HOW-TO GURU: Apply to colleges

Transfer credits, application fees and deadlines are on a lot of Palomar College students’ minds at the moment. After spending at least two years at Palomar, the transition to a four-year university can be a confusing one. Although I can’t fill out your application for you, here are a few helpful tips to make the process run a little smoother.

First things first, you have the university that you want to apply to picked out right? If not then you have a tad more work to do. Once you picked your dream school, it is time to start applying..

The Fine Print

Check the university website. Generally all of the required forms are listed under the transfer website. Make sure that you are aware of all the deadlines and submission dates. As found on ehow.com, make sure that you have all the proper paperwork filled out and submitted, preferably a while before the deadline. Not only will the paperwork include some sort of general application but you may be required to submit an essay as well. If an essay is required, be sure to start the essay well enough in advance so you are able to complete it with enough time to double check for errors.

Credit for Credits

There is no way to transfer without those lovely little things called credits.  On csumentor.edu one of their main points on transferring is to closely check that all of the credits you have earned are in fact transferable. This means looking at your course catalogue for Palomar and see if they match up with the transfer requirements for your dream school. The worst thing that could happen would be if you worked hard all those semesters and found out those last few needed credits weren’t compatible with your future school.

Got Backup?

When applying to transfer to another university, you should have had enough time to figure out which school you really want to attend. While you should aim for getting into that dream school, with requirements being so tough, it is best to have a backup.

In a study found on howtogetin.com, the site shows that Harvard turns down 93 percent of its applicants. Although Harvard may not be the school for you, there are over 6,000 colleges in the United States, so be sure to pick more than one.