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College Transfer: From Community College to Four-Year School
By Ellen Goldberg, City Colleges of Chicago transfer specialist | for StudentAdvisor.com
You’re studying at a community
college, but dreaming about
the bachelor’s degree you’ve always wanted. Congratulations: Like
millions of
other community college students looking to transfer colleges , you’re
probably saving significant
money by attending a two-year school before transferring. But be
careful: transferring colleges
to your ideal four-year college or university requires careful planning
and
serious thought about your educational goals.
As a transfer specialist at Harold
Washington College, one
of the City Colleges of Chicago, I frequently meet with students who want
to transfer colleges, but don’t plan
ahead. Unfortunately, they often end up earning unnecessary credits,
having to
take extra classes at the transfer college, or missing the application
deadline
for the four-year school they had an eye on. That makes the path to a
dream
degree bumpier and longer than it needs to be.
But if you follow these ten transfer
tips, you can avoid
spending extra time and money before getting your bachelor’s.
1. Hatch a transfer plan
NOW. Everyone knows that if you wait until the
last minute to find a new
apartment, you may end up less than happy with your new digs. Why would
transferring to a new school be any different? If you want to transfer,
be
intentional: seek out transfer resources at your school and speak with
advisors. Think with the end in mind: What are your educational and
career
goals? Map out courses to help you get there as efficiently as possible.
2. Understand the
value of an associate’s degree. I hear this
almost every day: “I don’t want
an associate’s degree, I just want to transfer.” It’s a shame that many
students don’t realize how valuable a two-year credential is. Some
schools (public
and private) will accept all credits associated with a degree, and
consider all
general education requirements completed if you have one. If you don’t
complete
a bachelor’s program after transferring, an associate’s generally means
more
money in your pocket. If you need to work while studying for the
bachelor’s,
the associate’s degree will help you get the job while you continue to
learn.
3. Get good grades.
This is obvious, but some students don’t realize that getting into a
four-year
school isn’t guaranteed. Unlike community colleges, which are open
access,
four-year schools can reject your admissions application if they don’t
like
your transcript. Getting good grades is important for another reason:
it leads
to opportunities for merit-based financial aid.
4. Leverage special
agreements with 4-year schools. Many community
colleges partner with colleges
and universities to provide a simplified, guaranteed transfer process
for
students. These “articulation agreements” detail specific courses and
grades
that will transfer. Memorize the transfer guides provided by four-year
schools
you’re targeting. (Here
are some
examples)
5. Go on field trips.
If you’re dreaming about a particular school, visit its campus and talk
with
admissions and transfer counselors to understand what they’re looking
for from
incoming community college students. Remember that you don’t have to
stay
local. If you have rock star grades, you can transfer almost anywhere.
6. Go beyond sticker
shock. It doesn’t matter
how
much a school costs—it matters how much it costs to you. Harvard University
officially costs about $55,000 per year, but if you’re able get in, the
school
will meet your entire demonstrated financial need. Check out our recent
article about financial aid for more information.
7. Take advantage of
transfer scholarships. Explore
scholarships and financial incentives for
transfer students. At City Colleges of
Chicago, students admitted to the Illinois
Institute of Technology, and nominated by their college
president for the
Presidential Scholarship, can receive a $23,500 annual tuition
scholarship
renewable for up to three years. Also – don’t settle for
the financial
aid package you are offered. Seek out scholarships from outside your
transfer
schools. There are scholarships out there for every group of people—including
community college transfer students. For example, the national Jack
Kent Cooke
Foundation Undergraduate
Transfer Scholarships
provides
up to $30,000 per year to each selected student.
8. Apply early and
often.
Another important point that too many students overlook: deadlines
matter
– and not all schools allow mid-year (spring semester) transfers. I
recommend applying
to multiple schools so you can compare financial aid packages and
attend the
school you can afford. You don’t have to go into debt to get a
bachelor’s, and,
given the increasing importance of graduate degrees in many fields, you
shouldn’t.
9. Follow
up. After you
apply for admission and evaluation of transfer credits,
don’t be shy. Contact
the 4-year institution or stop by your current school’s transfer center
to make
sure your application was received.
10. Don’t take “no”
for a final answer. If your
application is rejected, you can appeal the
decision. If your recent grades are excellent but older grades are less
than
stellar, make the case that you’ve changed old habits and made school
your top
priority.
Ellen
Goldberg is the
director of the Transfer Center at Harold
Washington College, one of the City
Colleges of Chicago (CCC). A former Spanish teacher at both CCC and in
the
Chicago Public School system, she attended Indiana University for her
bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education Spanish and went on to get two
master’s degrees—in Spanish Literature and Higher Education. Ellen’s
mission in
life is to help students transfer to their dream schools.