If you want to transfer colleges, planning is key. There are many questions to consider before you commit and enroll in another academic program, major and degree plan when transferring between colleges. One of the biggest concerns is saving the credits you have completed so far.  The transfer process can be divided into a few stages:

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35% of today's transfer students move from two-year colleges to four-year. The remaining 65% of transfer students move four-year to four-year, four-year to two-year or two-year to two-year. College transfer is not one size fits all. If you are thinking of transferring to another college, your circumstances may fit into some of the most common situations others before you have experienced.

There are many differing circumstances of college transfer. Over 65% of transfer students have current courses on their transcript. The other 35% have courses older than five years. In some cases, because courses evolve as industries innovate, the appreciation and comparability may be time dated. You may find it helpful to compare the common issues and concerns associated with different transfer personas.

You may relate to more than one transfer persona. For example, you may be considering a transition between four year schools while switching majors. Since different colleges and different majors have significant differences in their degree requirements, this is a high risk and often costly change. You may be contemplating transfer from a community college to a four-year school. Community college transfer should follow published transfer agreements with other four-year institutions. Changing careers or going back to school after losing your job may also affect how credits are applied. There are many different reasons why college transfer unfolds, and they need different types of services and information. Explore the types of transfer and tools CollegeTransfer.Net offers in our transfer student center.

Let's address some of the most common questions about changing colleges, switching majors and credit transfer. There are different practices followed across the country, regions and states, sometimes governed by "articulation" agreements and laws. The policies followed can frustrate you, especially if you cross state boundaries or go from one institution to another that does not acknowledge or recognize your institution's academic rigor or quality.

Articulation means how courses count toward degree requirements. Some laws have been passed mandating how courses taken at public two-year institutions must count toward degree requirements at public four-year institutions. These statewide articulation agreements are generally focused on community college to four-year public schools. They oftentimes don't safeguard student courses taken at four-year schools and how they would count toward another four-year school. This is especially true when your major or concentration changes. Consider and reference the state-by-state education resources we have compiled to see if there are overriding academic and enrollment policies that may help you clear hurdles involving getting in, getting credit for prior coursework and getting through the coursework remaining to finish your degree.

There are also thousands of individual transfer articulation agreements that are usually promoted between two schools. They generally focus on a specific area of study and help students who complete two years of study. Transfer agreements are really guidelines that highlight an acknowledgement and partnership between schools that is worth following to avoid the often costly process of credit transfer. Check out our transfer agreement search to find published agreements between institutions.

In general your first step should be to discuss transfer with your advisor, if you have one. If you don't have one, your priority should be to find one.

Once you make your mind up about transfer, your next step should be to consider the characteristics of the institution and the programs of study you are most interested in. You can use many resources to filter out what you don't like or are not excited about. Start with a career assessment. Talk with friends or network to learn and gain firsthand knowledge of what a profession may be like. Assess yourself to discover where you are in your thinking, skill development, personality, values and interests.

Once you have a good self-portrait or inventory of your characteristics, you can assess with some level of diligence potential schools and programs of study that may suit your strengths and weaknesses.  Once you select a few of areas of interest, narrow your school choices down to a handful.  Investigate how prior learning will be counted toward your degree requirements at each institution. There are big differences on how the schools assess your prior learning.  You may have to defend your prior learning and how it relates to the courses required for your potential new area of study.

Your next step will be to complete the transfer application process. Make sure you have knowledge about any and all deadlines. Facilitate getting your official prior academic transcripts forwarded to your target schools for validation and final assessment (official means they must be received by the Admissions Department of your prospective school in an envelope sealed and mailed from your previous or current school).  Visit the school and department offering your major. Meet with an advising center, career center, admissions representative or transfer counselor. Explore the resources and campus. Talk to students currently enrolled and who you know graduated from the school (often the Admissions Department has a mentorship program). This due diligence will help set your expectations and hopefully assimilate information you need with your own judgments and observations, so you can either confirm or negate how you feel about a school.

If you want to continue learning more about the transfer process, consider reading - How does the course transfer credit process work?