So I barely graduated highschool with a 2.1 GPA due to medical problems and general slacking off. I just finished my first semester of CC with a 3.75 GPA and was wondering when I should try to transfer. Due to my low grades and money problems I decided to go to a local community college to build up my GPA but im afraid it’s not high enough.
I never really participated in extracurricular activities because of health problems and because I attended an online public school [closest activity was 4 hours away]
I really want to transfer to this school that I’ve always dreamed of and i know it’s different for each college but should i just finish this next semester & Fall of 2017 or if I should hurry & cram extracurriculars or if I should focus these next two semesters on joining clubs/raising my GPA and possibly transrer next Spring?
With just one semester of CC grades, admissions will have to rely on your high school record quite a bit. I’d stay at CC.
When you do start applying, apply to more than one school. In addition to taking classes and starting to get involved in activities, build a list of 4 to 10 schools, including (admissions and financial) safety, match, and reach options.
There is no need to “cram” ECs. Elite schools are looking for extended commitment over time and won’t be fooled. Below the highest-level, schools will be happy enough with just a few ECs. A good number less selective schools won’t care all that much about ECs, except possibly for recruitable athletes.
Thank you so much. I was worried. I’m planning on signing up for a few clubs this semester/possibly volunteering. I do have about 4 or so colleges so far on my list but ill keep adding just incase. Thank you again! It means a lot
IMO you should apply to transfer next yr. As @AroundHere said you should take more college courses so they consider your high school less. Some schools will waive the requirement for high school transcripts if you’ve taken enough units. In addition, you’ll save money being in CC for ~2 years instead of ~1
So far I’ve taken 12 credits [13 this semester] and didn’t exactly know when i should transfer. So Fall 2017 instead of Spring/Fall 2018?
Clarification: I think you should submit your transfer application next year. So apply in the fall of 2017 for the fall 2018 semester.
A lot of schools won’t even let you submit transfer applications in your 1st semester of university or with so few units.
Oh Okay! Sorry I read that wrong. The only problem is the cc I go to doesn’t have the degree I want/barely anything that will transfer. Should I just take as many classes related to my degree in preparation. Sorry for all the questions
What degree is that?
Also remember at most colleges for the first 1-2 years you take a wide variety of courses ranging from math, science, social science, philosophy, or arts.
English. [At the CC i go to it’s mainly medical/math/similar degrees.] And the community college i go to only has a few English courses. I did manage to get into honors English 2 which should help in the long run [I hope]
Well regardless of the degree you should look at some sample English curriculums at colleges you wanna transfer to and then try to kind-of follow those course plans at your CC
I’m not sure what the rules are at your school, but I can’t transfer to any UC’s until I have AT LEAST 60 credits. You need to learn what the requirements are for transferring AND for your major both. I don’t see how it’s possible for anyone to transfer after just one semester.
I’m literally in the same exact situation as you! I have a 3.3 gpa from the fall semester, I will have 18 credits once I finish this semester, I know that I have to send out my hs transcripts and sat scores because I won’t have a total of 24 credits. My hs gpa was a 2.6 and my sat score was a 980. I dont even know if its worth transferring after this semester or just get my AA then transfer?
This really depends on where you want to transfer. If you’re looking at at state university, getting your AA is a good plan because state schools (and schools with which your state has reciprocity) will generally just transfer the entire degree in. It doesn’'t really matter if your school doesn’t have courses in your intended major. The AA will fulfill your general education requirements at most schools, freeing you up to focus on you major after you transfer. When I was a student, classes at the 100 or 200 level didn’t count toward a major anyway. Even if you’re going to a school with a lot of tech programs (the CC where I teach is like that), there is bound to be a liberal arts transfer track you can take.
However, if your dream school is a private school, they may well not take all of your credits and when you transfer is less important, though if you’re looking at competitive schools, building up your GPA is probably a good idea. My state uses Transferology https://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/signup.htm?localDev=false to help students figure out which courses will transfer to specific schools. You can also email your dream school and ask what kinds of courses will and won’t transfer.