Next Follow Up Steps

If you have been accepted and know where you are transferring to, it is not time to rest quite yet. Now you have some follow up steps. Be sure to send an official copy of your transcript again after your spring grades are posted. Don't forget to submit an application for a dorm room or begin making other living arrangements if a dorm option is not available. It is not too early to consider these areas and even make another trip to your future school to become more familiar.

Congratulations to reaching this stage of the transfer process. If you are a first year transfer student, keep up the good work, and look forward to this goal next spring!

Plan B

Has your Plan B not worked out? Maybe Plan A is not even sure yet either. It is not to late for Back-Up Plan C, but the time is getting close. If you have used this Spring Break week to visit colleges again, you may be re-evaluating your choices. If some choices have dropped out, think again about more options for next fall. There may be more courses to take at NOVA that would strengthen your application for spring, 2011 if you want to re-apply to your top choices of 4-year schools. It might be fruitful to take a semester at George Mason University as an Extended Studies student (visiting student) while you decide other options for spring, 2011 if needed.

There are always more Plan Bs and Cs. Do not get discouraged. Meet with your Transfer Counselor and/or Faculty Advisor to discuss your options. Remember that sometimes a detour is a super opportunity and can result in something better than the original plan.

College Visits

It is not too late to visit schools that you are considering. Some students apply to schools, yet have never seen the institution in person. If necessary, take a day off from work to visit during the week. (I am not recommending to cut classes to visit though.) Even if you leave the Northern Virginia area at Noon and arrive to a prospective school by late afternoon, an Admissions representative could still meet with you for a half hour. A tour guide could possibly show you around the campus. It is good to see the building where most of your classes in your major are taught. Seeing the Student Union, the cafeteria, and dorm areas are important, even if you think you will be living off campus.

If you cannot make the visit on a week day, seeing a campus on a weekend can still be worthwhile. Some of the academic buildings might be open to walk through also. Seeing the town/city and even the neighborhood that the campus is in may be important to you. Often college students return to Northern Virginia from their original college because they did not "like it." Go visit!

Waiting for letters?

Have you applied to four year institutions for fall, 2010? Does it seem like you should be hearing about your acceptance already? Four year schools are telling me that they are still finishing up work with students for this current spring semester. They are glad that our students are applying for fall, 2010 this early though. They plan to begin looking at your application materials in early February. They will send out acceptances notices as soon as possible after that.

Just be sure that you have sent all past transcripts, letters from the Dean of Students (if requested), and faculty recommendations (if requested). Read the fine print for each college to be sure about their requirements to apply. They may want more than just the application and your NOVA transcript.

2010 To-Do List

Welcome to 2010, Transfer students! This is a great time to meet with your faculty advisor again to make sure you are on the right track to transfer. If you are planning to transfer by fall, 2010, you should be applying and forwarding your official NOVA transcript, plus any other official transcripts from past universities to your future institutions. This will give you time to follow up with other requested documents such as letters of recommendation, AP scores, CLEP scores, etc. Even if prior courses or scores are documented on your NOVA transcript, new institutions require original new transcripts and reports from each past institution or testing company. Don't wait any longer now to initiate these requests.

Have you only applied to one four-year college or university for next fall? Think about applying to one or two more over the winter break so that you will have options during the spring. Set aside time in the next two weeks to visit the admission websites of two more colleges.

If you have applied to future four year institutions already, remember to send an updated official copy of your NOVA transcript once your fall, 2009 grades are posted. Make a note on your calendar now to send an updated transcript in January. Good luck on your final exams next week!