If rejected from my top choice, is it worth it to apply again after a year at a different school?
If you're wondering whether to try reapplying to your top choice school after a year at another college, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Once the school year is a couple months underway, most students are happy with the college they attend, even if it wasn't their top choice school. Right now, when you're still dealing with being denied at your top choice school, you might think you won't be happy anywhere else. But after a few months, you might feel differently. You'll have to decide if transferring to another school is worth giving up the friendships, activities, and relationship with professors you may have developed during your freshman year.
You should also take an honest look at your application. If your grades and test scores are within, or close to, the accepted range for your top choice school, a full year of strong performance at another college might make you a reasonable candidate to transfer. However, if you're pretty far out of range academically, another year probably won't make up for 4 years of weak high school performance and out of range test scores.
Hopefully, your college list includes a range of reach, target, and foundation schools, all of which offer academic programs that interest you and a social environment you would feel comfortable in. If that's the case, then you'll probably end up enjoying your college experience, even if it isn't at your original top choice. When you enroll this fall, take stock after a couple of months and consider whether you still want to transfer. Chances are, you'll be having a great time.