r/mercer • u/darknightcastlezzz • Jun 15 '26

How to transfer out after freshman year?

Hey y'all, I'll be attending Mercer this fall as a member of the Class of 2030. I'm currently planning to study Biology and pursue a pre-vet path. I'm definitely considering the possibility of transferring after my first year to a university with a dedicated Animal Science program, so I'm trying to make sure I choose classes and use my AP credits strategically from the beginning.

My current fall schedule is:

  • CLA UNV 101 (First Year Student Experience)
  • CHEM 111 + Lab
  • BIO 171 + Lab
  • WGS 180 (World Gender Studies)
  • Honors 114

This schedule seems kinda daunting, so here's my questions:

  1. Is transferring after one year realistic, and if so, what should I be doing now to prepare?
  2. During orientation I remember hearing something about a 30-credit-hour requirement. Was that referring to graduation requirements, or would it affect someone planning to transfer?
  3. Would it make more sense to replace World Gender Studies with English Comp? I did not take any AP English in high school, and I don't know if transfer schools require English composition credits.
  4. How have people approached AP credit? Is it generally better to use AP credits and move into higher-level courses, or to retake some introductory courses to strengthen GPA and such? I'm especially thinking about this when it comes to Bio, as I might be able to use my AP Credits to move up in my first year.
  5. Are there any first-year classes that transferred particularly well (or poorly) for those who transferred elsewhere?

I currently have qualifying AP scores in Human Geo, AP CSP, AP CSA, APUSH, and APES, and I'm waiting on scores from AP Bio, AP Calc AB, AP Spanish Lang, and AP Gov. I greatly appreciate the advice! :)

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u/Resident_Zucchini_93 Jun 15 '26

1) a ton of people transfer after the first year. Look at the schools you want to transfer to and see if there are any transfer requirements. It’s a good idea to check the other schools’ gen eds and see if what you’re taking can be transferable. Stay on top of those transfer application deadlines.
2) I think for the 30 credit requirement, it’s referring the graduation requirement. To graduate from Mercer, you need 120 credits total aka 30 credits per year (if you’re coming in without any transfer credit). It shouldn’t affect you really.
3) many schools require English as a gen ed requirement. I would pick English just because every school will most likely take that credit when you transfer.
4) I would retake major specific courses just so you don’t struggle in any upper levels. Since you’re pre-vet, you don’t want to put your gpa at risk by flunking your upper level bios.
5) can’t really speak to this since I didn’t transfer out.

You can answer a lot of your school specific questions by emailing the schools that you want to transfer to! Don’t be afraid to email and ask them questions.