Marquis Grant – Staff Writer
As many students prepare for their last semester at Broward College and others look forward to completing a degree here, many of these students also look forward to transferring to a larger university.
Whether graduating soon or still a few years away, many students are not yet aware of some information that can help them transfer to their preferred university.
According to Broward College advisor Tamera Guess, the primary piece of information needed to transfer to a university is your major and whether your transferring university has this major.
Once you complete your associate degree and ensure completion of prerequisites for your major and the university/college you plan to transfer to.
Guess also advises students to “ensure that your GPA is above a 2.0. Visit the website of the university/college that you plan to transfer to and review their admissions information for transfer students.”
Information such as application deadline dates and links to the admission application will be here. Guess reminds students that it is important to request your transcripts from Broward College be sent to the university showing your final enrolled courses and send a second transcript after your degree has been awarded at Broward College with an additional transcript kept for your personal records.
These transcripts cost $5 each and will only be sent upon student’s request from Broward College to send them and can be requested online or in person and sent electronically or via email to the university.
The next cost when transferring is the application fee, which typically range from $25-$80 and are often non-refundable.
Some university programs may require a portfolio or letter of recommendation as additional documents and it is important for students to look on their transferring university’s website and communicate with the university and representatives in order to stay on top of the specific requirements for transferring.
Majors can typically be changed at universities but may be less encouraged for transfer students.
It is also important for students to be aware that admission to a university does not guarantee admission into a specific major or program of study and requirements for applying need to be heeded.
If a student wants to minor in a subject this can typically be done without special application and can be completed at the same time as the major as long as the subject is available at the college.
Teddy Mechchov is currently a junior psychology major at Broward College and is planning to transfer, most likely, to FIU in the next year. His biggest concerns are about uncertainty within their field of study. While interested in psychology, he’s also interested in musical theatre and voice acting.
Mechchov is curious about how semesters will be divided and the styles of different professors. He was initially unsure about much of the transferring process and was glad to learn more information, finding it “really helpful.”
Tariq Baker is another Broward College student who plans on transferring to FIU in fall of 2022. He is a musician who specializes in playing the keyboard but remains undecided on his major and field of study.
While Baker is newer to Broward College and still undecided on his major, he found the information about transferring to be “valuable information” that will help his academic career.
To be further prepared, students should check and heed application deadlines for their preferred transferring universities. Typically, for the fall semester, students need to apply between June and July 1, for spring, between October and November 1, and for summer, between March and April 1.
Late applications are not typically accepted and often mean waiting for the next available semester and risking financial aid. It is important for students to do research and ask questions of their intended transfer university and complete their FAFSA if they rely on financial aid.
Broward College also has a transfer services department whose website students can visit to learn more about transfer services events with various institutions so they can learn about transfer opportunities.
The site can be found here: https://students.broward.edu/academics/transfer-services/.
