Transferring Successfully Presented by The Career, Employment & Transfer Center

Topics State Transfer Policy Determining Admissions Requirements & Major Requirements How to Select General Education Classes Transfer Guides/Course Equivalencies/Articulation Agreements College/Major Searches and College Rankings Learning about Transfer Resources “Show me da money!” (University Scholarships)

State Transfer Policy For public colleges in VA, students earning a transferable Associates degree, if accepted, will enter as junior standing, and will be considered to have met all lower-division general education requirements.

Exceptions to the State Transfer Policy …With the exception of certain lower-level and upper-level program requirements that apply to all students

It might take longer than two years to graduate at the 4 year college if you are enrolled in a tightly structured program (at the 4 year college). You must meet degree and major requirements.

Some University programs may have additional prerequisites or other requirements specific to the field of study. Associate degree graduates may have not completed those program or course prerequisites.

Examples History majors at VCU: requires 2 years of foreign language whereas Reynolds, in Social Sciences, only requires one. UVA requires that ALL students, entering the Humanities and Sciences School, complete two years for foreign language (unless completed in high school)

Which are Transfer Degrees? Associate in Arts, A.A. (Liberal Arts) Associate in Science, A.S. (Science, Business Administration, Engineering & Social Sciences)

Which are Not Transferable Degrees? Associate in APPLIED Science Degrees (AAS) Examples at Reynolds: Information Systems Early Childhood Development Human Services Some courses in the AAS programs may transfer. Check if there are any Articulation Agreements that exist for AAS programs.

What are Admissions Agreements? They are formal written agreements between the community college and the university. Some agreements guarantee admission to all community college graduates of an associate degree transfer program (if they have satisfied articulation requirements). Go to orhttp://

Admittance to the College Versus the Major You may be accepted into the college however you may not be accepted into the major. Always check the college AND the major requirements! Example: VCU requires a MIMIMUM Cumulative GPA of: 2.25General Admittance 2.5 School of Social Work 3.0School of Engineering

Some Admission Agreements (VCCS & Reynolds) Longwood ODU and TeleTechnet Virginia Tech VCU James Madison University (Reynolds) Randolph Macon College University of Richmond (Cont. Ed) Norfolk State Mary Baldwin Radford UVA Go to

VCCS Guaranteed Agreement Website Write down this web site for VCCS agreements: (look for admissions agreements). Look for letters of intent required by some of the colleges

Attending Private colleges or Out of State colleges? OR Transferring Early? 4 year colleges will evaluate your transcript course-by-course Without researching, you may have to take a significant number of lower-level general education courses at the 4 year college, which may extend your Bachelor’s degree longer than normal 4 years.

Admissions Requirements Most public colleges prefer the completion of the Associates Degree. With some unique baccalaureate programs, you will want to transfer early. Seek advise from the 4 year college advisor. (example: VCU School of the Arts). Without the Associates degree, admissions will focus more heavily on your High school grades and SAT/ACT scores. Some colleges will waive the SATs if you are 22 years of age or older. The age requirement varies among colleges.

Admissions Application Deadlines Check General Admission application deadlines Check Major application deadlines e.htmlhttp:// e.html Examples for VCU (For Fall)For Spring Transfer students: May 1November 1 School of the Arts: February 1November 1 Clinical Lab: April 1N/A Some colleges are very strict following these deadlines!

Admissions Requirements Some colleges will limit the number of credits accepted (even with a degree). Examples: VCU accepts no more than 63 credits from VCCS colleges. UVA accepts no more than 60 credits

Acceptance of Credits The 4 Year College Determines: Which courses are accepted How many credits are awarded The type of credit that will be awarded (general education, major requirement, or elective credit).

Admissions Requirements Check the minimum cumulative GPA requirements for the College and the Major Check the “preferred” versus the minimum cumulative GPA

Too Old Credits If you have not had continuous enrollment, some of your old credits may not be accepted, especially in science, computer or pre-health majors. However some colleges accept them regardless of the age. Examples of outdated courses: biology/anatomy and computer courses

Selecting Courses RESEARCH! Some helpful tools: 1. Transfer Guide 2. General Education Requirements 3. Major Requirements 4. Course Equivalencies

Transfer Guide Example n/transferrequirements.htmlhttp:// n/transferrequirements.html n/transfercourses.html. n/transfercourses.html

Example of JMU General Education Requirements on the Web Check in the admissions section for general education Requirements (on-line or in catalog). JMU Example: Freshman English composition (6 credits) Mathematics - analytic geometry and calculus or statistics (college algebra transfers, but does not earn General Education credit) 3 credits Natural science - Courses in two different sciences: chemistry, physics, geology or biology. One must include a lab. 3-7 Human Communication 3 Fine Arts 3 Literature 3 and etc.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS Example Research VCU’s History Major on-line or in catalog: “The B.A. in history requires a minimum of 120 credits, with at least 36 of those credits in history. 24 history credits at the level. Completion of the study of a foreign language through the intermediate level (2 semesters at the 200 level or the equivalent) Example:

Course Equivalencies Web example:

Undecided Transfer Students SHEV: Use Transfer Program Tool (VA Transfer Module) for listing transferable courses and equivalents ansfer/default.asp

College/Major Searches and College Rankings College/Major Searches: Colleges Rankings: U.S. News & World Report, “Best Colleges 2006” (on-line) dex_brief.php

Resource Explaining Transfer Process Handout: m#qz

“Show me da money” The real price for attending college may be considerably less than the listed price due to grants, endowments, and scholarships (including private colleges). Research scholarships at www. fastweb.com. Check financial aid web sites at the 4 year colleges and for departmental scholarships 2 year Transfer Grant ($1000 per year, for competitive programs $2,000 per year)

Scholarships & VCCS Guaranteed Agreements VCU: 10 need and merit based in- state tuition free (VCCS agreement) Norfolk State: up to $100,000 (priority given to GAA students) VA State: Two transfer scholarships ($1000 and 2000); U of R – Need based; 100% unmet need satisfied W&M and UVA – Excellent financial aid packages!!!

Some Scholarships/Grants for Community College Students Academic Common Market Longwood U of Richmond VA State Radford George Mason Randolph Mason Univ. of VA William & Mary Check 4 year college websites for more

Exciting News! Check out visits from 4 year colleges! Check out on-site admissions days! Check out tours to 4 year colleges!

Need Help? Contact Robin Beale at PRC, Or Vicki Bruce at DTC, Appointments are required With research, you will transfer smoothly!