Unfortunately, transfer credits can be complicated. There is not a set of rules or guidelines. If two schools do not have an articulation agreement (an agreement that specifies admission and transfer details between the two schools), the credits may or may not transfer in as planned. It is entirely up to the school how your credits will transfer into your degree of choice.
Remedial classes (classes students may be required to take before being able to enroll in the required entry-level courses) do not transfer into a four-year degree. Typically, only formal coursework will transfer in for credit.
Your 2-year college may give you credit for CLEP, AP, and IB testing, while your four-year university may not accept those credits. Again, this is entirely up to the university.
The best way to know whether or not your credits will transfer is to ask before registering for classes. Lower level (100 & 200 level) classes in core subjects (ex. Math, English, History) are more likely to transfer.
You do not have to wait until you are accepted to have your transfer credits evaluated-it may be a deciding factor of what school you transfer into. You are able to reach out to the office that evaluates transfer credits to confirm transferability. Transfer credit evaluation is typically completed by the Registrar office. You will need an official transcript to ensure your credits are transferred to your new school.
All schools have their own transfer credit evaluation process. When evaluating transfer credits, schools may ask the following questions:
What school are the credits coming from? Is the school accredited? Is there a pre-approved articulation agreement in place between the two schools?
Is the a CLEP, AP, IAB course?
What level is this course?
Based on the content of the course and level, is there a comparable course?
What grade did the student receive? (some schools require certain letter grades to transfer credit- typically a "c" level grade)
How many credits are being awarded?
A decision will be made:
Equivalent hourly credit
Credit as a prerequisite or as a waiver of requirement but no hourly credit issued.
a) Sometimes a class will be waived as a required class due to transfer credit, but will not count as hours towards graduation.
1) Plan Ahead!
2) Choose and contact both schools- current school & the school you plan on transferring to.
3) Research current transfer agreements between schools. Make sure you are aware of the requirements needed to be part of that program.
4) Reach out to your transfer school's Transfer counselor/Admissions team and develop a relationship with them.
5) Choose a major as early as possible to ensure you are taking classes that will transfer into major.
6) Look to the web for help-Transferology.com and collegetransfer.net are both great sites to see if your credits will transfer seamlessly.
Questions about being a transfer student in the future? Please contact Miss Sears at esears@isd282.org for help!