Savannah
How hard is it to transfer from a community college to a four year college?
I am only a junior in high school and I am in the AVID program which focuses heavily on college. As an AVID student, we have discussed community college and I figured why not do a transfer. I am also going to be very young when I graduate so I would much rather go to a community college before I jump straight into a four year college. #primary-education
2 answers
Astrid Gonzalez, MBA
Astrid’s Answer
Just like with a regular application to college the acceptance rates differ from school to school. I transferred from a community college to a 4 year institution without a problem. Check with each 4 year college you will apply to in regards to their transfer acceptance rates as well as their credit transfer policies
The one major thing to keep in mind are deadlines.
Hope this helps!
Bryant Gomer
Bryant’s Answer
Hi Savannah,
That's terrific that you are already thinking about different approaches to earning your college degree and what will best suit you. As a former high school teacher, I frequently encouraged my students to look into community college as a potential option for getting into a desirable 4-year university. Community Colleges are a great opportunity complete ge requirements at a lower cost than taking the same classes at a 4 year university.
I think the most important step is to research specific community colleges you would be interested in attending to see what transfer opportunities they offer. If you are looking at community colleges close to home, keep in mind that the best transfer opportunities might be to universities in the region. Quite often, specific community colleges help students transfer to specific schools (usually by geography). I see that you are in California and CA community colleges have solid track records for allowing students to transfer into UC and CSU schools. Look into the transfer statistics at each college to give yourself an idea of how often and where students are transferring in addition to transcript items like average GPA for transfer students. Transfer data is pretty available with a little digging
If there are community colleges in your area, visit them! Speak to a community college guidance counselor to get their perspective on transferring to a 4 year school. To answer your original question, with some initial preparation, a clear strategy for what college you are attending and universities you are aiming to transfer to, and solid Community college GPA, I think you will find community college as avery viable option for transfering into a 4 year school.
Thanks for the question, and best of luck going forward!