Transferring

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A Guide to Switching Schools in the Middle of Your College Experience

So, you went to a community college, and even though you’ve found the atmosphere incredibly supportive and it suited your needs two years ago, you’re about to get your associates degree and it’s time to move on. Or maybe you chose a really good four-year school, but for whatever reason, you’re miserable there. Maybe your circumstances have just changed. Whatever the motivation, you are ready and willing to transfer, so what do you do now?

Transferring doesn’t have to be a nightmare. All it takes is careful planning, ahead of time. Housatonic Community College graduate, Alberto Cifuentes, made the leap to a four year school last year, and for the most part, he’s adjusting quite well.

Cifuentes says the key to a successful transfer is just getting to know what schools are out there for you to attend. “Many people don’t know the schools they're transferring to once they get there. They may make a hasty decision to just transfer without exploring their options.”

“For me, a community college is a foundation and your transfer school is the bricks or stones [of] that foundation,” notes Cifuentes, “You have to be prepared to build from there and come to terms with new challenges, hopes, and dreams once you transfer.”

One of the hardest aspects for many is fitting in all the work a transfer takes in between school and life. Still, it’s very important to be timely and keep on top of deadlines; you do not want to let opportunities slip away. I recommend starting as early as possible. The semester before you want to transfer, sit down and find out when application deadlines are due. Write them down, keep a calendar, and make sure you give yourself time to write those essays and apply for that financial aid.

Go online, look around. There are several really good websites that allow you to search for schools using different criteria, like the type of school, majors, deadlines, and location. I’d start with CollegeBoard.com’s different search engines, which allow you to search by any criteria you set. This makes finding online college catalogs a breeze. If you’re looking for a particular program or major in a specific location, CollegeBoard.com can help narrow it down. After that, you’ll have a nice list of online course catalogs to peruse.

A lot of students become quite overwhelmed at this point, because there are so many options available. Before you do anything else, I would make a list of colleges with the program you want to go into, even if they are far away or outside the location you’re looking in. When you start exploring, you’d be surprised at the commuting options you have.

Once you have a list of places that have your major, your list becomes much more narrow and manageable. Not to mention a lot less overwhelming.

Next, either have them mail you a catalog, or go to college websites and start reading course descriptions. When these become dry, find a message board or blog of a college you’re interested in, and start reading. You can learn a whole lot by what students are saying online about their courses, especially message boards that record the daily thoughts of students.

Soon, you’ll have a host of schools that you want to apply to. Take a deep breath, and start filling out the applications. Many schools offer online applications that allow you to save information as you go along. This is helpful because it means you don’t have to do it all at once. Still, you will want to apply to as many schools as you can as soon as possible. You never know where you will get into unless you try.

If the application fees are overwhelming it doesn’t hurt to ask if they can be waived. Carolyn Dietel, Coordinator of Transfer Affairs at Mount Holyoke College, said that if there is a need to have an application fee waived, it can be waived. Students aren’t rejected because they can’t afford an application fee.

Patricia Dicks, the transfer coordinator for Housatonic Community College recommends taking advantage of academic support centers for polishing essays. “The earlier you start the process, the better off you’ll be,” says Dicks. If the service is available, why not take advantage of it?

If you find a place that seems interesting, has fitting major and high-quality courses, and the students seem to have positive things to say, it’s time to start looking at logistics. Start with location. Ask yourself if you want to move, or if you can move. What about commuting? Could you live somewhere part of the week, and a few hours away the rest of the week? You need to narrow or widen your search based on location factors.

“It’s sometimes hard to narrow your options, but if you give yourself specific reasons you would want to go to any college and then apply those to the many options you have, you should come up with a list of schools far less overwhelming,” noted Cifuentes.

The last piece of the logistics puzzle is whether or not you can afford to go to a particular school. In addition to the usual Stafford Loans and Pell Grants, there are several scholarship opportunities available to transfer students, particularly those coming from Community Colleges. There are a few places to start looking for scholarships, but don’t get bogged down. FastWeb.com keeps a list of scholarships that can be very helpful. But until you talk to your advisor and transfer coordinator, you won’t know the full range of scholarships and opportunities available. Dicks says that there are many colleges that recognize the value of the transfer student and actively recruit them.

So you’ve narrowed it down even further. What next? Make an appointment with your advisor and start to discuss your options. Bring all the research that you’ve done so far. Your advisor will most likely be able to help you narrow down your schools to find an even better fit. Maybe you’re dreaming too big, or maybe you’re not dreaming big enough. Advisors are teachers, so they will be able to evaluate and rank you. If you don’t like your advisor, go to a trusted teacher and hit them up for advice.

“Take advantage of advising and see your academic advisor regularly,” says Cifuentes. They are a resource that students pay for, and well worth a visit.

Any advisor worth their salt will now point you in the direction of a transfer coordinator. Dicks noted that you should see your school’s equivalent of a transfer advisor as soon as possible. This is a person at your community college whose sole job it is to keep students updated on the finer points of transferring. They often arrange visits from other schools, and will have the latest information on articulation agreements, so you can make sure all the credits you want to transfer come with you.

Also, as soon as possible you should schedule a visit to the college. Go, sit in on a class, and get interviews out of the way. Talk to a few random students in the lounge, take in a meal at the cafeteria, walk around campus and try to get a feel for what you’ll be dealing with. You won’t always know if it will be a good fit, but it will give you a better idea of whether or not you can be happy at a particular college.

“Before you transfer, make you sure you check out the campus to see if it's a place you will feel comfortable,” says Brian Chewin, a psychology major from Florida who has transferred twice. “Check out the professors, see if you can [visit] a few classes to get a feel for classes you will potentially take.”

Chewin also recommends walking around and talking to random students during a college visit. This is a good way to check out extracurricular activities to see if there is something you might be interested in. Chewin also says that knowing people in advance can make the transition easier.

After all this work, what it is going to come down to is money. Remember to apply for all the scholarships you can. If you belong to an honor society, they might offer scholarships just for members. There are loans, grants, and other forms of student aid available.

Also, most colleges actively recruit from community colleges because those students often bring a much needed diversity to the classroom. Most even brag that accepted students find the needed aid most of the time.

“The transfer process isn't error-proof, and you may undergo some setbacks that may get you to rethink your choices, put your options on hold, explore something different, etc.” says Cifuentes. “But I think it's worth it continuing your education and striving for something larger that you already are.”

Remember, transferring colleges is one of the most important steps you’ll ever take, but it doesn’t have to be frightening or hard. Just keep your wits about you, make a plan, and follow through. What do you have to lose?

Go From Stressed To Holding the World In Your Hands

By Amanda Evans

Date: 03/28/05

Transferring Checklist

· Keep up your grades and extracurricular activities.

· Visit college websites to get a feel for the different types of programs offered.

· Keep a calendar with application and financial aid dates.

· Make an appointment with your advisor and transfer coordinator.

· Plan trips to different campuses.

· Apply.

· Choose the best college you get into that you can afford.

· Transfer.