Transferring From A Community College

Transferring from a community college

Tuition costs and student loan debt are at an all-time high in the US, leading more and more students to choose community college. For those interested in perusing a bachelor’s degree, you’ll find yourself navigating the world of university applications for the first time. As a community college student who recently completed the transfer process, I can say that it’s riddled with confusion, misinformation, and lots of calls to admissions offices. During the transfer process I was astounded by how much information I wasn’t aware of, so I’ve compiled a list of all the things I learned to make the ordeal easier.

Know what you want to do

As a transfer student with an associate degree you’re expected to know what major you want to pursue. Unlike completing a college application in your senior year or high school, you’ll instead be applying for a specific program or school within the university. An important part of deciding your major is knowing what classes are required to receive a degree in that field. You may be interested in becoming a nurse, but if you can’t sit through biology and chemistry classes, it might not be right for you.

Research is essential 

At the end of my freshman year of community college I began researching what schools I’d be applying for. Initially I was overwhelmed by the vast amount of universities I could apply to. Create a list of all the things you want out of a university in order to narrow down the search. Location, school size, tuition cost, campus type are all variables that need to be considered. Next, find universities among those parameters that have your major. Narrow that list down to at most 10 schools, and then delve into the actual major requirements, staff, and program. Some schools that I initially was interested in didn’t even make it on my application list after further research. Start your search as early as possible, some schools have different requirements for their majors such as a college foreign language credit or higher-level math. I made the mistake of checking the major requirements for the schools I was interested in a semester before graduation. I assumed the classes I was instructed to take for my major would suffice but upon calling the advisor for one of my top schools, I learned that I needed a non-western art history course and two semesters of college language specifically French or German.                                           

Make a lot of calls

As tedious as it may seem, calling both the school you’re currently attending and the admissions office of the ones you’d like to attend is essential. Since transferring is different for every student, it’s easy to receive false information. Advisors are usually more familiar with local universities and known the general requirements for popular majors. If you’re interested in going out of state or are perusing an uncommon major, your advisor might not have the information you need. Double check major requirements, application deadlines, and financial aid information with the school ahead of time. Usually office staff and advisors at universities are more than willing to help potential transfer students.

Create a timeline

One of the best pieces of advice I can give a transfer student is creating a timeline. The transfer application is usually done during your last semester of community college, which means your tasked with those deadlines on top of your course load. Make a list of schools you’re planning on applying to, then list all the necessary steps for the application such as essays, transfer status report, and recommendation letter. Find the deadline for the application and then add dates to all of those steps. I recommend completing the general information part of your application much before you plan on submitting as well as submitting any paperwork. Ask for any letters of recommendation a few months in advance to give your teacher ample time to write a dazzling review of your character.

Triple check your essay

The easiest way to get rejected from a university is having an incoherent essay or worse, glaring spelling mistakes. If you completed a college application essay in your senior year of high school, you’ll find out that the transfer essay is much different. The essay is meant to articulate why you’d make a good fit at the university, what makes you excited about that specific program, and why you’re transferring. The essay will definitely need more than one revision, so I don’t advise you to start it the week before. It’s a reflection of your own writing skills and can make or break an application. Ask a professor you trust to read over it and utilize your schools writing center. A well-researched essay stands out amongst other applicants, try to mention specific aspects of the school that you’re interested in as well as teachers you’d love to learn under.

Transferring from a community college

Tuition costs and student loan debt are at an all-time high in the US, leading more and more students to choose community college. For those interested in perusing a bachelor’s degree, you’ll find yourself navigating the world of university applications for the first time. As a community college student who recently completed the transfer process, I can say that it’s riddled with confusion, misinformation, and lots of calls to admissions offices. During the transfer process I was astounded by how much information I wasn’t aware of, so I’ve compiled a list of all the things I learned to make the ordeal easier.

Know what you want to do

As a transfer student with an associate degree you’re expected to know what major you want to pursue. Unlike completing a college application in your senior year or high school, you’ll instead be applying for a specific program or shool within the university. An important part of deciding your major is knowing what classes are required to receive a degree in that field. You may be interested in becoming a nurse, but if you can’t sit through biology and chemistry classes, it might not be right for you.

Research is essential 

At the end of my freshman year of community college I began researching what schools I’d be applying for. Initially I was overwhelmed by the vast amount of universities I could apply to. Create a list of all the things you want out of a university in order to narrow down the search. Location, school size, tuition cost, campus type are all variables that need to be considered. Next, find universities among those parameters that have your major. Narrow that list down to at most 10 schools, and then delve into the actual major requirements, staff, and program. Some schools that I initially was interested in didn’t even make it on my application list after further research. Start your search as early as possible, some schools have different requirements for their majors such as a college foreign language credit or higher-level math. I made the mistake of checking the major requirements for the schools I was interested in a semester before graduation. I assumed the classes I was instructed to take for my major would suffice but upon calling the advisor for one of my top schools, I learned that I needed a non-western art history course and two semesters of college language specifically French or German.                                           

Make a lot of calls

As tedious as it may seem, calling both the school you’re currently attending and the admissions office of the ones you’d like to attend is essential. Since transferring is different for every student, it’s easy to receive false information. Advisors are usually more familiar with local universities and known the general requirements for popular majors. If you’re interested in going out of state or are perusing an uncommon major, your advisor might not have the information you need. Double check major requirements, application deadlines, and financial aid information with the school ahead of time. Usually office staff and advisors at universities are more than willing to help potential transfer students.

Create a timeline

One of the best pieces of advice I can give a transfer student is creating a timeline. The transfer application is usually done during your last semester of community college, which means your tasked with those deadlines on top of your course load. Make a list of schools you’re planning on applying to, then list all the necessary steps for the application such as essays, transfer status report, and recommendation letter. Find the deadline for the application and then add dates to all of those steps. I recommend completing the general information part of your application much before you plan on submitting as well as submitting any paperwork. Ask for any letters of recommendation a few months in advance to give your teacher ample time to write a dazzling review of your character.

Triple check your essay

The easiest way to get rejected from a university is having an incoherent essay or worse, glaring spelling mistakes. If you completed a college application essay in your senior year of high school, you’ll find out that the transfer essay is much different. The essay is meant to articulate why you’d make a good fit at the university, what makes you excited about that specific program, and why you’re transferring. The essay will definitely need more than one revision, so I don’t advise you to start it the week before. It’s a reflection of your own writing skills and can make or break an application. Ask a professor you trust to read over it and utilize your schools writing center. A well-researched essay stands out amongst other applicants, try to mention specific aspects of the school that you’re interested in as well as teachers you’d love to learn under.

If you keep all of these key points in mind when transferring from a community college to a university or other college, it will make the process much more efficient, less nerve-wracking, and a better experience since you did your research beforehand.

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