5 tips for transferring from a community college

Students on the CSU campus

Did you know that 30% of our graduates come to CSU as transfer students? Thousands of transfers choose CSU each year — many coming from community colleges all over the nation.

We understand there are benefits to starting out at a community college and finishing your degree with us. And we want to make sure that if you’re planning to do just that, you’re getting the most out of it.

Here’s how to ensure that your transfer experience is a valuable one.

#1: Meet with your academic advisor from the start.

The job of a community college advisor is to help you prepare for next steps. It’s important to meet with them as early as possible and let them know you plan to transfer to CSU.

They will not only look through your course schedule to ensure that you are taking transferable courses, but can also help you stay on track to meet our admission requirements.

#2: Talk with a transfer admissions counselor early on.

It’s never too early to contact one of our counselors and tell them of your interest in CSU. They can serve as a guide in a few different ways:

#3: Know how a course will transfer before you take it.

If at all possible, you should know the following before you take a course at your community college:

  • Will the course transfer?
  • Will it count toward your intended major or minor?
  • Will it fulfill one of our core curriculum course requirements?

If not, you may want to re-think taking the course.

CSU offers a few transfer credit tools to show you how courses will transfer in, before you apply.

#4: Your grades are important.

Your grades can make a big impact both academically and financially at CSU. Grades determine a few things:

If you get an unsatisfactory grade in a course, meet with your community college advisor. They may recommend re-taking it.

It’s never too early to get started

Contact our transfer admissions counselors now and set up a plan.

Jill Baylis

Jill was a staff member in the Office of Admissions until 2019 when she moved to Denver. As a first-generation college student, she focused on simplifying the college admissions process and helping future Rams find community on campus.