1. majors available
2. school atmosphere
3. commutability/housing considerations
4. cost and financial aid

The choice can be much simpler if you've had an intensive visit to the school.  Oddly enough, many students apply without making the critical campus visit.  If this applies to you, GET THERE, and not just on a weekend to hang out with friends.  Go on a Transfer Student Tour (if available) and arrange to sit in on a class.  Talk to advisers in the major(s) that interest you.  You're going to be spending a lot of money and time at your transfer school - be certain that you really know as much as possible about it before you go.

Sometimes the choice boils down to going to the school with the best financial aid offer.  A student from MC was torn between going to the Smith School of Business on a full-tuition scholarship and going to Georgetown University on a scholarship plus work-study.  On the surface, it looked like Smith's offer was best, but after a discussion with an MC Financial Aid counselor, the student was able to see that the actual out-of-pocket cost would be less going to Georgetown.  Financial aid offers look complicated - have an expert help you interpret them.

The good news is that you won't need to send out a large batch of final transcripts - only one, sent to the school that you've decided to go to.  Even though you sent an official transcript with your application, the transfer school still needs to see what your final grades were in your most recent classes.  You can either put in a request now and mark the request "Hold until final grades are in from ________ (Semester)" or wait until you see all your grades in on MyMC and then make the request.  

To Request a Montgomery College Transcript

• There's a $5.00 charge per MC transcript sent.  Here's a link with directions on how to request each transcript:
  
  www.montgomerycollege.edu/admissions/transcripts.html

If you've gotten financial aid from Montgomery College, you'll need to arrange to have your file from MC sent to your new school.  Ask about this in the MC Financial Aid Office

Most schools have a very specific process to help new students register for classes.  Usually it's an Orientation Session.  The key to a good schedule is to register for the first available orientation or registration session - don't put this off.  Once you hear that you've been admitted, be aggressive about finding out how to register for classes.  Remember any lessons you learned at MC about registering at the last minute - the same thing can happen at your transfer destination.  

It's common for students to go through an adjustment period after they transfer on to a college or university.  Here's some advice on how to make the transition a smooth one:

1. College View
2. I Transfer
3. Mayland CC

..Go back to Transfer Planning - Step by Step

 Content Manager: Anne.Schleicher@Montgomerycollege.edu