alyson oliver
senior editor
Transferring to a new school may seem daunting, but TCC has plenty of resources, faculty and staff members in place to help students through the process, NE transfer center coordinator Brittni Hollis said.
“Hopefully, with the transfer center and with the coordinators, they find that the process isn’t as intimidating as they think it is,” she said.
While there are some exceptions, universities typically only require an application and a transcript to apply as a transfer student. The transfer centers can help students pull together both of those things and figure out which classes are essential for their degree plans so they can weed out any extras.
They also offer Transfer 101 information sessions. It’s best if students attend these during their first semester at TCC, TR transfer center coordinator Laura Escamilla said.
A mistake students make is thinking of transferring as something they can worry about later, she said.
Meeting with a transfer coordinator early on makes transitioning smoother for students and starts them off on a good foot, NW transfer center coordinator Rachelle Alvarez-Montero said.
“Really, it’s best if you meet with us, honestly, the semester you start,” she said.
Some students wait until their final semester to begin the transfer process, Escamilla said. Starting early means they can be prepared and make sure they don’t miss out on scholarship opportunities.
“Getting the information early is going to alleviate most problems,” she said.
The transfer centers work closely with university representatives and can connect students with the four-year schools they wish to attend.
“We have that contact information,” Alvarez-Montero said. “We can break down those barriers for you all.”
Escamilla said students should make sure to consider multiple options when choosing a school to transfer to, even if they already have their minds set on one.
“It just reaffirms that they’re making the best decision in the first place,” she said.
Students might face some challenges after transferring. At a four-year institution, they may find larger classes and stricter professors, which can be overwhelming, Escamilla said.
Meeting other people facing the same challenges and taking advantage of the university’s resources can help alleviate this, she said. For instance, TCC has a writing center, a library and a math lab available to students, similar to services offered at many universities.
Hollis said while cost and size are major factors that can differ between two-year and four-year schools, there are still quite a few similarities. Two-year schools act as preparation, but the students who attend them are still ready for university and on a level playing field with those who start at a four-year institution.
“Being at TCC, although a community college, we are still an institution,” she said. “We are still a college.”
All transfer center coordinators’ emails and phone numbers are available on the transfer center page on TCC’s website. Additionally, they have a district Blackboard page that will be transferred over to Canvas in the fall.
“We just wanna make sure that the student doesn’t feel like they’re trying to figure it all out by themselves,” Hollis said.
