiety and Depression Epidemic

This is a large topic—and a sad one—but impossible to ignore. Anxiety and depression rates among teens and college freshmen have skyrocketed, and many students simply feel overwhelmed when they arrive on campus. Difficulty adjusting can quickly lead to students wondering whether a different school might feel more comfortable or manageable.

If your son or daughter is considering transferring or you want to explore whether a transfer might make sense, we can help.

To be clear, transferring is not a failure.  It may be an affirmative, wonderful life change.

But it might be helpful to discuss with an objective guide.