Ask Isa: 10 things to help you pick the best transfer university for you

From the Ask Isa inbox:

Dear Isa,

I'm in a pickle...I am in community college and am getting ready to transfer in the next year and am undecisive on which school to go to. One school I would like to go to because its cheaper and the other, if money were not an option, I would definitely go to. Your thoughts?

Sincerely,

Undecided

Dear Undecided,

There is not an easy answer to this question, and in the end only you can decide what is best for you. However, doing your research and asking for as much advice as possible will ensure you make the choice that will best help you reach your goals. 

College is the best investment you can make in yourself, so when it comes to taking out loans to pay for college, I think it can be beneficial if you have done your research and know that the benefits you will receive from attending that particular college are worth taking out loans for.

Here are some questions to ask yourself. I recommend writing down your answers:

(Let's call the cheaper college College A and the expensive college College B.) 

1) Why do I really want to go to College B? 
2) What benefits does College B offer me that College A cannot offer?
2a) Are those the type of benefits that could lead me closer to my goals? 
3) How much in loans would I have to take out to attend College A? Would the type of job I'm pursuing help me pay those back easily? 
4) Does College A offer important alumni connections to my desired industry that College B does not? 
5) Are there any benefits of College A, aside from being inexpensive, that I'm overlooking? 

Next, here are some things I highly recommend you do:

1) Check out the tools in LinkedIn Education and research the college's you're considering in relation to the careers people have after they've graduated from each. Compare. 
2) Reach out to alumni at College A and College B and ask if you can e-mail them a few questions or speak with them on the phone for a few minutes. Choose people who have a career you would aspire to. Ask them about their college experience and any advice they might have for you in making your choice. People love to mentor and share advice. 
3) Schedule a tour of each campus and pay close attention to the benefits of each. Bring lots of questions to ask the tour guide. 
4) Ask admissions officers at each college about all of the scholarship options. Sometimes students shy away from expensive or prestigious schools because they assume they can't afford it, when sometimes those are the schools that offer the best packages to students with great potential and great financial need. 
5) Apply to both schools and don't make your final decision until you receive the financial aid package for each. If you've done all the research above, once you get the packages you'll know what the best decision will be for you.

Best of luck and congratulations on your upcoming transfer!

Ask Isa: "Can I reach my dreams if I had a low HS GPA?"

From the Ask Isa inbox:

Dear Isa,

I want to go into investment banking and work on Wall Street some day, but here is thing: my high school GPA is low, I've never participated in any activities, and I don't have all the prerequisites for a 4-year school. 

I've decided to start out at a junior college for a year and hopefully transfer to the University of Pennsylvania (as you can see I have high standards).

Is there still a possibility that I can get into the school if I change things around when I get into junior college, or should I just forget about Penn and look for somewhere different?

Sincerely, 

Still a chance?

Dear Still a Chance,

I love that you have high standards and I say go for Penn. However, since I'm not an admissions officer I'm not an expert on how they evaluate transfer students' high school background and what is needed to get admitted (I suggest starting your research by reading everything on their transfer site). 

As soon as you can, visit the campus, go on a tour, and meet with an admissions officer so you can ask any questions you have. Ask for brutal honesty.

Especially be sure to ask them to describe their ideal community college transfer student (e.g. what GPA would you need to have, would it be better to transfer after one year or after getting your A.A. degree, what activities would they want to see, etc.)

And even if after all that research you find going to that school won't be a reality because of your high school past, I say keep on going and start looking into the next-best college you'd like to attend. The process of researching options in this way will serve you in every aspect of your life. 

It's never too late to reach your dreams. The key is to be open to how you get there. I believe 100% you can make it to Wall Street if you really want it and put in the work.

Community college is a great way to turn your academic past around. I've heard so many stories of students who didn't do well in high school who then  get a 4.0 in community college and transfer to a selective university. I believe in most cases low grades are simply a product the natural unmotivated state that results from not seeing how your current actions can help you get somewhere you want to go.  

Since you've figured out what you want to do and seem excited about it, you should have the motivation and focus you need to give your 100% to community college. 

I also recommend reading How to Become a Straight-A Student and my book Community College Success to ensure you're using the right strategies. Pay close attention to the third section of my book which teaches how to reach out to mentors who have your dream job (e.g. you should be connecting with people in finance as soon as possible, and start researching how to get those coveted internships). 

You can do this. Don't give up. Explore every option. And remember there are many avenues to get to where you want to go. People who set big goals, as long as they're not rigid about how they achieve them, succeed far more than they ever would have had they not set goals at all.

Go for it! :)

Sincerely,

Isa

How to adjust to transferring after CC

One of the best things about community college is that you can transfer almost anywhere with your A.A. degree to continue to your bachelor's degree.

However, the transfer process is not always easy. Yes, transferring credits can be complicated at some schools, but what most students struggle with is the social transfer.

In my book, I write all about this in the chapter called "The New Kid Again," because that is exactly how I felt when I transferred from community college to a small university.

It felt like everyone already knew each other and had no desire to meet anyone new. Most of them had made friends in the dorms years earlier and/or in their sororities. It was a hard adjustment.

But I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. Because the experience I gained transferring helped me:

• understand the work required to build and maintain friendships, 
• learn how to step outside my comfort zone even when I'm afraid, and 
• gain the courage to get involved and step up, which really paid off when it came time to be the 'new kid again' in the 'real world.'

Yesterday a student asked me about the transfer process on our Facebook page, and I wanted to share the Q&A with you in case you're ever struggling with or want to prepare for your transfer process:

Question

Hey Isa. I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your book, especially Chapter 6, dealing with transferring to a new university. I am going through this now as a first semester transfer student and it's scary, lol. I wanted to ask you, how long did it take you to adjust when you transferred? 

Answer

Hi Maryann,

Thanks so much for your kind words about the book  - I'm so glad it's helping!  As far as transferring timing, it took me about a month or two to adjust. 

I remember the moment I finally felt good - it was after a study group when a girl and I really connected. After our study session she started telling me a funny story about her ex-boyfriend. We laughed so loudly waiting outside for our next class that a student had to come out and ask us to keep it down because they were taking a test (oops!). 

But it was the moment I felt like I was finally a part of the school. She became my closest friend all two years, and was also a transfer student. 

While I didn't make huge groups of friends (e.g. greek life wasn't for me and I was a commuter), just having one close friend made all the difference.

I also joined the dance team, the commuter club, and became an orientation leader for transfer students. Starting in each of those groups was terrifying, and I didn't always perfectly fit in with each group - but I never stopped trying.

The involvement also led to me becoming the commencement speaker when I graduated, getting a free trip to London and New Orleans, and winning the award for the top graduating senior at graduation (which also came with a $3,000 check!). 

I also had a great faculty mentor who helped me find out about and win all of those opportunities. It was weird being the speaker when I knew so many of the students were probably thinking "who the heck is this girl? I don't remember her at freshman orientation." 

Anything is possible for you when you transfer, including making friends and fitting in. It may not ever be perfect, but if you keep trying, you will find that you will grow in ways that will serve you the rest of your life; truly successful people know how to adjust to new and scary situations. 

Consider starting study groups, try out a bunch of clubs, and find other transfer students. Don't be afraid to invite people to lunch or coffee, and keep putting yourself out there until something clicks. And don't feel bad if it takes a while.
The very fact that you're asking about this shows you're on the right track :) 

Sincerely,

Isa

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Transfer advice from a former international student

Below is transfer advice from one of my good friends and incredible community college alums Alejandra Pozzo (she's also in my book). After attending Palm Beach State, Ale (short for Alejandra) transferred to the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May 2012.

As a Jack Kent Cooke scholarship winner and former international student, Ale has incredible advice to offer that I wanted to share with you. Below is an interview I had with her recently: 

What led you to community college?
As I graduated high school, I learned that my parents’ economic situation was deteriorating. To make matters worse, my citizenship status was not resolved, which meant that I would have to pay for college as an international student. International students pay two to three times as much as regular students, something that seemed out of reach for me. I made the decision to attend community college part time, while I worked full time to pay for my tuition.

How did you make your transfer decision? 
I knew I wanted to transfer out of community college eventually and obtain a Bachelor’s degree. However, I was facing many challenges. I applied myself and became very involved on campus. I met a great mentor, who introduced me to private scholarships that I could apply to and guided me through the application process. When I became a Jack Kent Cooke scholar, my life changed and my biggest obstacle suddenly tumbled down.

What were your biggest obstacles in adjusting to your transfer institution?
The academic course load. I went from being a part-time student to having 17 credits my first semester.

What helped you the most in getting adjusted at your transfer institution?
As cliché as it may sound, what helped me the most was the fire within me; the passion I had to get a nursing degree is certainly what empowered me to push through all the difficulties I faced.

What helped you make friends at your transfer institution?
Making friends was easy because I went into a nursing program, so I had classes with the same group of students all day. My second year, however, I expanded my friendships beyond the nursing school. I joined different committees and organizations that were interesting to me. I met one of my closest friends in one of these organizations. It is important to surround yourself with people who share the same values and ideals as you.

What advice can you share that you wish someone would have shared with you before you transferred from community college to a university?
Transferring is not easy at first. But once you get through that hurdle, everything will start flowing better. However, it is essential that you have a clear vision of what your goal is – beyond getting an education. Be passionate about the career you chose to follow, your drive and determination will determine your success. Also, know which study habits work for you, everyone is different. Do not be afraid to seek guidance from your professors, especially if you are struggling with your academics.

Make a point to identify your weaknesses and strengths – and work on both. Do not compare yourself to others, you are as good as all you give and that is a wonderful thing. 

Effective time management is crucial when you are juggling school, work, organizations…and life outside all of these areas! Organizing my days, weeks, and months (yes, months) worked well. If I knew a certain time of the month would be very busy, I would attempt to complete as many tasks as possible when I had free time so that my responsibilities would not pile up.

And most importantly, enjoy every minute of it – academics should be your priority, but they should not take over your entire college experience.

Great advice - thanks Ale! 

If you have a transfer success story to share on the blog, please visit isaadney.com to learn more!