Attention Community College Students:

Think it is too early to think about transferring?

Think again!

It is never too early to think about your future!

The Lucky Seven

Start considering the following items before the semester gets too hectic:

1. Make an appointment with a counselor to either begin or update your Educational Plan (Ed Plan). If it is not possible to make an appointment yet find out when you can and how you should go about doing it (some colleges do not accept phone appointments, whereas others might only accept appointments on certain days, do the research!)
2. Make your own Ed Plan. Part of being successful at your community college is being proactive. Don't let not being able to make an appointment with a counselor be your reason for not transferring. Think about the colleges you want to transfer to and look at their admission's websites for academic requirements. These academic requirements are referred to as "Articulation Agreements." Articulation agreements between your current college and the college you wish to transfer to are available on assist.org for UC and CSU campuses. For private and out-of-state colleges please refer to their admission's websites respectively.
3. Enroll in your Math and English classes. Unfortunately students often become daunted with the prospect of Math and English classes. However, if you wait until the last minute you might end up delaying your transfer by several semesters. Take these classes early, but think about yourself- if English or Math is not your strong point it might not be a good idea to take during Summer or Winter intersessions. Plan ahead!
4. Make a decision about your major. I understand that this may be difficult to do when you are considering several majors. Perhaps you can consider two majors and double major at the college you transfer to. Also, if you want to become a doctor you do not have to be a biology or math major. Although being a biology or math major will help you in terms of fulfilling some of the math or science requirements for medical school, it is not mandatory for you to be one of those majors to pursue medicine. Likewise, just because you major in English it does not mean that you have to become a English teacher. On the other hand, if you know you want to become an electrical engineer do not take classes in cooking or pottery. Be selective! If you are sure about it pursue it! Think about the bigger picture, make a major choice that you can handle and make a decision.
5. Consider your transfer college options. Do you want to stay local? Do you want to transfer out-of-state? What is important to you college fit or college notoriety? Do you want to go to a public or private school? These are all questions you should ask yourself. Don't limit yourself to to Cal State LA or UCLA. Think LMU, Oxy, Whittier, UC San Diego, Columbia, Arizona State, Penn State, etc. Make an Excel spreadsheet with your college choices, where to locate their application, the major they offer that you are interested in (some colleges have different names for different majors, likewise some colleges may not offer business, but might offer economics), whether it requires a letter of recommendation, tuition, location, deadlines, admission's representative contact information, etc. This spreadsheet will provide you with a quick reference when thinking about your choices and will also provide you with an area to keep all of the things you find out about the colleges you are considering. One last note, make sure the colleges you are considering are accredited (typically as long as you see the term WASC it is accredited)- you do not want to transfer to an institution and then find out that your degree from there is not going to be recognized.
6. Make a connection. Once you've narrowed down you college choices check with your Transfer Center to see if any of those colleges are visiting your campus. They may visit during a college fair or for on-campus appointments. Making the connection will get you in touch with the person who is going to read your application. This is especially important if you are applying to a selective university. Make your presence known!
7. Begin writing. Does the college you are applying to require a personal statement? Start writing! This can be a very daunting task. Familiarize yourself with the prompt(s) for your specific school. These prompts can also be included in your Excel spreadsheet for easy reference. In order to demystify the personal statement please check with your Transfer Center to see if workshops about writing the personal statement are offered. Look online for pointers and ask your professors to review your personal statements if possible. Start early, write a lot. It is always easier to edit and add. Brainstorm, Outline, and Draft. If you follow these steps and start early you will save yourself a lot of time during peak application season.

Consider the above seven points and you will sure be lucky in the transfer process. Getting into the college of your choice is both equal parts preparation (GPA, classes, etc.) and application. You can blame luck, but it always begins and ends with you!

Have any questions? Leave a comment and I will address/answer your question in a future post.