When MBA applicants are whittling down their list of potential schools, choosing which to attend shouldn’t be a quick decision. If students aren’t happy with the program they enroll in, switching schools can be an near-impossible process.

“It’s actually very challenging for someone to transfer in,” says Paige Wolf, assistant dean of graduate programs at the George Mason University School of Business.

Mason’s two-year accelerated MBA program groups students into cohorts, where they take a portion of their classes with all of the same people at the same time. The cohort model is popular among MBA programs, and the lockstep movement of students from the first day of school through graduation generally doesn’t leave room for transfers to break in.

It’s rare that full-time MBA students transfer schools, experts say.

But sometimes life happens. New family obligations, a cross-country move or even a change in career goals — from pursuing a job as an accountant to working toward a career in marketing, for example — can make someone more inclined to attempt transferring into an MBA program.

Many schools require transfer applicants to go through the usual steps of an admissions process, which include submitting essays and letters of recommendation, but there are some differing aspects to applying as a transfer student.

[Learn how to choose the right MBA program.]

Here are three things to consider if you’re thinking about transferring into an MBA program.

— Credits: Schools run the gamut when it comes to how many credits they’ll accept.

At University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, full-time MBA students need 57 credits to graduate, says Thomas Keller, the school’s director of admissions.

Students coming from another school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business can use many of their classes to meet this requirement.

“They could transfer in up to a third of that,” he says. It’s rare, Keller says, for students to transfer into Katz’s full-time program. If someone transfers in, it’s usually for the school’s part-time MBA program, which has a more flexible curriculum for working professionals, he says. There is, however, a greater chance of successfully transferring into the full-time MBA program for students who are already in Katz’s part-time program, Keller says.

[Find the right MBA environment.]

Other institutions are much more strict about how many credits students can bring to their programs. George Mason, for example, only allows students to come in with six credits.

— Exemptions: Transferring isn’t an option at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, but students who took certain classes at another institution and don’t want to repeat them may be able to test out of the courses.

Exemption exams “let students demonstrate a proficiency in a particular area,” says Liz Riley Hargrove, associate dean for admissions at Fuqua.

Less than 10 percent of students probably take advantage of exemption exams, she says. Those that want to go this route can test out of two classes. Exemption exams are usually given for core classes in subjects like finance and accounting, Hargrove says.

In some cases, a student with certain credentials can use those to get out of a class. Certified public accountants, for example, can be exempt from taking an introductory accounting class.

Katz also allows students to test out of some classes, which may allow them to graduate early. At other schools, such as Duke, testing out won’t lead to a shorter time in school.

Testing out of a class doesn’t lessen the number of credits needed to graduate, says Hargrove.

“It opens up more elective classes for you earlier in your Fuqua career,” she says.

[Consider which institution is the best fit when choosing between business schools.]

— Career services: From the moment full-time students start an MBA program, they’re usually put in touch with the program’s career services department. For two years this team works with them as they learn to network, secure internships and search for jobs.

Transfer applicants may be at a disadvantage in building a relationship with this department.

There’s less time for career counselors to work with them on employment, says Keller from Katz.

“It’s extra pressure on us. It’s extra pressure on the student,” he says.

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3 Things to Consider When Transferring Into an MBA Program originally appeared on usnews.com