Transfer Prep

Transferring can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be!

Here are some things that may make your transfer experience easier...

• Decide which type of college/university you would like to attend. Consider things like:
• Size of the student body: Would you prefer a larger student population or a smaller one?
• Public institution versus private institution
• In Minnesota, public institutions would include members of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, or the University of Minnesota system.
• Private schools could include members of the Minnesota Private Colleges Council.
• Cost of the school
• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Location of the school
• Do you prefer schools in an urban setting (Twin Cities), a large city (St. Cloud), a rural setting (Morris), or another type of location?
• Types of programs
• Are you interested in a specific program? Make sure you review the programs available at the school you are considering transferring.
• Accreditation status
• Review accreditation for the school you are considering transferring to at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
• Visit the school!
• Many people chose the school they attended because of a campus visit!
• Before the visit, call ahead to see if you can set up appointments with the chair of the department, an admissions advisor, and/or an academic advisor! Bring your unofficial transcript (which you can print off from your eServices account), and a list of questions like:
• What types of jobs/internship opportunities are available for students in this major? (chair of the department)
• How many students are in this major? (chair of the department)
• Is it easy to meet with an advisor? (admissions/academic advisor)
• What type of financial aid is available? (admissions/financial aid)
• Is it possible to do an unofficial evaluation of my transcript? (admissions/academic advisor)
• Will you need to take any additional general education courses? (admissions/academic advisor)
• Are there any scholarships available? (admissions advisor)
• What specific major courses can you plan on taking your first semester? (academic advisor)
• Applying:
• Be aware of deadlines! Many four-year insititutions have priority deadlines, make sure you check the schools' website! You can also check out the timeline on this site to make sure you are on track!
• Complete an online application - you can work with an advisor if you have questions!
• Start gathering official transcripts - you may need your high school transcript depending on the school and the number of credits you hvae completed at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.
• For MnSCU schools, your transfer institution will retrieve Anoka-Ramsey's transcript automatically, but you may need to ask them to do so.
• For other schools, there is a cost to have an official transcript sent from Anoka-Ramsey Community College; you do save money by submitting the request online. You can have your Anoka-Ramsey transcript sent by clicking on "Transcript Request."
• If you need letters of recommendation, make sure you give the people writing the letters about one to two weeks advance notice so they can write a thoughtful and detailed letter. You can ask: advisors, counselors, instructors, et cetera.
• A personal statement/written portion may or may not be required, but if it is required, it is a very important part of the application. Make sure you give it the attention it will require!
• Consider how the courses you are currently taking will transfer.
• Review the information under "Degree Transferability" to better understand how courses will transfer. You may also see how your courses will transfer to certain schools by using www.transfer.org/uselect.
• If, upon transferring, the courses do not transfer as you believe they should, you may have the option to appeal. Ask your advisor/counselor at your transfer instituion about appeal options.
• It is to your advantage to keep your syllabus from every class in case you do need to appeal.
• Helpful Hints:
• Keep written record of all transfer correspondence, such as: phone calls and in-person correspondence: Write down the names of the people you speak with, the date, and any advice you receive. This action will help you correclty remember your advising conversations.
• For more information on transferring, check out: www.mntransfer.org.