<p>I've been at my local community college (Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA) for awhile now, currently in my 5th year full time since graduating high school. For the longest time I had no idea what I wanted to focus on, so I was just taking GE and other random classes until I could decide what I wanted to do.</p>
<p>I decided to focus on engineering. I've done all my chem, almost done with all my physics, math, etc, the point being I'm almost ready to transfer. I'm confused about this whole transfer thing though. I realize that some people start at a 4 year right out of high school. Yet at my JC, the counselors love to throw around this web site called assist. You basically pick your current school, where you want to go, and then it lists the required classes. If these are the required classes for the major for that school, how does somebody start at a 4 year out of high school with NONE of these required classes? Whats different about starting at a 4 year right out of high school as opposed to transferring from a JC? Is there a middle ground? Can I start at a 4 year with half these required classes? 90% of these required classes?</p>
<p>What does the competition look like for people transferring from JC? My GPA at the JC is hovering a hair above 3.1, but I do have a few C's on my transcript from years ago before I knew what I was doing. Is it easier to get accepted coming from a JC as opposed to right out of high school?</p>
<p>Well, first, there are probably state schools within your state that have an agreement to automatically enroll kids from your cc who have completed a certain program and have a certain gpa. You need to find out if those exist because that will be the easiest transfer.</p>
<p>I am concerned about all the credits you may have. Most colleges require the last year or two be completed in residence and many have a limit (often 60 semester credits) on transfer from a community college. That means that if you already have 60 transferable credits, you are not helping yourself much by continuing to take classes at the jc. </p>
<p>How you tranfer… Well, you apply. You’ll have a deadline different from entering freshman and you may or may not have to submit test scores or high school grades. (With as many credits as you have, they probably won’t look at those things.) </p>
<p>The school to which you want to transfer then looks at each of your classes and determines whether or not to give you credit and for what class they will give you credit. For example, you may have taken a math class at the jc which is very easy and the 4-year won’t give you credit. Or you may have taken technical classes or classes in a major not offered at the 4-year and the school won’t tranfer those credits it. Transfer schools often don’t give credits for classes below a certain grade (often C but sometimes they’ll give credit for a D, especially if it’s in the same state public school system). The college will send you a form that lists every class you took, whether they’ll give you credit and how it will apply. Example:</p>
<p>Sonoma Community College
English 1 - grade A- 3 semester hours: transfers as Eng 101, 3 credits
Drafting 1- grade A- 2 semester hours: transfers as elective, 2 credits
Engineering 101- grade B- 4 semester hours: transfers as Eng 110, 4 semester hours
Swedish 101- grade B- 4 semester hours: does not transfer</p>
<p>As far as ease of transfer, it depends on the school. Some elite colleges have very, very few transfers because few students leave. Other colleges have TONS of transfers and you may be eligible for an automatic transfer.</p>
<p>Also, are you depending on financial aid? There is often a limit on the number of credits you can take and still get federal aid. You need to be aware of what that is because if you transfer a lot of credits and have few or no credits in your desired major, you may run out of $ before you graduate. If this happens to you, you could ask the 4-year college not to accept some electives for transfer so that you can complete the courses you need for graduation. </p>
<p>Oh, and if you didn’t know, your gpa doesn’t transfer.</p>