Transfer Tips
- Plan ahead. The earlier you begin to prepare for transfer, the better. Visit UTEP, collect transfer materials, and find out if there are any transfer agreements between where you are and UTEP. The more information that you have, the easier your transition will be.
- Know what actually transfers. Make sure you are picking courses that are transferable to UTEP. There are websites, tools, and advisers at UTEP in admissions and at the College of Liberal Arts Student Success Center to help you choose wisely. Note: Many states have "articulation agreements"—negotiated documents that make clear what's needed to transfer from one higher education institution to another. The benefit to you as a student is that the agreement takes the guesswork out of the process by telling you, in black and white, what classes you need to take and what grades you need to make to avoid losing hard-earned credits when you transfer. Many states have websites with detailed information about articulation agreements and the process of transferring. Here is the Texas website: Texas: www.tccns.org/default.asp
- Don't be shy. Meet regularly with advisers at UTEP both at the college level and departmental level. Keep your adviser informed of your transfer plans, and as transfer approaches, set a time to meet with an adviser at UTEP. If you try to navigate this process without the help of advisers, you might not be able to maximize your community college courses.
- Choose a major. Pick your major early, and seek advice about the best courses to take to meet requirements. By choosing your major early, you can take the prerequisites that you need for that program at the university. Well-planned course taking will help you finish your transfer program more efficiently, saving you time and money in the long run.
- Get admitted. Make sure that you apply to both the institution as well as the program that you want to attend at that institution. If you get admitted to the university, it often does not mean that you are admitted to the specific program that you want to study, like teaching. Make sure you complete those application materials, too. The deadlines for the university admissions materials and the program admissions materials might be different. Do your research!
- Make them show you the money. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you have not done so already. Call the university scholarship office to see if it has scholarships set aside for transfer students—many institutions do. Make sure that you meet all of the deadlines for financial aid. Otherwise, you might miss out on assistance that is available to you.
- Attend orientation. You might think that you do not need this because you already are a college student. But navigating the university is different. Take advantage of the opportunities that the universities have created for transfer students. These orientations will help ease the transfer process.
- Stay focused. This one is easy to forget. This is your bachelor's degree we're talking about and finishing on time is not easy. But it can be done if you are focused and work hard. Keep your goal in mind even in a class you find very difficult or don’t like very much. It will all pay off.