HOW TO TRANSFER COLLEGES
If you intend to transfer to a four-year college or university as a junior, you can plan your coursework to make sure you take credits that are likely to be accepted by your target school. This involves doing some homework ahead of time to understand what types of coursework your target university requires for the degree you ultimately want to earn.
You will also need to do some research to learn what the university’s policies are for accepting transferred credits. If you are currently in high school, your guidance counselor may be able to provide helpful data. The college website for the university you want to transfer into can also be a good source of information.
Some two-year colleges have established transfer agreements and/or articulation agreements with area universities, making it easier for community college alumni to transfer specific course credits, all completed general education credits, or even all completed coursework into those schools’ programs.
MAKE A PLAN AND SEEK ADVICE
Once you have done some research, you should talk to a transfer admissions advisor at your chosen university to map out a transfer plan. Your two-year college advisor can help you create a course plan to earn your associate degree Associates Degree Programs and can explain the details of any transfer or articulation agreements currently in place. However, the two-year college advisor will likely not be able to speak to the specific transfer policies or credit requirements for graduating from a four-year program at another school. That’s because each college and university has its own programs and requirements, which can vary significantly from one school to another (and even within different colleges at the same university).
Keep in mind that a university transfer admission advisor can give you advice and information on your chosen program’s current requirements, but he or she will not be able to guarantee that policies won’t change between now and the time you plan to matriculate. Still, taking this step should allow you to make the most of your two-year college coursework — helping you gain skills and knowledge while transferring as many credits as possible toward your bachelor’s degree program.
When you are ready to apply for transfer admission, you will need to provide course transcripts to the four-year school for evaluation. If you’ve done your research and followed your plan, there should not be many surprises when the ultimate credit transfer determination is made.
Sometimes, of course, students don’t have a well-thought-out plan to transfer colleges in their junior year, and instead find themselves transferring colleges sophomore year or even transferring colleges after one semester. If this is the case for you, taking general education courses in your first semester or freshman year may improve your chances of receiving credit for those courses at the four-year university level.
If you are exploring your options for education after high school or you want to learn more about transferring credits between a two-year school and a four-year university, Generations College can help. Contact us today to learn about our accredited degree programs and articulation agreements.