After attending community college, you can transfer to a four-year college to train for your career.
Although A Student's Guide to College notes that 46 percent of college students start at community colleges rather than four-year institutions, likely for academic and financial reasons many choose to finish with a degree from a four-year college or university. However, going from a community college to a four-year institution comes with a number of requirements. If you can't meet them, you can't transfer. For this reason, staying on top of the specific requirements for each school is important.
Good Academic Standing
Although requirements differ from institution to institution, most want their students to come in with a high grade-point average. Indeed, according to A Student's Guide to College, the University of Virginia requires its students to have at least a 3.4 GPA. While other institutions can be more lenient, some will use GPA and grades in individual courses to determine whether you are able to study in certain programs. Most colleges require that you complete a minimum number of credits at the community college before you transfer, but the Princeton Review notes that four-year colleges will be less likely to accept you if you have more than two years of credits.
Transferable Credits
Finding credits that transfer to all of the schools you are interested in can be a hassle. Because different colleges can require slightly different courses, there is always the possibility that some of your community college credits won't transfer and you will required to take a subject again. However, you can avoid this by regularly comparing the catalog of courses you take at your community college with those required by the four-year institutions in which you are interested. You can also call the registrar to determine whether a specific class from a specific school will transfer. Most colleges require that you provide both college and high school transcripts that show, in detail, the classes you've taken and the grades you've earned. If you've completed even one course at a different university, you'll need to send in these transcripts as well.
A Way to Pay
As many college students start their post-secondary educations at community colleges to save money, they can be in for a rude awakening when the tuition bill for their first year as a resident student at a four-year institution comes. Transfer students must have a way to pay or they will not be able to complete their studies. Most four-year universities have financial aid offices where counselors can help you and your parents determine whether there are any loans, grants or scholarships available and whether a payment plan exists.
Maturity and Academic Skills
According to A Student's Guide to College, some college students choose the community college route because they don't have the academic or social skills necessary to begin at a four-year institution right away. If you are transferring, understand that both the classes and environment at a four-year institution are different than what you're used to at a community college. First, courses are more challenging and assume you know many of the basics that your community college may have been willing to work on with you. Second, unlike community colleges, which are small and likely in an area that is familiar to you, most campuses are large communities with dorms, where many students live together, an environment that can be difficult to manage if you are used to living alone with your family. Maturity and the ability to remain cool and solve problems can help you succeed in these environments.
Letters of Recommendation
The Princeton Review notes that transfer students should get letters of recommendation from their community college faculty. Although a glowing letter of recommendation from a high school teacher can't hurt, community college professors are usually better able to assess your ability to succeed at a four-year school. The Princeton Review suggests that you request letters of recommendation from faculty members who seem to value your contributions to class and who teach in an area that you would like to study.
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