As a transfer student myself, I know the process can be hectic and at times overwhelming. I transferred from Portland Community College to the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science a little over a year ago and can remember being a bit more stressed than I would have liked to be. However, to quote Destiny’s Child, I’m a survivor and you can be too!
Establish a Time Frame
Transferring is a process and it takes time to process paperwork. According to my advisor, it can take a few months to process an application at a large university. I started this process about two terms before I wanted to begin taking classes at Portland State. Advisors recommend that students applying for a fall term of admission apply by the December 1 priority deadline.
Communicating with Advisors
I started a conversation with my advisor at PCC Sylvania about my desire to transfer. We went through my transcript and verified that I met the minimum transfer requirements. Next, I set up an appointment with an advisor at Maseeh College. Maseeh College advisors are always willing to meet with prospective students. Bring your unofficial transcript. It helps to look over your completed coursework so that you can determine which courses you may wish to take prior to transferring into Portland State. There are Maseeh College Transfer Guides on the website that show the transfer classes accepted from local colleges for all Maseeh College majors. Be sure to follow these!
After having conversations with an advisor from both institutions I was ready to start my transfer application for PSU.
The Admissions Process
In addition to completing the admission application you will need to submit supporting documents. From conversations with your advisors you should know which admissions path you are taking and identify which documents you will need.
Make sure you put requests in for these documents early. There is no point in stressing yourself unduly due to a self-inflicted time crunch.
Now that you have submitted your application and will potentially be waiting a few months for a response, is there anything else you can do? Why yes there is!
The Waiting Game
A few months can be a long time to wait, but there is plenty you can do to help yourself down the road. One thing I wish someone had suggested to me is to search and apply for scholarships.
I’m a Computer Science major, so I also spent some time browsing the department website to find out more about the opportunities that would be available to me. I learned about groups like IEEE, The CAT, and SWE - each of which I’m now actively involved in.
You’ve Been Accepted!
Congratulations! Now what? Take a look at the Undergraduate To Do List for next steps. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with your advisors.