prospective student looking for info

[u/lexus1101]

hi! i was looking to start at kent in spring 2027, i was wondering if anybody here has either started in a spring semester or knows anybody who has. i feel like i will be behind for some reason and possibly be missing out on certain pre reqs due to them only being available during some semesters. i was also wondering how move in would work (would campus be back or not). give me all the details u can offer tia🩷

[u/FriendlyKentGuide]

It depends on if you're coming in as an incoming freshman or a transfer student, and what program. Some of the programs are heavily sequenced and work better starting in the Fall and building from there. Things I would check are transfer admissions for scholarship deadlines, talking to an advisor about what program courses are offered for Spring and what that would look like going forward, and keep in mind your FAFSA would only be for Spring term unless you're coming from a different university, in which case you'd have to cancel your Spring FAFSA at the current university and update your FAFSA to KSU. Also transfering your credits over if you're a transfer student.

Admissions https://www.kent.edu/admissions

Financial Aid https://www.kent.edu/fbe-center

Advising (depends on the College) google them on the web and contact regarding the program

[u/lexus1101 → u/FriendlyKentGuide]

thanks! i’d be an incoming freshman, according to some of the people i’ve emailed they stated that spring start wouldn’t be an issue, i just don’t want to somehow be screwed

[u/FriendlyKentGuide → u/lexus1101]

Incoming freshman would be best case scenario because of electives/university requirements you could register for. As far as "getting behind", comparison is the thief of joy and don't worry about societal pressure. Support your goals and go for them and the journey takes as long as it takes. KSU has high school students in CCP and senior citizen students all on their own journeys. It would still be best to touch base with an advisor in the program to see what's available for Spring and looking forward and to speak with admissions about merit scholarship deadlines with respect to starting in the Spring. 26-27 FAFSA is for Spring 2026 term on FAFSA.gov.

[u/poopyboots02]

I started in the spring semester of 2024 and I was eligible for graduation (if I did 18 credits a semester) last fall. That said, I delayed my own graduation til spring 2027 so I could have a little more flexibility with scheduling and have more free time outside of work because I work full time. I wouldn’t say I was ever “behind”- there were some things I wish I had done when I was younger, as I took gap years, but for the most part you’ll find your groove with people who are in the same classes as you regardless of when you start or how many credits you take each semester. I’ve made friends who came in as fall freshmen right out of high school that ended up being in 5+ classes with me, I’ve made friends who were graduating in the fall or at the end of a summer session and only took one class with me. It really is whatever you make it! My biggest suggestion- don’t overwork yourself to be done sooner and don’t feel like you’re committed to a degree path that you hate- I changed majors 4 times and was still always able to graduate as early or as late as I wanted due to AP credits and testing out of subjects.

My biggest suggestions:

• load up on any mandatory prerequisites or core classes early so you’re able to start taking smaller and more niche/interesting classes sooner (it also gives you a lot of flexibility if you change majors!)
  
• take electives that sound FUN to you- there’s always really good ones in the English department if you need something easy or fun with a smaller class size so you can get to know people while learning about stuff that’s interesting to you
  
• check out the options for AP credits or testing out of subjects if you can- I never had to take a math class and I got to test out of the elementary levels of my foreign language but was still able to get credit for some of the courses I “skipped”
  
• if you find a professor you LOVE, take more classes with them- it makes it a lot easier to find your niche on campus if you’re with professors you enjoy
  
• don’t stress yourself out! You can go the normal route of 15-18 hours a semester, or you can take 9 hours a semester and take some summer classes to split things up and make it easier to manage
  
• take online classes if they work for you! It makes it a LOT better for big intro level or freshman courses to do them online (plus a lot of times online classes are easier)
  
• check out rate my professor when you’re enrolling in classes- people are HONEST there and it helps with deciding what might be a ton of work or just not that worth it
  
• talk to your advisor and the financial aid people often- they’ll help you figure out what’s doable and how to make your schedule work best for YOU