How does transferring credits from community college to Stony Brook work?

I'm attending community college and planning to transfer to Stony Brook University. Can anyone explain how the transfer credit process works? What should I make sure to do so I get as many credits accepted as possible?

The transfer process depends on a few factors, such as the type of courses taken and their alignment with the course offerings at Stony Brook University. One key point to remember is that you'll generally have more luck transferring credits for general education or lower-division courses compared to specialized or upper-division courses, although exceptions do exist.

Firstly, you need to make sure that the classes you're taking at your community college have an equivalent course at Stony Brook. If they do, chances are good that the credits will transfer. You can verify this by checking with an academic advisor at either your current institution or at Stony Brook University. They should be able to guide you regarding what classes you should take or how to adapt your educational plan to ensure maximum credit transfer.

Stony Brook has a Transfer Course Equivalency guide available online where you can view which courses from your current institution have previously transferred. It's a resourceful tool, but you'll want to confirm the details with an advisor since the guide might not be up-to-date.

Earn good grades as the better your grades are, the more likely your credits are to transfer. While C is often the minimum grade for transferring a credit, some schools or departments require a B or higher, so understand what the minimum grade is for successful transfer.

Prior to applying to Stony Brook, you'll want to request official transcripts from your community college to be sent to Stony Brook University. Once you're admitted and decide to enroll at Stony Brook, the Admissions office will evaluate your transcript and prepare a Transfer Credit Evaluation report. It outlines which of your credits have been accepted for transfer and how they count towards graduation requirements.

In some instances, if the course you took isn’t an exact match to a Stony Brook course, but falls within a similar knowledge area, you might receive elective credit. Make sure you also submit any AP/IB/CLEP exam scores, as Stony Brook awards credit for these as well.

Remember that transferring is a process with many moving parts and requirements can change. Stay in close contact with academic advisors at both institutions to ensure you're on track. As long as you plan ahead and stay organized, you should be able to effectively transfer your community college credits toward your degree at Stony Brook University.