5 Mistakes Students Make During Their Transfer Process

Transferring from a community college to a 4-year college/university is a big stepping stone. College students don’t realize the complexities that come with the transition process. From fulfilling requirements to a wave of emotions, college students feel overwhelmed when navigating the transfer process. We at Pathway2Career Consulting are here to help you avoid these five mistakes throughout your transfer process.

Mistake #1: Not Having Transfer Courses Evaluated

One of the most common mistakes transfer students makes is forgetting to get their transfer courses evaluated. Transfer course evaluation is a crucial final step to take before transferring and sending a final copy of your transcript to your chosen institution. If you’re planning on transferring to a CSU, then your college needs to provide you with the CSU Breadth certification on your official transcript. On the other hand, if you’re transferring to a UC, your transcript needs to be IGETC verified. Depending on where you are transferring, your new institution follows different levels and types of course equivalencies. We work with each student individually to determine the requirements they need to fulfill during their transfer process from community college to a 4-year college/university.

Mistake #2: Not Submitted FAFSA & CSS Profile Forms on Time

The second mistake most college students make is not completing the FAFSA or CSS Profile forms completely and on time. These financial aid applications can seem tedious and time-consuming. However, many college students think they qualify for them without understanding how to fill and complete the forms correctly. In some cases, students forget to submit either one of the applications on time and suffer the consequences of late submission. Due to situations like the one previously stated, obtaining financial aid will become difficult during your first semester or quarter at your school. That is why we at Pathway2Career Consulting will work closely with you and your family to ensure that you have completed every section of both financial aid applications and submitted it correctly and with ease.

Mistake #3: Not Registering for Courses on Time

Once a college student has been accepted to a 4-year college/university and has decided to attend that institution, they have to create a login and complete their onboarding checklist before orientation. However, many students forget to complete their intake and onboarding process for admissions at their new institution. Students fail to attend transfer advising during orientation and fail to register on time for their upcoming semester or quarter by not completing the enrollment steps. We will work with each student to ensure that all stages of registration are complete.

Mistake #4: Not Attending Orientation

Many college students believe that it is unnecessary to attend their new school orientation because they are already familiar with college life. Students should be encouraged to participate in an orientation program at their new college or university. It is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with your new classmates, professors, staff, and campus. Although orientation programs provide an overload of information to incoming students, we encourage you to be proactive by taking notes and asking questions.

Mistake #5: Don’t get ahead of yourself!

Lastly, college students think that they have all the answers, which is a false presumption. Transfer students believe that by attending community college for two years, they already know everything. College students need to learn that there is always room for improvement, whether improving their time management skills or studying for a class. Alternatively, study habits will change once a student transfers to a 4-year college/university. For instance, a biology student would probably spend about five-to-six hours studying for a course and its lab. Still, once they transfer to the university of their choice, they may be spending over ten hours a week for an advanced biology class. We work with our students to determine what study habits, skills, and extracurricular activities they need to reassess once they transfer to a 4-year institution.

At Pathway2Career Consulting, we acknowledge that college students need personalized guidance and a strategic plan for transferring. Our goal is to help you be successful right from the start to the end of your transfer process. The transfer process requires a lot of focus and effort on behalf of the student. Therefore, it is crucial to work closely with our consultants to ensure that you meet with the correct departments, submit the proper documents on time, and have a clear plan for a seamless transition.