Starting your educational journey at a community college is a smart choice. In fact, it’s one more students are making in the face of large student loans and uncertainty about what they want to do professionally.

Many students start with the eventual goal of transferring from community college to a four-year university, and here at CityU, we see quite a few transfer students taking that route. That’s why we want to share some tips on how you can make this transition a smooth one from start to finish.

Before you transfer:

Know what program you want to enroll in.

You may have started your community college journey thinking you wanted to pursue one program, but as time went on your interests and priorities shifted. That’s okay! Before you enroll in a program or begin a new track, research what’s available to you and how you can make the most of the credits you’ve already earned.

Find out what credits are transferable.

Determine which credits will transfer, which ones may present a challenge, and where you’ll be in your program when you officially enroll in a four-year college. Our CityU advisors are here to help you with the admissions process!

Gain financial clarity.

There may be multiple financial options available to you, but it’s a smart idea to speak with a financial advisor about the state of your finances. Good points to go over include what loans and programs may be available to you, and what debt you may accrue based on the program you choose.

Once you’ve gained a clear picture of the program you want to pursue, the credits and courses you can apply to that program, and you clearly understand your financial outlook – you’re ready to move forward. You may find that things operate a little differently at a university than they did at your community college, but remember that change is good. Below are a few insights to keep in mind as you start this new journey.

Once you’re in:

Programs may not operate in the same way as your previous school.

While your community college program may have had a particular focus or several tracks of specializations, your new program’s structure may be entirely different. That’s not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind as you look ahead and continue your studies.

Classes might be faster and more challenging.

That’s not to say you didn’t experience challenging, thought-provoking classes in community college. However, in general, you may find that the professors and coursework at a university push you to think more critically, learn at a greater capacity and expand your mind.

You’ll have greater access to more experienced professors.

This is definitely a good thing! Again, that’s not to say that community colleges aren’t full of talented educators; they certainly are. However, you’ll find that your professors at the university level are more experienced and perhaps more accessible to you over the course of your education and beyond.

Making the switch from a community college to a four-year university can be intimidating, but we’ve worked with tens of thousands of students to make this positive transition as smooth as possible. One of the best things you can do in preparation for your transfer is read about City University of Seattle. Not only will you be well versed in how your new school operates, but you’ll also amp up your own excitement for the big next step in your educational journey.

If you’d like to learn more about transferring from community college to City University of Seattle, contact us today!