For the many students I have met, ACC is a stepping stone to further education. I came to ACC in hopes of raising my GPA before applying to CU Boulder this spring (2017). For those of you hoping to transfer to a university after your time at ACC, I have a few words of wisdom.

Before you do anything more at ACC, head over to Transferology to check your classes for viability at your new university. There is nothing worse than carefully planning a course load that doesn’t transfer. It’s a huge waste of time and money.

Next, review and understand the difference between a transfer application and a freshman application. Not only are there big differences in forms, but having previous college experience usually makes the application less grueling. Also watch out for different GPA requirements for transfer and first-year students.

This last piece of advice is crucial and I cannot stress it enough.

Go to the campus of your choice if at all possible. Make an appointment to meet with admission. Carefully review transfer requirements and expectations.  The resources are there. Make every contact you can. After finding out who my adviser would be at CU, I took a risk and knocked on her door. She was surprised, but happy to help. I was able to make an appointment to come back and see her the next. Her insight was invaluable and changed the course of my actions.

ACC prepares us in many ways for higher education. But there is a lot to do when moving from a community college to a four-year university. Do yourself a favor and get as much of the legwork done in advance as you can. Universities have easily accessible resources and they are happy to help. My transfer process has been well-facilitated because I have taken advantage of anyone who wants to help.