Fall 2009 Transfer Advising Days Posted!

The Fall 2009 Transfer Advising Days have been scheduled at the MD community colleges.  To see when I will be at your school please click on the Transfer Advising Day page located at the top of the blog.  You can also click here for a direct link.

Hope to see you in the Fall!

Navigating the admissions process Step 3: The Visit

If you have not already read Steps 1 and Steps 2 please do so if you like before reading this post.

Orientation Course Selection day is quickly approaching and each year as we prepare we review the students feedback surveys as a way to gain insight on how we can make the programs better and meet the needs of transfer students.  More and more I see students indicating that the first time they stepped foot on campus was for their orientation program.  At this point they are registering for courses and really getting to know the University.  My feeling is that students should be using this time to get to know their peers, faculty, and what it means to be a UMBC student-not exploring the campus for the first time.

The college visit is very important because it really allows you to get to know the university before deciding on attending.  It allows you to find out if it’s the right fit and to see what opportunities await you.  Visiting a college and/or universities isn’t just for the high school junior or senior.  Transfer students also need to explore their options, see what makes a school unique, ask questions, talk with students etc.

So when is a good time to visit you ask?  The first step is checking the colleges or universities websites.  Many offer a special web page dedicated to visiting the campus.  What do they have to offer for transfer students?  Is there an open house?  A visit day for transfers?  or can transfers participate in general visits to the campus?  Our transfer website advertises both our visit programs and transfer workshops.  It’s never too early to start so don’t wait until your last semester to visit!  Start as early as your first year at the community college so you can make a better decision when it comes time to apply and enroll.

Visiting one or more campuses will allow you to familiarize yourself with the school and learn more about the students, faculty, and institution.  Most importantly it will allow you learn more about the university and their admissions process for transfer students-making the transition easier.

To view the transfer visit opportunities at UMBC click here.

Applications and Transcripts and Orientation, Oh my!

While our final deadline for transfer applications was May 31st,  I have received many phone calls asking if we will still accept new applications, transcripts, etc. after the deadline.   The answer is YES!

We are still  accepting new applications on a space available basis for the Fall 2009 semester.  Please submit a completed application along with your official transcripts.  For application requirements and to apply on-line click here.

If you have already applied but are still working on completing your application, please continue to do so.  As soon as your application becomes complete we will be able to make a decision and notify you very quickly after.  Check your application status on-line via your UMBC account to see what may still be missing.

If you have been admitted-Congratulations!  The next step for you is to make sure you have upgraded your MyUMBC account.  From there, you will be able to indicate your enrollment intent and register for a summer orientation program.  You will also need to print the enrollment form to send in with your $100 deposit to save your place for the Fall semester.  Transfer Credit Reports will also be available on your MyUMBC account and you should receive this before your orientation program.

As always if you have any specific questions, feel free to give us a call or e-mail admissions@umbc.edu.

Congrats Graduates!

I know it’s been a while since I last posted…I am officially a blog slacker!

I just want to take this time to congratulate all of the graduates this Spring.  You did it!   Tomorrow is the undergraduate commencement which I will be working and it’s always so nice to hear about the wonderful things our students are planning to pursue after earning their degree.  Many choose to continue their studies in graduate school and many are starting jobs and careers.  It’s so nice to think that here in the admissions office, we had a hand in helping these students get to where they are today-of course it’s a very small hand.

I am looking forward to moving into summer mode here in the admissions office and I am excited to see many of you at orientation where you will start another chapter of your education at UMBC.  This is the day we officially welcome you into the UMBC community and you begin your journey towards graduation.

Stay tuned for:   Fall 2009 transfer day and visit schedule

The 3rd installment of Navigating the Transfer Process

More information about financial aid and scholarships!

Lastly there is still time to apply for the Fall 2009 semester.  Deadline is May 31st!!

Deadline Approaching

For those of you still looking to apply for the Fall semester of 2009 as a transfer student there is still time.  The application deadline is May 31st.

Here is a link to our on-line application

Don’t forget to follow up with your official transcripts!

Once your application is complete you should hear from us within 2 weeks.

Updates and catch up…

I know it’s been a while since my last post.  Things have been very busy and I have been happy to see many of you while I have been out and about.  Last week I had a minor set back and was out sick all week but I am back in full force (almost at least)!

This week I have been able to play some catch up and finally post the second installment of Navigating the Transfer Process and will begin working on the 3rd (name TBD).

I will also be visiting Montgomery College-Germantown this Thursday, April 9th.  I will be in the cafeteria from 10am-1pm.  Hope to see some of you out there!

I am very excited for our Transfer Open House that is coming up on the evening of April 29th!  For those of you who still have not registered please do so here.   This is the first year we have held this event in the afternoon/evening and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes!

Calling all applicants!  There is still time to apply for the Fall 2009 semester if you haven’t yet done so.  Click here for the on-line application.

I hope everyone is having a great spring semester!!

Navigating the admissions process Step 2: Knowing and Using your resources

*If you have not read Step 1 of Navigating the Admissions Process please do so before reading Step 2.*

Ok so you have done your research and have either narrowed down your choices or you have chosen the school you will want to attend.  What now?

Your next step is to know what resources are available and how to use them to maximize your transfer potential.  The first resource that I will mention is the Transfer Advisers or Coordinators at your school.  If you are at another 4 year you may not find these but at 2 year schools they are ready and willing to help you so please use them!  If you are attending a MD 2 year institution you can find the contact information for your transfer coordinator by clicking on the link to your school via the tab on the left on our transfer website.   The Transfer Adviser or Coordinator will be able to work with you in regards to providing you more information about your college(s) and university(s) of interest or be able to provide you contact information for people at the school who can help you out (like me!).  They will also help you choose courses that would make for the smoothest transition based on what you would like to major in or what your interested are.

ArtSYS is another great resource or tool that you can use when navigating the transfer process.  This is for anyone transferring from a MD 2 year institution.  Here, you can find out which courses that you have already taken will transfer to a MD 4 year as well as get a recommended transfer program if you are interested in a particular major.  For those not transferring from a MD 2 year-either an out of state 2 year or another 4 year institution a great tool to use to get a better idea of what transfers is to look at the course catalog.  By comparing the courses at your current school with those in our catalog can give you a better understanding of how we will bring in your credits and what courses you should plan on taking.

College websites are yet another great resource.  Many schools have their own transfer website, like ours, that offer information regarding admissions, scholarships and financial aid, articulation agreements, and much more!

Finally, find out who the Transfer Coordinator or counselor is at the institution you are looking to transfer too.  They can offer insight into some of the programs available, the application and admissions process, and also recommend courses or programs that are best to make the transfer process as seem-less as possible.

If you know and use the resources available to you, the possibilities are endless and you will find that the transfer process will go much smoother and be less ’scary’ then trying to figure it all out on your own!

Here are some additional resources that may help in the transfer process:MHEC (MD Higher Education Commission)

MD Transfer Portal

Navigating the transfer process: Step 1-What do you want out of college?

Well I was supposed to be on my way to CSM-Prince Frederick but because they received 10 inches (!) of snow the opening was delayed so the Transfer Day was canceled.  Hopefully CSM-LaPlata will be opening on time and I will be there as scheduled tomorrow from 10am-1pm.

Instead, I have decided to write about navigating the transfer process.  I have blog about this before, but I think it can always be reiterated and not everyone reads the back blogs!

Transferring, at times, can be a tricky and stressful process for anyone and no matter where you plan on going. There are a few things to think about as you make your way through this transition period in your college career.  This will be a series of blogs to eliminate one very large post!  I will first talk about the first step you need take in the transfer process-basically asking yourself what you want out of the experience?

Often you have just gotten settled into life after high school and immediately everyone is asking you where are you going next? what are your plans?  what do you want to do with your AA degree-are you going to get an AA a BA..MA Phd. etc!?  The truth is it’s never to early to start thinking about those questions-as annoying as it can be coming from parents, teachers, older siblings etc.  I know from experience since my younger sister is currently a freshman at CCBC and often gets frustrated when we are constantly asking her those same questions.  This doesn’t mean that you need to know exactly what you want to do with your life!  Does anyone really know this-ok there are a few out there and that’s GREAT!-but even I am not sure exactly what my 5 year plan is going to look like!  Instead of panicking and working yourself into a frenzy just try to think about this as a fun process and know that there are people out there to help you during your transition (find out who these people are  in Step 2: Use your resources!)

First things first: remember what you did in high school when preparing for college?  Try revisiting this again.  Think about what you want and ask yourself: What do I want to get out of the college experience? Do I want to stay close to home or go away?  How far away is two far?  Is there a particular major or area of study I am drawn to? (if you know great!)  Am I looking for a large school or a small school?  Urban or Rural?  Once you have answered these questions you are already closer to finding your perfect transfer institution!  So even if you have decided to stay close to home (within 1 hour) there may still be a good amount of institutions in that area (especially if you are in the Baltimore/DC area!) narrow down by asking your self the more specific questions such as size, campus facilities, what programs they offer and pretty soon you will have a handful of colleges and universities that fit the bill.

Before you start applying the best thing for you to do is to start doing your homework and I don’t mean that English paper that you have been putting off (although when you are done reading this get on it!).  But find out all you can about each school-I recommend having at least 3.  Compare each school-do they have what you are looking for.  What is there to get involved in?  Do they have any open houses you can attend or other visit opportunities?

Once you ask yourself these questions and begin doing your research you are well on your way to making the transfer process as smooth as possible.  Stay tuned for the next installment coming soon: Using your resources.

Priority Deadline Reminder

Just a reminder to all of you in need of scholarships, need based aid, housing, and just want to find out your admission decision early the Fall 2009 priority deadline is approaching.  Please do your best to have your application complete by March 15th.   It’s 2 weeks away and will be here before you know it.  If you need to apply on-line here is the link to get your started.  Don’t forget that we will also need official copies of your college transcripts from each college attended.  Also if you currently have less than 30 earned credits then high school transcripts are needed as well.

As many of you are aware UMBC does have a language requirement.  For those of you who have 30 or more earned credits and took 4 or more years of one language during high school, you will want to submit your hs transcripts as well since that will allow you to have completed the language proficiency requirement.

I have met many of you out on the road the past few weeks and for those of you who I still have not gotten to yet (see Transfer Advising Day schedule linked above) I will hopefully be seeing you out there soon.   Feel free to stop by and learn more about UMBC and to get all of your questions answered!

And it begins…

Hi everyone!  Tomorrow begins the kick off of the Transfer Advising Days at each MD community College (click on page in heading for full schedule).  Tomorrow I will be at Cecil College so come and see me if if you have any questions, want to submit an application, or just want to say hi!  Other schools on the agenda for this week are Harford Community College and CCBC-Dundalk.

This is my favorite part about my job because I get to meet you, the students, and I get to be out of the office for a little while.  It’s always fun to see what’s happening at the community colleges as well as it will give me the best in sight to what we need to be doing for transfer students.  Please take the opportunity to attend the transfer fair at your school-you will feel more prepared and will be ready when it comes your time to transfer.  Even if you are just in your first or second semester-it’s never to early to start thinking about the bigger picture!

See you on the road!