College Admissions 101 - Transferring After Your First Year

October 9, 2024

We asked our 2024 Summer Interns to give advice on a variety of topics for student-athletes entering the college admission process. Next up, we asked Maeve Clark about the process of transferring after her first year of college.

Q: What school do you attend?

MC: I go to Ithaca College

Q: Why did you choose your school?

MC: The overall team environment was very welcoming and fun. I met all of the players and coaches and knew that Ithaca was a team that I really wanted to be a part of. I really enjoyed the campus and the surrounding area, there is a really cute downtown and a lot of hiking trails and nature surrounding it. Ithaca also has a really good school of communications, and a specified sports media program that I was interested in.

Q: What factors influenced your decision?

MC: My decision to transfer was made after I realized that the team and coaching staff at my previous school did not have the same values as me when it comes to what a team should look like and treat each other. I could not see myself there for the next 4 years, and I knew that in order to make any change, I had to be the driving force. I entered the transfer portal after our season ended, because even though I loved a lot of things about the school outside of my sport, at the end of the day I could not see myself giving up field hockey and I didn’t want to be at school without the sport that I loved.

Q: Was your college application and decision process different this time vs. high school?

MC: I committed to play at my previous school during my junior year of high school, so when I had applied to school my senior year, I only did one application. On top of that, I never met any of the team when I visited the school, and I did not do an overnight. My second time around, I talked to the coaches multiple times, talked to current players and alumni, and talked to professors in the communications department. I made sure to cover all of my bases, and even took an overnight visit during a long weekend I had at school.

Q: What is it like applying to other schools while in college? Describe that experience.

MC: Balancing applying to several schools, while at the same time scheduling meetings with coaches, visits, and maintaining grades and getting schoolwork done was definitely challenging. Most coaches were very flexible with my schedule when setting up visits and meetings, and had a lot of support from my family and friends.

Q: Did you look for different things compared to your first college process?

MC: Coming out of a program that I knew I didn’t like, it gave me a lot more information about what I actually wanted in a school. When I first committed to my previous school, I was so caught up in the opportunity to play at a Division 1 level that I did not really consider what I wanted from my college experience. When I was transferring, I decided to look at all divisions, because truly what I wanted was a team that I would fit in with. At Ithaca, I really like the focus on academics and community. The coaches and team put a huge emphasis on being a team and treating everyone there with love and respect. Academics are also highly prioritized, which is important when you consider where you want your life to be when you are no longer playing your sport.

Q: What advice do you have for an incoming college student or someone going through the process of choosing a school?

MC: Talk to as many people as you can about the school. Have phone calls or zooms with coaches, talk to players in the same major as you, ask them questions and get the best feel for the school that you can. I would also recommend going to ID clinics on campus, where you can see campus, meet players, and usually get a feel for the coaches' coaching style. Make sure when you make your decision to consider why you play your sport, and look for a program that has the same values as you. Consider where you want to be in your education when you are out of college and no longer playing a sport. Everything happens for a reason, which was my motto during my recruiting process. Even now, after transferring I still really believe it is true. Without my previous school, I would have never met some truly great people and wouldn’t have had the chance to become the person I am now. When one opportunity closes, it just means there is another one waiting for you. Knowing what I know now, there is a school that is the perfect fit for every athlete, don’t try to force yourself to be happy somewhere that you are not.

Q: Now that you have been in school what are some things you wish you knew beforehand

MC: Dorms look a little like jail cells. Bring lots of decorations and pillows to make it more homey.

About Maeve Clark

Maeve is from Beverly, MA, and graduated from Hamilton Wenham High School in 2023. Last year, she attended Monmouth University, where she played field hockey and studied communications. This year, she transferred to Ithaca College, where is continuing to play field hockey and is studying sports media and advertising. Maeve was an Operations Intern for the 2024 Bay State Summer Games.

See more recruiting tools and college admissions process information at our Recruiting Tools page.

College Admissions 101 Previous Posts

October 2, 2024 - Going to School Far From Home

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Bay State Games Inducts Three Into the 2026 Hall of Fame

August 26, 2026

Representative Patricia Haddad (legislative leadership), Representative John Barrett (legislative leadership), and Ryan McCarthy (baseball coach) have been selected for induction into the 2026 Bay State Games’ Hall of Fame. The inductees will receive their award at a pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 14 prior to the Red Sox game against Texas. The Bay State Games Hall of Fame was created to recognize past participants who have gone on to prestigious and successful athletic careers, as well as former and current coaches, officials, sports organizers, and volunteers who have made significant contributions to the organization throughout its 38-year history. Past inductees among the over 60 previous honorees include the NBA’s Dana Barros (‘06), Pat Connaughton (‘25) and the late Reggie Lewis (‘02); WNBA’s Rebecca Lobo (‘03); Major League Baseball’s Rich Hill (‘13); Olympians Nancy Kerrigan (‘07), Ada Korkhin (‘25) and Samantha Livingstone (‘18) and US Paralympic Gold Medalist Joe Lemar (‘15). “The Bay State Games is proud of the many athletes who have participated in the program and gone on to achieve success at the collegiate, professional, and Olympic levels. We are equally proud of the coaches, sport organizers, community leaders, and supporters whose dedication, expertise, and generosity have helped make the Bay State Games possible.” Said Kevin Cummings, the Bay State Games Executive Director. “We are honored to recognize this year's Hall of Fame class and celebrate the significant contributions each inductee has made to the Bay State Games. Their commitment, leadership, and lasting impact have strengthened the organization and enriched the experience of countless athletes throughout the Commonwealth.” REP. PATRICIA HADDAD - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative Patricia Haddad championed state support for the Bay State Games for over two decades. She has supported the recreation, health, and education-based programs of the organization that benefit thousands of Massachusetts participants each year. A former teacher for 14 years, Rep. Haddad represented the 5th Bristol District for 25 years and served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for ten years. REP. JOHN BARRETT - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative John Barrett from Berkshire County has been a strong supporter of the Bay State Games since the mid-1980s. Rep. Barrett was instrumental in bringing the Winter Games to Berkshire County, where they have been held for over 35 years. He has served as State Representative for Berkshire County since 2017 and was formerly Mayor of North Adams for 26 years. Rep. Barrett is also a leading advocate of the statewide Summer Games. RYAN MCCARTHY - BASEBALL COACH Ryan McCarthy from Portsmouth has served as volunteer baseball coach at the Bay State Games for over two decades. He has led the Northeast team to numerous championship medals. Ryan has devoted more than 25 years to coaching high school student-athletes in both baseball and football at Triton Regional High School, Newburyport High School, and Dighton-Rehoboth High School. He has had a positive impact on countless Massachusetts high school student-athletes. For more on the Bay State Games Hall of Fame and past inductees, click here. https://www.baystategames.org/hall-of-fame

Bay State Games Announces 2026 Athletes of the Year

August 25, 2026

Bay State Games is excited to announce its selections for the 2026 Athlete of the Year Awards. Any athlete who participated in the 2026 Bay State Summer or Winter Games was eligible to be nominated for these awards. Selection is based on participation in the Games and other athletic achievements. The 2026 selections are: Female Youth Athlete – Dana Howling Wolf Keller Male Youth Athlete – Holden Choma Female Adult Athlete – Kiara Cabral Male Adult Athlete - Jacob DeAndrade Dana Howling Wolf Keller , 17, of Shrewsbury, is a senior at Notre Dame Academy in Worcester and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Native American Tribe. Volleyball has been a major part of her life. She started unable to serve over the net but, after countless hours of dedication, has turned serving into one of her strengths and learned that confidence is built through persistence. Dana plays setter and right side for her high school team and SLAM national club team, and captains both teams. She was named to the 2025 Central MA Athletic Conference All-Star Team and represented her school as a MIAA sportsmanship delegate. Dana represented the Central region for Girls Volleyball in the Bay State Games in 2024 & 2026. This year, she was also named the sportsmanship recipient for the Central Girls Volleyball team. Dana has also been a Bay State Games High School Ambassador. She has committed to continue playing volleyball in college at the University of St. Joseph (CT). Off the court, Dana extensively volunteers at the Shrewsbury Public Library and Shrewsbury Special Olympics. Notre Dame Academy honored her with the Katherine Forbes Eskrine Award for her community service. Dana is also active in her parish's youth group and has participated in several Catholic leadership programs. She aspires to become a forensic pathologist, and last summer served as a lab assistant to Dr. Ann Burgess in Boston College's Forensic Science Summer Program. Holden Choma, 17, of West Newbury, is a senior at Pentucket Regional High School. Holden has competed in Track and Field since his freshman year and specializes in the high jump. He dedicated himself to jumping higher, and in his first year, he improved from 5'2 to 6'6.75, and was at the top of the MIAA. He is also a 2x USATF Region 1 champion in the high jump. He also competed at the 2025 USATF Junior Olympics and was the 15-16 National Runner-Up. This year he faced a setback after suffering a patellar tendon tear on his jumping leg. After nearly a year to fully heal, he was the MIAA Division 5 champion in the spring, and this summer he competed in his second Bay State Games after winning silver in the 2025 high jump. Holden broke his slump by shattering a 30-year-old Bay State Games record in the high jump at 2.05m (6'8.75) and took home the gold medal. Outside of jumping, Holden enjoys volunteering at Ipswich Junior Sailing, teaching children how to sail safely, and now works as an instructor. As a member of his school's band, he marched in West Newbury's Veterans Day Parade and held a private performance for local veterans. Kiara Cabral, 23, of Somerset, is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University. She also competed as a student-athlete on the track and field team in sprinting events. She had a storied career as a Bridgewater State Bear achieving accolades from the school to the national level. Kiara was named 2026 Woman’s Athlete of the Year by Bridgewater State and holds five school records in 60m Indoor, 200m Indoor, 400m Indoor + Outdoor, 500m Indoor, and 4x100 Outdoor. In the MASCAC conference she holds six championship titles which she earned from 2022 to 2026. The conference named Kiara Athlete of the Week on 21 occasions and she holds two conference records in the 4x100 and the 400m. Kiara was placed on the All-Academic team for three seasons and the Sportsmanship team once. She has been nationally recognized as an NCAA All-American and qualified for both the indoor and outdoor nationals in 2025 and the indoor nationals again in 2026. Kiara was first team All-American in the outdoor 4x100 relay in 2025 and the indoor 400m in 2026, and was named second team All-American for outdoor 400m in 2025. This summer, Kiara competed in the Bay State Games in the 100m and 200m events. She was the gold medalist in both events running a time of 12.51 in the 100m and 25.35 in the 200m. Kiara graduated last spring with a degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education. She has always had a passion for helping children understand and enjoy math, and will enter her first year teaching middle school math this fall. Jacob DeAndrade, 26 , of Foxboro, graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2024 with a Master of Business Administration and currently works in finance. Jacob was an accomplished student-athlete at Bridgewater State. In his rookie season at Bridgewater State, the school named him Rookie of the Year. He was a 10x Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference champion and a 3x member of the DIII All-Academic team. He is a 2x competitor in the Bay State Games Track and Field event. This year, Jacob had an especially impressive showing, earning gold in the 100m Open and 200m Open events with times of 10.83 and 22.04. In his free time, Jacob enjoys running, lifting, and playing soccer. Bay State Games Athlete of the Year recipients will receive a plaque commemorating their accomplishment. For more information on the Bay State Games Athlete of the Year program and past winners, go to www.baystategames.org/AOY .