The sooner a student declares a major, the sooner you as an advisor can
help the student research transfer institutions. A major of study also
allows the student to expand his/her course options from general
education courses to major specific courses and pre-requisites, if
there are any.
When advising a student who has selected a major but not a transfer
institution, follow these steps:
| Step 1: |
Show
the student the list of options listed on the
Transfer Credit Framework
| Students who
successfully complete
courses from the Transfer Credit Framework can transfer those credits to any
of the participating colleges and universities and have them count
towards graduation.
|
and explain how courses in the framework transfer to
any institution participating in PA TRAC. Schedule the student for
courses that fall into the 6 basic categories.
|
| Step
2: |
If
the student wants to take a major specific course, use the
Transfer Equivalency
| The Search
for
Equivalencies allows you to
search a database of transfer course equivalencies for participating
institutions.
|
list to find out if the course transfers. If the course transfers to
all of the colleges on the student’s list of options, the course is a
good choice. If it does not, then the student should either reconsider
scheduling that course or schedule the course and consider transferring
to an institution that accepts those credits.
|
| Step
3: |
One way to select a transfer institution is based on the greatest
number of transferable credits. This can easily be determined by
creating a
Course Equivalency Map
| Once your
Course
History has been entered or
imported, the Equivalency Map shows how your courses would transfer to
another institution.
|
for all of the colleges where the
student might transfer. Note: A student must have an account and enter
their
Course History
| The Course
History
is a list of all the courses you
have taken, including credit and grade information.
|
in order to create a
Course Equivalency Map.
| Once your
Course History has been entered or imported, the Equivalency Map shows
how your courses would transfer to
another institution.
|
|
| Step
4: |
Another useful tool for narrowing the college search process is the
Transfer
Profile database on PA TRAC. Here students research colleges,
obtain contact information, learn about specific transfer and
admissions policies, and so much more.
|
| Step
5: |
Once a student has collected all of the information, s/he is ready to
make a decision. The next step is recommending that s/he contact the
college Admissions Office and schedule a campus visit. The student
should also find out when s/he needs to apply for admission and become
aware of any admissions deadlines. Some colleges and universities
require students to apply for admission 6-12 months before
transferring. |