Understanding Transfer Credits at Herkimer County Community College

I'm considering Herkimer County Community College and am curious about how their transfer credits work. How seamless is it to transfer these credits to a four-year university after? Any success stories or things to watch out for?

Herkimer County Community College, like many community colleges, has a strong focus on preparing students to transfer to four-year institutions. The college often has agreements, commonly known as articulation agreements, with nearby or partner institutions. These agreements specify which courses and/or degrees at Herkimer College would suffice for certain credit requirements at the four-year institution. However, each four-year institution has transfer approval for specific classes and sets their own procedures on how to handle the transferred credits.

For a smooth transition and to maximize transfer credits, it's generally recommended to work closely with your academic advisor at Herkimer from your first semester. They can guide you in course selection based on your career objectives and the specific requirements of the institution you plan to transfer to.

As for success stories, while I don't have specific ones at hand, many students from community colleges like Herkimer have successfully transferred to four-year institutions and gone on to have successful careers in their chosen fields.

One word of caution though: While core courses often transfer easily, specialty or unique courses may not always have direct equivalents at all colleges or universities. Be sure to communicate regularly with both your advisor and prospective four-year colleges to know which courses will transfer without issue.

Remember that the onus is often on you to check whether your credits will transfer. It is also a good idea to keep course syllabi, assignments, and other work from your classes at Herkimer. These can be useful if a four-year institution wants more information about the courses when considering transfer credits. Pre-planning and early communication can make this process a lot easier and efficient.