The Journey
A newsletter for chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.

Transferring, but Not Sure WHERE?
By Marilyn Lunde

According to your counselor you are ready to transfer, a fact you were really aware of a year ago, but like so many students you procrastinated about completing the application forms. Application deadlines have passed and you are about to PANIC. Don't give up yet! With extra work (all Phi Theta Kappans know about extra credit) and some persistence, you just may be on your way to a four-year university. Remember you are on a short timeline, so you have to start now. Here are some hints:

• Not all application deadlines have passed. In fact, some schools accept applicants in the summer. Research the Web and your library to find out who they are.
  
  
• Dig out your bio and bring it up-to-date. This piece of paper must convince the admissions counselors you are special and an exception can be made.
  
  
• Accept the fact you may have to travel to a school out of your area and maybe even out of state.
  
  
• Talk to an admissions counselor and plead your case. Procrastination is not an excuse, but if you can show good intentions, a good GPA, membership in Phi Theta Kappa, and the willingness to go that extra mile, the counselor may work with you.
  
  
• Be persistent, but polite about tracking your application. Most universities allow you to do this online so that you can discover any snags immediately.
  
  
• Sign up for a class during a summer session. In many schools this gets your foot in the door and you become a returning student as of the fall semester.
  
  
• If you have just procrastinated too long, you may have to stay one more semester at your two-year school and take transferable units. This is not a bad choice, but get that application in immediately so you can transfer in the spring.
  
  
• The one thing which is almost impossible to get around is the deadline date for Federal financial aid. If this is a priority in your life, check the deadline dates and work with these deadlines. Individual universities have more flexibility with their financial aid packages.

Marilyn Lunde, a Phi Theta Kappa advisor, assists many transfer students in the Office of Student Affairs at Palomar College in San Marcos, California.

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This page last modified -- Friday, 14-Nov-2003 11:00:23 CST (pbd)