What to do if your chosen college isn’t a good fit

As so much of the past couple of years have been spent visiting schools, preparing for the SAT, submitting scholarship essays and applying to different colleges, it can be especially disheartening when freshman year arrives and you're not happy with your chosen school. While you should certainly give yourself plenty of time to adjust to the realities of college life (at least a full semester), sometimes it becomes very evident that things just aren't working out. If you fall into this unfortunate circumstance, here are some tips on taking the next step.

A new academic program
Before you start applying to new schools, you should look at what is specifically making you unhappy. Consider that your academic program or major may be the source of your discontent. Investigate different fields of study and see if a different academic focus would improve your college experience.

A different living situation
A common difficulty that many freshmen run into is that they simply don't get along with their roommate(s). If this is the case, you might want to consider switching to another room or even a completely new dorm where you'll have a chance of meeting more compatible people to live with.

Transfer schools
While it should be saved as a last resort, sometimes transferring to another school is the best way to deal with your college disappointment. According to a recent report released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, nearly one third of all college students move to another school at some point. This is a good strategy if you simply aren't meshing with the social or academic atmosphere of your chosen college.

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