Lots of students want to start at a 2-year college before going on to a 4-year school. This has many advantages: you can save a lot of money and you can have a little more time to explore your career options, for starters. However, if you plan to go this route, make sure you are focusing your energy.
Preparing for transfer begins on the first day that the student begins at the community college. In fact, it begins in high school. What high school students forget is that community college is college. They have important standards that they have to meet. Because they have this transition coming up — in two years or three years, whatever it might be — is to begin planning, however tentative, what they’re going to do. So they might say, “Well, I don’t know what I want to major in.” That’s fine. Then start taking some general-education courses.
Communication is key, as well as planning ahead. Make sure you do the following:
When you are exploring a community college, ask these questions:
So what happens when you transfer? Your four-year college will look at the courses you took and the grades you earned at your two-year college and decide how much credit to give you. Each course is worth a certain number of credits, often three, and students need to earn enough credits, usually 120, to graduate.
Here are more transfer facts:
The main challenge is making sure that the courses you take at the community college will transfer to the program and to the institution you want to go to. Students have to ask and ask again to make sure that they are in fact taking the courses that are going to prepare them well for that transition to the four-year institution.
Preparing for transfer begins on the first day that the student begins at the community college. In fact, it begins in high school. What high school students forget is that community college is college. They have important standards that they have to meet. Because they have this transition coming up — in two years or three years, whatever it might be — is to begin planning, however tentative, what they’re going to do. So they might say, “Well, I don’t know what I want to major in.” That’s fine. Then start taking some general-education courses.
Communication is key, as well as planning ahead. Make sure you do the following:
- Make sure that the credits you earn from your classes at the two-year college will count at your four-year college so you can start out there as a junior. This can save you time and money.
- Sign up for a transfer program at a two-year college. These programs include the same kinds of courses that you’d take in your first two years at a four-year college. They’re designed specifically to help you succeed at making the transition.
When you are exploring a community college, ask these questions:
- Does the two-year college have a special transfer relationship — often called an articulation agreement — with any four-year colleges?
- Will the credits I earn be accepted at the four-year colleges I’m considering?
- What grades do I need to earn in my classes to get credit at the four-year colleges?
- What’s the minimum GPA I need to maintain to get into the four-year colleges?
So what happens when you transfer? Your four-year college will look at the courses you took and the grades you earned at your two-year college and decide how much credit to give you. Each course is worth a certain number of credits, often three, and students need to earn enough credits, usually 120, to graduate.
Here are more transfer facts:
- If enough of your courses transfer, you’ll start at the four-year college as a junior.
- If you don’t get credit for some of your courses, you may need to take them again at the four-year college.
- When you graduate from the four-year college, only that college’s name will appear on your bachelor’s degree.
The main challenge is making sure that the courses you take at the community college will transfer to the program and to the institution you want to go to. Students have to ask and ask again to make sure that they are in fact taking the courses that are going to prepare them well for that transition to the four-year institution.