#188 How to Successfully Align Majors, Credits, and Careers with Jaime Smith

Flourish Coaching

Aug 19, 2025

In this episode, Lisa and Jaime discuss:

Understanding the role of impacted majors and prerequisites
The critical importance of aligning majors with career goals early
Navigating the complexities of college transfers
Financial planning and its impact on educational choices

Key Takeaways:

Over one-third of undergraduates transfer colleges, and without early planning around majors, prerequisites, and credit alignment, they risk losing time, money, and progress.
Students in impacted majors like Computer Science, Business, Nursing, and Engineering must complete strict, school-specific prerequisites, so they should map overlapping requirements across multiple target schools.
While some parents fear transferring will hurt their job or graduate school prospects, employers usually see only the final degree, and graduate programs value applicants who can explain a well-reasoned shift.
Before committing to a college—whether first-time or transfer—use FAFSA estimators to gauge real costs, research transfer scholarships, and compare prerequisite overlaps to avoid financial strain and lost credits.

“Most employers aren’t looking for whole transcripts to see your collection of credits. They’re just looking for the final outcome.” – Jaime Smith

About Jaime Smith:

Jaime Smith is a Certified Educational Planner specializing in college transfer, online learning, homeschooling, and supporting neurodiverse learners. A longtime transfer student advocate, she earned a Post-Master’s Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice from the University of North Georgia with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students in 2023. She holds a BA in Linguistics from UC Berkeley, an MA in TESOL, an MSEd in eLearning, and a certificate in College Counseling.

Founder and CEO of Online G3—an independent online program for gifted and twice-exceptional K–12 students—Jaime continues to teach English. A California native now in Oregon, she lives with her husband and pet bunny. Her daughter, a former homeschooler turned transfer student, is now in grad school.

Episode References:

#140 Avoiding the Pitfalls of College Transfers with Jaime Smith: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/140-avoiding-the-pitfalls-of-college-transfers-with-jaime-smith/
The Truth about College Admission by Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-about-College-Admission-Together/dp/142143637X
Enter to win a free copy of The Complete Guide to College Transfer at flourishcoachingco.com/transfer through August 31.
Order The Complete Guide to College Transfer on Amazon starting August 26 to get the full roadmap for navigating college transfers: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-College-Transfer-Maximize/dp/1955831009
Explore school-by-school data on competitive and impacted majors at flourishcoachingco.com/majors to make smarter application choices.

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

flourishcoachingco.com/video