Transferring all credits from community college?

I'm considering moving from my community college to a four-year university after two years. How can I ensure all my credits will transfer? Are there courses I should or shouldn’t take to make this easier?

Transferring credits successfully from a community college to a four-year institution largely rests on two factors: the courses you take and the transfer agreements that your community college has with other institutions.

Firstly, focus on taking courses that fulfill general education requirements at the university you're interested in transferring to. This usually includes a mix of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics. Some colleges have pre-made transfer guides or transfer agreements (sometimes called articulation agreements) that lay out exactly which community college courses correspond to their general education courses. Look out for these resources, typically found on the university's admissions website or on your community college's website.

Also, try to take courses with a greater chance of transferring, typically the ones that are more mainstream or academically rigorous. Colleges often won't accept vocational or technical courses, non-academic electives, or remedial courses (like developmental English or math) for transfer credit. You may also want to aim to earn a high grade in your courses, as some schools will not accept transfer credits for courses in which a student earned lower than a certain grade, usually a C.

Secondly, maintain a line of communication with academic advisors at both your community college and prospective four-year institution. Check with the latter's admissions office to find out their transfer credit policy, and see if they have any resources to help you plan your course load at your community college. At some schools, they have a transfer credit evaluator tool where you can enter the classes you've taken at your community college and see how they would transfer to their institution.

Lastly, some universities favor students with an Associate’s Degree for admission, and in certain cases, having an Associate’s can qualify you for automatic transfer of a substantial number of credit hours.

Remember, each university is unique, and transfer admission processes and credit evaluations vary from school to school. Be proactive, do thorough research, and seek advice from counselors and admission officers to successfully embark on your transfer journey.