Deciding When to Transfer

If your goal is to transfer to a four-year college or university, it’s never too early to start planning. Here are some suggestions to get ready for transfer:

Transfer after Two Years at MC

This is often the best way to assure a smooth transfer to four-year schools. Students should complete an Associate’s degree (60 credits). The cost savings of finishing the first two years at a community college is considerable, and the majority of transfer scholarships are granted to students who have completed a degree. An Associate’s degree helps assure you admission to most Maryland schools; however, you still need to line up your courses to fit specific majors. See any counselor or departmental advisor for assistance in choosing courses and planning for transfer. Consider General Studies as the most flexible transfer degree; or, if you have a specific major in mind, such as Engineering or Business, discuss your degree options with a departmental advisor.

WHEN TO APPLY: See the Deadlines section below; you should start your application months before the actual final deadline which is usually Oct. 1 to be admitted for Spring and from Feb. 15 to March 1 for Fall admission to most schools.

Transfer after One Year at MC

Students with this goal need to earn 30 credits, or roughly two- to three-semester’s worth of credit courses. Most schools want to see completion of 12 credits (four courses) completed after high school graduation and an overall grade point average of a 3.0 or higher by the end of the Fall to be considered a true “transfer” student.

WHEN TO APPLY: If you were admissible as a high school senior (that is, if your grade point average [GPA] and SAT scores met the school's freshman admission requirements), you can apply from October 2011 onward for a Fall 2012 transfer admission. Watch each school's Transfer Admissions webpage to find out when the transfer application becomes available. If your high school grades & SAT’s did not match the freshman admissions profile, then most schools will want to see two semester's worth of grades completed at Montgomery College (grades from Fall 2011 & Spring 2012) to admit you. You'll still need to submit your high school record and SAT's, but your grades from Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 will be THE most important factor. You will need to send a second copy of your transcript at the end of Spring 2012 before they can make a final decision to admit you. UMCP specifically will not consider you as a transfer
student until you complete 30 credits including EN 102 and MA 110 or higher.

Transfer after One Semester at MC

Most students with this goal have been admitted to another school during their high school senior year, receiving a “Spring Admission” to the Freshman Class. Spring Admits to Univ. of Maryland, College Park should stay in close touch with UMCP this Fall if on-campus housing is desired. UMCP guarantees admission to Spring Admits regardless of how many credits are taken at MC. Schools like UMBC and Salisbury will make a decision on Spring admission after you complete the recommended number of credits at MC this Fall. For UMBC, 14 credits are required; for Salisbury, it’s 12 credits; note that DS courses do not count in the 12 or 14 credits at those schools. In all cases, be sure to request that a final copy of your transcript be sent to your destination school at the end of December.