<p>I am planning to transfer to a 4 year university for the spring 2015 or fall 2015 semester from a local Community College. How should I go about proving that I can handle the course rigor of well-known universities? I know that my community college courses aren't very difficult compared to classes that I will have to take at private institutions, and I want to be able to show the adcoms that I will be able to handle their academics. Besides getting good grades, what can I do?</p>
<p>I think your best bet is to take the most challenging courses in whatever program it is that you’re in. 200+ level courses generally are more difficult. I’m a CC student myself and I too wonder this same question. I guess if you get all A’s in 200 level courses there’s nothing more you can do, right?</p>
<p>Adding to the above comment, taking as many math/science and writing intensive courses as possible was the advice that DS was given to prepare for transfer. He plans to do this if he doesn’t get accepted to any schools (mostly reaches) this cycle (he wasn’t given this advice until after applications were submitted). </p>
<p>People need to get it out of their thick skulls that community colleges always mean easy street. I’ve had the unique chance to compare a cc with a state flagship and a top ten private (at least within engineering). At the lower level (100/200 courses) many courses are/were virtually indistinguishable between the three. I’ve had easy classes at the private school and hard classes at the cc. The only big difference was for large courses where a professor curves. Even the it is more dependent on the average admitted student ability+effort level, not “rigor” of the coursework.</p>
<p>Perhaps your particular cc does have easy teachers. Then you’d better be certain you have a 4.0.</p>
<p>Are there any other ways except grades to show colleges that you can handle the rigor? Also, I’ll only have two semesters under my belt (summer and fall 2014) when I apply for spring 2015 transfer. I’ll have over 30 credits by then, but due to my 13 AP credits, I’ll already have my Associate’s. Almost all of my classes will be related to my major, and I won’t have enough room to take many hard science courses or anything of that nature. </p>
<p>I’m also afraid that universities will look down on me applying after only one regular academic semester. Should I just forget spring transfer and apply for fall 2015, or do I have enough academic rigor in two semesters to apply for the spring?</p>