By Hope Sandusky/reporter
Students should start now to transfer later, a panel of six university admission counselors advised first- and second-year NW students Sept. 10.
“Plan backward,” said Ryan Dickerson, admissions counselor at Tarleton. “You want to know what classes you need here to transfer for your long-term major and not have taken electives that aren’t needed for your major.”
The other counselors agreed, adding information that pertained to their particular universities.
“Make sure you’re core-complete if you don’t know what your major is. Get the basics out of the way so you can decide what your next step is,” said Selena Alexander, admissions counselor at Texas Woman’s University.
Ricky Alarcon, admissions counselor at Texas Tech, told students to begin the process early and to keep their options open for schools, especially when it comes to scholarships and financial aid.
The next topics discussed centered on the relationship between the associate degree and the bachelor’s degree and the transfer admissions process.
“It’s important to know the difference between the associate degrees,” said Amy Orchid, academic counselor at Texas Wesleyan. “An Associate of Applied Science works if you are going straight into a particular workforce or specific field, but the Associate of Arts focuses on academics and is what transfers best to universities.”
The other admissions counselors discussed the best time to begin the transfer process and told students to develop a relationship with their admissions counselors to ensure they meet all the requirements and can take advantage of financial aid.
“Apply a year in advance, or at least by Thanksgiving to December,” said Julie Flores, admissions counselor at the University of Texas in Arlington. “By getting admitted early, you qualify for scholarships, get a head start on financial aid and can get registered for your classes while you’re still finishing up at TCC.”
Dickerson offered another incentive for early admission.
“The most important reason to apply early is to register for classes as soon as possible because you’re competing with other juniors and seniors for class space,” he said.
Orchid said the Texas Common Course Numbering System can be used to get a general idea of how credits transfer, but the university was the most reliable source to contact.
The panel also discussed the different experiences between TCC and a university.
“I graduated from TCC and transferred to TCU. The expectations of professors are a little less forgiving, and writing skills are important,” said Joael Kelly, admissions counselor at TCU. “No matter what school you go to, though, get involved right away. That helps you get connected to school and helps you feel like you belong,” she said.
The rest of the panel agreed that students should get involved and connected to the school.
“There are so many opportunities,” Alacron said. “It’s up to you to go out and look for them.”
