College Transfer Project
Review date September, 2004
Chaffey | CoopEd | Handbook | End-of-Term
The purpose of this project is to help you select a college to transfer to that will meet your educational and financial needs. There are many colleges at which you would be happy and do well. Spend your time, money, and energy in applying carefully to the colleges that excite you and at which you have a reasonable chance of being accepted.
| Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 | Module 4 | Module 5 |
Planning your admissions strategy
While many institutions may interest you at first, you will want to limit your working choices, to a manageable number. Your ultimate goal is to hone the list further to determine the group of institutions to which you will apply (usually three to six). You will need to identify the characteristics that interest you in the colleges and understand the competitiveness of their admission requirements. Conduct a careful college search and develop a sound application strategy.
Decide what you want in a college
To determine which colleges have the characteristics you desire, you will have to think first about the factors that will influence your college experience. Some may be factors that are important for all college-bound students, but others may be unique to you and your circumstances. Whatever your situation, don’t begin your college search in a whirlwind. Take time to sit back and carefully assess your needs and expectations.
Project Goals
o To identify and describe those needs, characteristics and expectations you desire in a college.
o To identify resources available at the college you are currently attending that could assist you in identifying and selecting colleges that best meet your expectations.
o To identify and select colleges that best meet your needs and whose criteria for admission you satisfy.
o To identify the financial costs, as well as the financial aid and resources available, at each college.
o To provide an on-campus visit and opportunity to meet with counselor, or professor, in a department related to your major, at each college selected. To gather specific information and answer any additional questions or concerns.
o To carefully examine the information gathered, analyze your choices in terms of personal needs and expectations, and develop a plan of action with goals and deadlines.
Module 1: College Needs Assessment
Goal: Identify and describe those needs, characteristics and expectations you desire in a college.
Criteria:
College Needs Assessment Worksheet
The following exercise will help you identify characteristics you are looking for in a college. You may write your answers under the questions.
Location:
·
Do you want to stay near your home or travel
several times a year?
·
Do you prefer the fast-paced life of a
metropolitan campus or the easygoing serenity of a small college town?
·
Do you have a desire to be near mountains for
skiing or oceans for swimming?
· What kind of climate do you prefer?
Size:
·
Do you think you would like the primarily
residential character of smaller colleges?
·
Do you want to be surrounded by thousands of
busy people, or would you prefer a quieter pace and the likelihood of knowing
most other students?
· It is important to you to be in small classes? To personally know your professors?
·
Are the facilities associated with large
university appealing to you?
Student Body:
·
Is a single-sex school or coed school more to
your liking?
·
Are you looking for a student body drawn from
across the nation or from a smaller geographic area?
· Are you concerned about whether the student body is politically oriented (liberal or conservative) or religious in character?
Programs:
·
Are there specific clubs, organizations or
programs that you desire in the college you will attend? If so, list them.
·
Does the major or minor you have selected to
study endorse specific colleges?
·
Does your personal situation make it necessary
for the college you attend to provide special programs (child day care center,
women’s center, re-entry center, etc.)?
·
It is important to you to attend a college that
offers accelerated programs?
· Do you desire to attend a college that offers a quality internship program or work-study employment program?
Module 2: College Investigation
Goal: To identify resources available at the college you are currently attending that could assist you in identifying and selecting colleges that best meet your expectations.
Criteria:
A. Meet
with a counselor in the transfer center on the campus you are currently
attending
B. Identify
the services offered at the transfer center that would assist you in gathering
pertinent information on colleges you may be interested in attending.
C. Complete
the
Student name_____________________ Telephone______________ Fax_____________
Name of
Telephone_______________________ Date and time of interview__________________
1. Do
you have a schedule indicating when four-year college representatives meet with
students on this campus?
2. Does
the transfer center offer workshops concerning application procedures, transfer
majors, transitioning from community college to four-year institutions, financial
aid at four-year colleges, programs for students with special needs? List the
dates, time, and location of any workshops available that would be beneficial
for you to attend.
3. Are
group visitations to four-year colleges provided by the transfer center? If so,
list dates and times of the colleges you would be interested in visiting.
4. What
kind of literature is available for the student to use: catalogs, directories,
and books on four-year colleges?
5. Are
computer systems (SIGI PLUS,
6. Does the transfer center offer career related services: career counseling, workshops on resume writing, career research, interviewing, job search, college majors and careers? If so, list at least three (3) services that would be beneficial to you. If not, briefly explain where these services could be found on the campus you are currently attending.
Please write a one-page report answering these questions. The report must be typed double-spaced.
Module 3: College Comparison
Goal: To identify and select colleges that best meet your needs and whose criteria for admission you satisfy.
Criteria:
A. Review the following web sites:
1. Peterson’s
Guide to Colleges and Universities: http://www.peterson.com
2. Yahoo! – College and University search:
http://www.yahoo.com/education/higher_education/colleges_and_universities
B. Identify
at least three (3) colleges you are interested in attending and where you have
a reasonable expectation of being admitted.
C. Review
the college catalogs from these colleges and complete a College Comparison
Worksheet for each college.
D. Search
the internet for home pages on the colleges selected.
E. Compare and analyze, in writing, the internet home page for each college site found. Consider the effectiveness of each site using the following criteria:
1. Was the site easy to find and user-friendly (easy to navigate)?
2. Did the site offer the information you were looking for?
3. How detailed was the information offered?
4. Was a virtual tour offered?
5. Did the use of this site influence your college selection in any way?
College Comparison Worksheet
Please duplicate this
form so you may use it for each college you are reviewing.
Admissions Requirements:
· Special items to be submitted with application
· Percent of applications accepted
· Test Required
· Average GPA or class rank of applicants
· Special admissions plans-rolling, early decision, advanced placement
Academic Life:
· Academic or career oriented
· Majors of interest; Specialized Disciplines
· Special programs-study abroad, internships, unusual degree programs
· Individual or dual majors
· Grading system
· Academic calendar
· Student-faculty ratio/average class size
· Degree requirements
· Faculty advisement programs
· Graduate schools or programs relevant to your area of interest
Student Body:
· Total enrollment
· Undergraduate enrollment
· Male-female ratio
· Ethnic/religious enrollment
· Percent of commuters vs. campus residents
· Percent of matriculated students who graduate
· Percent who go on to graduate study
· College Comparison Worksheet
Campus Life:
· Distance from your home
· Nearest major city
· College setting
· Facilities of interest to you
· Athletics
· Extracurricular groups
· On/off campus housing; board plan available
· Child-care center available on or close to campus; hours of operation; admission requirement; costs
· Regulations worth noting
Costs/Financial Aid:
· Application fee
· Enrollment deposit
· Deadlines
· Tuition
· Room and board
· Traveling costs
· Off-campus living, dorms, etc.
· Forms required for financial aid
· Typical aid package
· Sample of on-campus jobs
· Work-study programs available
· College’s estimated total budget
· Percent of students receiving aid
Module 4: Financial Needs Assessment
Goal: To identify the financial costs, as well as the financial aid and resources available, at each college.
Criteria:
A. Review
the living expenses and tuition costs required to attend each college selected.
B. Review the following Web Sites:
1. FinAid! – The SmartStudent guide to Financial Aid: http://www.finaid.org
2.
3. Educaid: http://www.educaid.com
4. Petersons.com: http://www.petersons.com
C. Using
the information provided in the above web sites, complete a student budget for
each college selected.
D. Investigate
financial aid resources available at each college under consideration.
E. Meet
with a financial aid counselor, or attend a financial aid workshop, to discuss
possible funding sources (grants, scholarships, loans, etc.). Complete an
outline of Financial Aid Resources you may want to utilize in the future.
F. Complete the application form/s for any and all financial aid to which you plan to apply.
Module 5: College Campus Site Visit
Goal: To provide an on-campus visit and opportunity to meet with a counselor, or professor, in a department related to your major, at each college selected and to gather specific information and answer any additional questions or concerns. (If a personal visit is not possible due to distance, a phone interview may be substituted.)
Criteria:
·
College Board: http://www.collegeboard.org/features/campus/html/framcamp.html
Counselor/Professor Interview Worksheet
Please duplicate this
form so you may use it for each college you are reviewing.
Name of the college: ______________________________________________________
Date of Visit/On Campus Appointment: _______________________________________
Name of Counselor/Professor interviewed: _____________________________________
Phone Number: __________________________________________________________
Questions to ask:
1. What
are your admission requirements for transfer students? (You may attach
information such as major sheets, certification sheets, etc.)
2. What
is the admissions priority of transfer students from community colleges?
3. How
do my credits transfer? Quarter units? Semester units?
4. Where,
when, and how can I get an application for admission?
5. When
do I have to submit transcripts, test scores, and other admissions materials?
6. Do
you have a special admission program for students from ethnic minority and
other under represented groups? (Ask only if applicable to you.) If so, how can
I qualify?
7. When
will I be notified, if I have been admitted?
8. Is
my major impacted? If I’m not accepted in my major, what are my options? Can I
change to another major? Can my application be sent to another campus?
9. How
can I arrange to take a tour of the campus, including sitting in on some
classes?
10. What are
the projected increases in tuition and room and board for the next few years?
11. Self-designed question.
12. Self-designed question.
Write a one – two
page report on your interview with the counselor answering the above questions.
It must be typed doubled-spaced.
College Visit Summary Sheet
Duplicate this form
so you may use the questions for each school you visit.
It is important to keep notes on your college visits and your reactions to your overall impressions of the academic as well as social life of the campus visited. Complete this worksheet as soon as possible, during or after visiting a college campus to ensure the accuracy of your conclusions.
Name of College: _________________________________________________________
Date of Visit: ____________________________________________________________
Reactions to Academic Offerings:
What special programs are offered?
How serious do the students seem about academics?
What Honors and/or Advanced Placement credits are available?
How successful are the students in gaining admissions to graduate schools?
How varied is the curriculum?
How strict or flexible are curriculum requirements?
How available are faculty to the students for consultation?
Reactions to Student Body:
List your impressions of the student body in terms of appearance, style, degree of interest and enthusiasm, and diversity of social, religious, and ethnic background.
Note your reactions to the campus population:
·
Do the students and faculty interact well?
· Do the people seem generally happy or miserable?
Reactions to Campus Facilities and Social Life:
How complete and modern are the facilities, such as dorms (number of people to a room, furnishings, plumbing, etc.), the dinning room (meal plan), student center, and cultural and athletic facilities?
How complete and modern is the Library?
· Note the selection of reference materials and assistance from the Library personnel.
· Are the facilities modern and technologically sufficient?
· Is the atmosphere conductive to study and research?
· Are there sufficient study group rooms available for student use?
How active is the social life?
Do fraternities, sororities, or some other group dominate the social scene?
What rules and regulations govern social life?
Overall Impressions:
How did you truly feel about this campus? What did you like most? Least?
What seemed different or special?
Did you feel you would be happy attending this campus? Explain.
Rating this college campus:
On a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being the highest), rate the college on the following factors:
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