Montgomery College Transfer Information

Transfer Planning Step 5: Research admissions requirements

Admission requirements are often different for transfer students - and this is a good thing.  Transfer application deadlines and minimum GPA expectations are different from those for high school seniors.

Definition of a Transfer Student Advantages of Completing an AA Degree Maryland Higher Education Commission's Student Guide to Transfer (MHEC)

Considerations for Highly Competitive Schools Calculating your GPA College Test Information (SAT, TOEFL, etc.) MC's CEEB Code and Financial Aid Code

• Who IS a Transfer Student?  Most colleges consider genuine transfer students to be those who have earned 30 or more transferable credits on their records.  When you have those thirty credits showing, most schools will decide to admit you based solely on your college record - they will usually not ask for high school transcripts or SAT scores.
  
  Here are two sample schools:   

• University of Maryland, College Park wants to see the following things from transfer students: 

· a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA)

· at least 30 credits earned

· completion of college-level English and math (EN 102 or EN 109, MA 110 or higher)

· The new Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP) guarantees admission to students with these qualifications.

• Salisbury University
• 24 transferable credits completed
• a cumulative GPA of 2.5
• a cumulative GPA of 2.5

• What if you don't have 30 credits finished, but you want to transfer after one year at Montgomery College?  Colleges will ask for all of your information - high school record, SAT scores, and a college transcript to see how you've been doing as a college student.  If you've completed one semester (for example, a Fall semester), then most schools will wait to admit you after they see your final Spring grades.  Your high school record and SAT scores, if they weren't wonderful, will not weigh nearly as much as your grades from college courses, so if you weren't admissible right out of high school but you've done well at MC (a 3.0 or better), your chances of admission increase considerably. 

• How does earning an AA degree from Montgomery College help me transfer?
  
  If you're looking for admission to a Maryland public college or university, completion of an AA degree OR completion of 56 credits toward an AA degree will guarantee that you will not be denied admission to a Maryland public institution, as long as you have a 2.0 GPA or higher, and as long as the institution has space available for you.   Getting an AA does NOT guarantee you admission to competitive majors at different schools, so you have to be sure you're meeting specific requirements for specific majors.  See the Maryland Higher Education Commission's Guide to Transfer site for more information.
  
  As students increasingly stay in Maryland for college, the competition for transfer spaces is increasing. The key to a successful transfer is to apply BEFORE the published transfer deadline.

Some General Words of Wisdom on Transfer Admissions

At most Maryland public schools, you'll need a 2.5 to be considered admissible into general majors that do not have special GPA requirements.  For UMCP, you need a 3.0 for general admission.   Can a student get admitted to a school under general admissions, and then apply to a competitive major?  Not very often.  Discuss this with an MC transfer counselor.

Competitive institutions (many private schools and out-of-state public schools) want to see higher GPA's from transfer students - a minimum of a 3.0 and higher.  Check the individual Admissions Page for each school that interests you, looking at Transfer Admissions requirements. Highly competitive schools look at the kinds of courses you've taken (honors classes, 200-level courses), as well as examining your list of activities to see leadership roles, volunteer hours, etc.   Here's an example of transfer admissions requirements from a highly competitive out-of-state public school, the University of Virginia (UVA): www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/transfer.html  Remember that when schools state "minimum 3.0," that's really the bottom number of the GPA they'll consider - most competitive candidates may have a 3.5 or higher.  

BTW, how do you figure out your GPA?  The easiest way to determine your cumulative Grade Point Average is to look at your transcript on the Montgomery College website, through MyMC, Records.  If you want to calculate or project a future GPA, you can use one of these two methods: 

1. The cool GPA calculator posted by MC's own Engineering Department, courtesy of Professor Jim O'Brien:  www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/phengrv/GPAcalc.htm
2. The old fashioned way - using multiplication:  www.murraystate.edu/secsv/fye/gpa.htm

College Test Information - IF YOU NEED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL TESTS FOR ADMISSION

Students who wish to transfer and who have completed less than 30 credits will probably be considered as freshman applicants at the transfer institution.  They will be asked to submit high school transcripts and SAT scores.  SAT scores are generally NOT required for transfer admission with 30 or more credits completed at the college level.

www.collegeboard.com Testing information / SAT, TOEFL, GRE's & more; as well as financial aid information and college search references.

CLEP - the College Level Exam Program.  Earn college credits via exam - check with each institution to determine the transferability of CLEP credits earned. 

TOEFL The Test of English as a Foreign Language. 

Sample Tests - visit this ETS Site for sample tests:  SAT I and II, Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE),  The PRAXIS Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers, and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). 

Montgomery College CEEB Codes:  

5393	MONTGOMERY COLLEGE  GERMANTOWN
5440	MONTGOMERY COLLEGE  ROCKVILLE
5414	MONTGOMERY COLLEGE  TAKOMA PARK

MC's Title IV School Code - often needed for scholarship and financial aid forms:  006911 

Go to Step 6

Step 1 Meet with a counselor

Step 2 Choose courses

Step 3 Explore majors

Step 4 College search

Step 5 Research admissions

Step 6 Narrow choices

Step 7 Apply

Step 8 Pay for school

Step 9 Adjust to the next school

Questions: Germantown | Rockville | SilverSpring/Takoma Park Last update: 2/26/10

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