If you missed the deadline to come to PUC for this past winter quarter, don’t worry! You still have a chance to transfer for the spring, which starts on Monday, March 30^th. There’s plenty of time for you to get things together to be at PUC. Below is information I hope is helpful for anyone looking to transfer this coming quarter or sometime in the near future.

Admissions Requirements for Transfer Students
You can learn about PUC’s admissions requirements for transfer students and what we consider to be a completed transfer student application here.

Completing Your Application
Our office gets a lot of questions from students asking us how soon they can expect to hear back from us about a decision. It’s completely up to you how quickly you get your documents to us! As soon as the Admissions Office has all the documents needed for your application, your file will be reviewed for acceptance. If you’re accepted, you will receive an email that day notifying you of the decision, with more information following in the mail.

Checking Your Application Status
You’re able to track your application status by creating your WebAdvisor account. This account allows you to track the arrival of your transcripts, reference and test scores, as well as documents needed by other departments, like financial and health forms. WebAdvisor is also what you will use to register for classes. Learn more by reading our blog post “The Basics of Your WebAdvisor Account.”

Your Program Evaluation
After you’ve been accepted, you will need to pay a $150 enrollment fee in order to register for classes. Once this fee is paid, your transcripts will be taken to our Records office for a degree evaluation which will show what credits transfer, and if anything doesn’t. When your program evaluation is completed, it will be available on your WebAdvisor account, along with contact information for your advisor. Take some time to look at how it applies to your degree requirements, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your advisor. You can read our “We’re Here to Help!” blog post to learn more about how your advisor is key to your success at PUC.

Transfer Student Orientation
The last step is easy – you just need to get here! The day before each quarter begins, there’s a short orientation for new transfer students to help you get to know other new students and to go over information you’ll find helpful as a student at PUC.

Questions?
If you have questions about transferring to PUC, contact Enrollment Counselor Igdaly Patel. She can be reached at igdaly@puc.edu or at 707.965.6422.

By Igdaly Patel 

CHANGE! How many of us are worried about change? Oftentimes we experience a nervous feeling in our stomach because of the unknown. Many colleges place a lot of emphasis primarily on their incoming freshman class, making sure their transition from high school into college life is seamless. But why do we forget about transfer students?

We must keep in mind transfer students go through major changes as well. For these students, leaving home or another college for a new academic environment can be scary as they enter a new campus culture. Meeting new people and getting acquainted with a new school environment can be very challenging to say the least. However, it is a good thing to be challenged out of your comfort zone, and embark upon new territory and start that college journey. Even though at times it may seem easier to stay where you are, there are many benefits that come with change.

Working closely with transfer students this year has helped me learn more about the types of questions that are most important in the process of transferring. Below, I have listed the top three questions that transfer students consistently ask me.

1. Are my credits transferable?

Finding out if your credits are transferable is probably the determining factor for most transfer students. Some potential transfer students are under the impression their credits will automatically transfer over towards their major. However, this is not always the case and there are no guarantees courses will be transferable. I always encourage students to research the institution they want to transfer over to. Take a look at their course catalog. You can get an idea of how many of your credits could potentially be applied towards your major by simply exploring the PUC general catalog. You can also contact our Records Office before taking a course at another school to make sure we will accept those credits. Speak to your academic advisor at your school and the school you’re planning to transfer to.  Keep in mind each school reserves the right to accept or reject credits earned at another institution.

2. How and when can I register for classes?

Once you’ve been accepted to PUC, our Records Office will complete a degree audit/evaluation of your transcripts, and when it’s completed, it will be available on your WebAdvisor account where you can see how your transfer credits apply to your degree requirements at PUC. Based on your chosen major and/or pre-professionals goals, an academic advisor will be assigned to you and they will assist you on setting up your class schedule. They will also suggest to you any academic success strategies and answer any questions you may have regarding our academic policies. Once you have discussed and planned your class schedule with your advisor, you can register for classes using your WebAdvisor account. Learn more by reading our “The Basics of Your WebAdvisor Account” blog post.

3. Do we offer scholarships for transfer students?

Cost is another huge determining factor for whether or not a student decides to transfer to a different college. PUC offers scholarships for transfer students, and one such scholarship is the Academic Achievement Scholarship for transfer students. This scholarship is solely based on your college cumulative GPA, and all you need to do is submit your academic transcript to the Admissions office. For more information regarding the scholarships we offer, visit http://www.puc.edu/admissions/finance.

There’s also an unbelieveable amount of scholarships available to college students on websites and search engines. Be sure to check out our “Five Tips for Finding College Scholarships” blog post for ideas of where you can start looking for money to pay for college. Who doesn’t want to  get some free money towards their education?

There’s still plenty of time for you to do everything necessary to become a PUC student this year. Winter quarter starts on Monday, January 5th and spring quarter on Monday, March 30th. For more information about transferring to PUC please contact me! You can reach me at Igdaly@puc.edu or 707-965-6642. My job is to help anyone planning or considering transferring to PUC, and to make that transition as smooth as possible.