| Article Provided By nextSTEPmag Unlike in the early years of community colleges, when the transfer process was undefined and credits transferred inconsistently, today’s student benefits from articulation agreements and guaranteed-transfer programs for an optimal transfer process. Hopefully, you started the transfer process when you began your first semester, not when you started your last. This gives you ample time to research your future major and four-year school. Here are 17 vital steps to take to make sure your transfer is successful. 1.Make an appointment with a transfer counselor. Discuss your transfer plans with your advisor, who can help you discover your options. 2. Go to transfer fairs. If your college offers them, take full advantage of college-transfer days, which are excellent chances to get information from four-year colleges. Some colleges may schedule visits to your campus throughout the year. Find and become familiar with the fair schedule. 3. Get some mail. College course catalogs and viewbooks are excellent resources. Pay particular attention to the sections on general-education requirements, transferring credits and your intended major. 4. Go to the library. One useful reference book to use is Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges. 5. Use your technology. Virtual tours, Web sites and promotional videos can tell you a lot about the programs a school offers, the type of students on campus and the surrounding area. Check out the college’s Web site for an online application. 6. Get some money. Check out transfer-student scholarship opportunities. Your transfer office will have information regarding the important component of money. 7. Write the old folks. Write to admissions offices and department chairpersons at four-year colleges for information about degree requirements and application deadlines. Discuss your transfer plans with faculty members, department leaders and deans at your two-year college, too. 8. Identify the college characteristics most important to you. Do you want your school to be public or private? Rural, urban or suburban? Also consider:
- geographic location and distance from home
- number of students
- student profiles
- male-to-female ratio
- graduate and undergraduate programs
- full-time or part-time status requirements
- costs
- financial-aid programs
- transfer-student scholarship opportunities
- housing availability
- degree requirements
- faculty-to-student ratio within a major
- clubs on campus
- recreation and intercollegiate activities
- internship and co-op opportunities 9. Apply for admission. Follow all admission application procedures. Start by requesting all the appropriate materials. Be aware of all application deadline dates. This is particularly important for high-demand programs.
Although several colleges consider transfer applications on a rolling-admissions basis throughout the year, it is recomm... | 