Not sure you're ready for a bachelor's degree? Attending community college and earning an associate's degree is a great way to save money on school or to make sure you're ready to take the plunge to a four-year degree program. Here are some important tips for future transfer students to keep in mind while choosing a community college and registering for classes from Dean of Admissions Andrew Flagel at George Mason University:
Seek out associate's-degree programs that are designed for transfer to four-year colleges.
Remember that your academic performance matters at any institution. If you plan to transfer, your essays, GPA and letters of recommendation will be important in gaining admission to a bachelor's program.
While your community college may grant course credit for standardized tests like AP exams, your transfew school might not, so make sure that you won't have to re-take any required courses you tested out of while getting your associate's degree.
Network with other students after you've transferred. It's a great way to meet people and develop important social networks that will help you in school and after.
Keep in mind that institutions like to see improvement when evaluating applications, and demonstrated improvement may even matter more than GPA when applying to get a bachelor's degree.
Want more information? Check out the full interview from the Chronicle of Higher Education.