SC TRAC is a tool to help you plan your transfer and should be used with the information and support you receive from your transfer counselor or advisor.
When it comes to planning your transfer, there is no time like the present. The longer you wait to make decisions, the longer it may take you to complete a degree and transfer. Do your best to complete the following steps as soon as possible:
- Declare your major.
- Select a transfer institution.
The following is a general timeline to assist you in planning your transfer.
Keep in mind, the process for transferring from of one institution to another varies at each college. Each transfer institution makes the final determination about how many and which credits transfer. Credits that transferred to a previous institution may or may not transfer or count toward a degree at another institution. The only way to know for sure is to ask your academic counselor or advisor and to get an agreement in writing. Make sure you are working with both an academic advisor at your current institution and an admissions counselor at institution where you plan to transfer.
When everyone is involved in the process, you are less likely to lose credits and more likely to stay on track to a college degree!
STEP I: Consider Transfer Options
Identify your area of study.
This step is vital in choosing courses each semester as well as a college. If you don’t know what you want to major in, then make an appointment with your academic advisor or counselor who can assist you with this decision. For additional help selecting a major, consider these options:
-
Examine and self-assess your abilities, career and life goals, interests, and values.
-
What are your strengths?
-
What are your weaknesses?
-
What kinds of skills do you have?
-
What subject areas do you like?
-
What do you value in work (security, stability, pace, working alone or in groups, etc.)?
-
Talk to faculty and other college representatives as well as to people in the workforce about college majors and their related career outlooks and prospects. Ask yourself, “What can I do with this major?”
-
Visit colleges' and universities’ websites, browse their catalogs, and use other Internet resources designed to help you choose a major and career.
-
Access The Occupational Outlook Handbook, a nationally recognized source of career information available on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, that is designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.
Investigate possible transfer institutions.
Use SC TRAC to Search for Institutions and review their profiles. Look for desired features such as cost, location, size, student services, etc. Ask yourself these questions:
-
What is important to me in a college?
-
Where do I want the college to be located? How far away is the college from my home?
-
Does the college offer my program(s) of study?
-
What size institution is good for my learning style?
-
Do I want to attend a public or private institution?
-
What is the cost? What financial aid is available?
-
What is the campus setting? Is it rural, city or suburban?
Send for information.
Request college catalogs and applications or look for this information online.
Begin looking at costs of attendance and for scholarships and other ways to meet costs.
Pay attention to required course sequencing.
Keep an eye on GPA requirements for your program of study at your current institution, especially if you plan to earn an Associate Degree before transferring.
Register with "Transfer" in mind.
Make sure your advisor knows you plan to transfer, even if you have yet to decide when and where that transfer will occur. That way, your advisor can help you select courses that are most likely to transfer with you because advisors specialize in knowing transfer credit policies and exceptions as well as helping students find an appropriate major of study and selecting courses. To select courses for transfer when you don’t know when or where that transfer will occur, the best place to start is by reviewing the list of Universally Transferable Courses and choosing courses that you know will transfer to any of the participating institutions in South Carolina.
Remember your grades are important from the start!
Your transfer GPA is cumulative so work hard and make every grade count.
STEP II: Select a Transfer Institution
Select a transfer institution.
Tell your current advisor which college or university you have selected. If you have completed a semester of coursework, register for an account on SC TRAC and create a Course History in SC TRAC of all the courses you have taken, including credit and grade information, to learn how the courses you have already taken transfer to participating institutions.
Research the admissions requirements for the college or university where you plan to transfer.
Search catalogs, advising manuals, and websites. Investigate program-specific selection criteria and requirements and be aware of deadlines that may affect your major of study. Get to know your chosen transfer institution’s academic calendar and deadlines.
Confirm your choice of academic major or area of study.
Register for courses that will fulfill your current degree requirements and also meet the requirements of the degree program at your transfer institution.
Use the Search for Equivalencies and Will My Credits Transfer functions on SC TRAC to assist you with course selection.
Visit the university BEFORE you apply.
-
Meet with a transfer advisor at that institution.
-
Visit a class in your major.
-
Talk to students about what they like and dislike about the institution.
-
Visit the academic resources (such as tutoring labs) and student services buildings as well as the library. Are they welcoming and do they have the materials you will need?
STEP III: Prepare for Transfer
Continue selecting courses that transfer appropriately within your program of study.
Apply for admission.
Submit your applications for admission along with all of your official transcripts, and AP and CLEP test scores (if you have any).
-
Even if you know the college you want to attend, you may still want to consider applying to more than one college just to be sure. Many students apply to at least three institutions – one college where you know you will be accepted; one that might be considered a "long shot"; and one that meets all of your needs but may or may not accept you.
-
Depending upon the college and major of study, high school transcripts and test scores such as ACT or SAT may also be required. Check with the Admissions Office before applying.
-
If references are needed, use professors who know you. Ask them early and provide them with a stamped, addressed envelope to make the task easy.
Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Make sure to include the institution codes for all of the colleges or universities to which you plan to apply. The key to maximizing financial aid is applying early and meeting all of the deadlines.
Once admitted, send in your deposit and complete specific scholarship applications.
Apply for housing, if needed.
Talk with advisors and academic professionals at your transfer institution.
Call ahead for an appointment. Find out if orientation is required and stay up-to-date on changes to program requirements.
Meet with your current college advisor to discuss future plans.
If you are planning to transfer the next semester, find out from your advisor what you need to do to leave your current institution and transfer to another. If you are working toward an associate degree, verify your eligibility to graduate and discuss what you need to do next to earn your degree.
STEP IV: Complete the Transfer Process
Complete transferable coursework at your current institution.
If you are earning an Associate Degree, apply for your Associate Degree and Graduation.
Send official transcripts at the end of your last semester to your transfer institution.
Make sure you do not have any financial/administrative holds that might prohibit your transcript from being sent.
Attend new student orientation sessions or use online orientation tools to become familiar with your new college or university.
Be sure to request maps, directories, tour information and other essentials.
Register for classes at your transfer institution.