Chalk man walking up steps made of blocks reading Goal, Plan, Action, Success

4 Steps You Can Take to Succeed as a Transfer Student

This transfer student went from a community college to two four-year institutions. So wherever you're transferring from, you can learn a lot from her.

When I think back on my transfer experience, I feel a huge sense of relief. My new school is a big contrast to how I felt when I first left my community college. I was confused and had absolutely no idea where I was going to go. I did some “research,” found a four-year school, and applied. It didn’t seem like a big deal at first, but I eventually realized my mistake: I applied to this school without really getting to know it, its admission counselors, and my major options.

It quickly became clear I wasn’t comfortable on my new campus, and acting was the only way to get the fresh start I was looking for. I dropped all my classes immediately and went back to my local community college to finish my associate degree, but I still wanted a bachelor’s. It was a long process from there to find the school I love and have a successful transfer. So from one student who’s been there, here are my top tips for other future transfer students going through the process.

1. Attend college fairs

College fairs are important. You can meet different transfer counselors in person and get a better idea of what the transfer process looks like at their school. Attending a college fair was something I’d never done before, but that’s where I met with a few transfer coordinators from different colleges who reviewed my transcript, classes, and academic standing. This is a way you can easily network with as many colleges as possible. Ask them questions about the majors they offer and special programs you may be interested in. To make it easier, have an unofficial transcript ready and on hand. A transfer coordinator will be more than delighted to help review your credits and give you advice on what classes you might take in their program. Attending college fairs helped me make the right choice. We all must choose eventually; if you skip the college fair step, it will be more difficult for you to know exactly which college is right for you.

2. Meet with a transfer coordinator

If you have one or two colleges at the top of your transfer list, make appointments with a transfer coordinator at those schools. As I mentioned, you should be able to speak to someone during a college fair, but with many other students there, it may be difficult to get all your questions answered. An individual meeting will give you time to speak with them at length.

Meeting with transfer coordinators one-on-one helped me understand how transfer credits worked. You want to make sure all your credits are accounted for, and no mistakes are made. Lost credits equate to more time and money taking additional classes. My coordinator evaluated my transcript and explained how many more credits I would need to graduate. She also helped me with my transfer application, and we kept in constant contact throughout the entire process.  Whatever your case may be, your transfer coordinator will explain the requirements, provide assistance, and ensure you register for the appropriate classes. Follow their advice and you’ll be off to a great start!

Related: How to Avoid These 5 Common Transfer Student Mistakes

3. Visit campus

Whether you plan to commute or stay in a dorm, visiting your potential new school in person is important. You’ll get an idea of what the campus is really like. Your tour guide will often be a student, so you should get some great insight and advice from them. Ask them questions! When I took a tour of the college I attend now, I knew it was the right choice for me. Taking a tour will also help you later on when you’re struggling to find your classes. You will know the campus better than you would if you skipped this major step.

4. Go to transfer orientation day

Skipping transfer orientation is a mistake. It’s the last important step in the process. This is where you meet other students, register for classes (if you haven’t already), and hand in forms on time before your first day of classes. You’ll learn basically everything you need to know about campus on this day. Although I was nervous about attending my orientation, the students were very welcoming and helpful. Afterward, I felt much more confident, prepared, and positive about my decision to attend my new school.

All the mistakes I made two years ago reflected where I was at the time: on a campus where I had no idea who my advisor was, with only 22 credits that had transferred over. If I had stayed at that first four-year college, it would have taken me another three or four years to graduate. But attending a school and making the effort to learn of my resources made a world of a difference. After a few setbacks, the transfer experience finally became what I needed. I learned from my mistakes and am thriving on a campus where I feel I belong.

Related: Transfer Shock: How to Combat and Minimize This Very Real Phenomenon

Your success is entirely up to you, and taking responsibility for your transfer experience simplifies the process. For me, the pieces began to fall into place when I started to take the necessary steps to succeed at what most complain is a “complicated” process. Many students are in a rush to leave community college and start somewhere else. I try to remind students who are going through it to speak with a transfer advisor before making any drastic decisions on their own.

As some final advice, make sure you go into your applications aware of all application requirements such as recommendations, essays, SAT scores, GPA minimums, interviews, and necessary financial aid documents. The last thing you want is to fall behind on your transfer deadlines, current school work, or other responsibilities because you’re scrambling to get paperwork at the last minute. Staying on top of things is the name of the game!

Start exploring amazing schools that are looking for you on our featured transfer college lists.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Grace College

Winona Lake, IN


Farrah Macci

Farrah Macci

High School Class of 2016

CollegeXpress has helped me in many ways. For one, online searches are more organized and refined by filtering scholarships through by my personal and academic interests. Due to this, it has made searching for colleges and scholarships significantly less stressful. As a student, life can already get stressful pretty quickly. For me, it’s been helpful to utilize CollegeXpress since it keeps all of my searches and likes together, so I don’t have to branch out on multiple websites just to explore scholarship options.

Caio Matos

Caio Matos

High School Class of 2022

Starting the college admissions process as an international student was daunting. Thankfully, CollegeXpress was the first website I used for that cause and it helped me so much, from knowing where to start to deciding what my next move would be. I'll take a gap year, but I’m certainly using the website again when applying for fall 2023.

Lexie Knutson

Lexie Knutson

High School Class of 2021

This whole website has helped me overcome the attitude I had before. I was scared to even approach the thought of college because it was so much. I knew it wasn’t just a few easy steps, and I panicked mostly, instead of actually trying. Without realizing it, CollegeXpress did exactly what I usually do when I panic, which is take it one step at a time. With college I forget that because it’s more than just a small to-do list, but this website was really helpful and overall amazing. So thank you!

Nazira Abdelkhalek

Nazira Abdelkhalek

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2014

I am very honored to be this year’s recipient of the Multicultural Student Community Service Scholarship! This scholarship is vital to helping me achieve and fulfill my dreams, and gives me confidence and motivation as I begin my college career. The CollegeXpress website has been invaluable over the past year as I planned my educational and professional goals. I highly recommend it to all students as they begin to focus on their college and career interests. The website is a wonderful guide to schools and scholarships.

Jessica Rinker

Jessica Rinker

Student, Fairhaven High School; CollegeXpress Student Writer

My high school counselor introduced me to CollegeXpress freshman year. It has made such a difference in high school, and I plan to continue relying on it in college. CollegeXpress is my go-to because it addresses each aspect of being a student. There are the articles you’d expect regarding college applications and financial aid, but you will also find advice on things like de-stressing and maintaining relationships while balancing a heavy course load. CollegeXpress will also keep you updated on current scholarships through e-mails each Saturday. (They don’t harass you with any product promotion like so many other sites do.) CollegeXpress is a lot like an older sibling who has already conquered the challenges you are facing. Now, they are reaching out a helpful hand. I say take it.