Students visit college representatives at the Community Center on Feb. 7.

Transfer day offers options to students

Story and photo by Sam Weston

For many students here at Clackamas Community College, transferring to another college is the ultimate goal. However, the process can become a little overwhelming.

The annual transfer day at Clackamas attracted many students with questions in mind. The event was originally to take place Jan. 17, but because of weather it was postponed until Feb. 7.

Representatives from 24 colleges came to campus to help prospective students get to that next step.

Rick Debellis, the Associate Director of Enrollment Management from Oregon State University, advised students to find a school with the program of their liking.

“Talk with different schools and see what you’re interested in and see if they have what you’re interested in,” said Debellis. “If you say well ‘I wanna go to OSU for nursing.’ Well OSU doesn’t have a nursing program. Go visit the campus, talk with the people there, and see if it’s where you’re gonna fit comfortably.”

Transfer requirements can be hard to determine between navigating confusing websites and considering multiple colleges. However, Brendan Lejeune, an admissions counselor at the University of Oregon said that transfer requirements are actually pretty simple.

Lejeune recommended that students research their program of interest in order to maximize the time spent at CCC. Once those requirements are met, the next step is to apply.

“Apply early. Students can apply up to a year in advance,” said Sara Seeborg, an admissions counselor at Portland State University. “The application takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and they also must submit transcripts from all the colleges they’ve attended.”

Nell Danforth, a first year student, said she chose to attend CCC first because it was affordable. Danforth attended Transfer Day in hopes of learning more about how to actually transfer.

“Basic tips so I know what I’m doing when I get there,” said Danforth. “Maybe, special dates for things like orientation. Also scholarship information.”

For students who are looking at a wide variety of programs and clubs, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Portland State University are good places to start.

Colleges like Oregon Tech and the Art Institute of Portland are also great options. Future students can look forward to smaller class sizes and connecting better with their instructors.

Knowing when to transfer is equally as important.

“I just kind of want to know if I should transfer now or just wait and get my AAOT here and then transfer,” said third-year student Elena Villarreal.

Deadlines are very important for transfer students to keep track of. They can be different for each college and easy to forget. Taking a look at each college’s website is a great way to not fall behind.

Even though the snow delayed Transfer Day, it did not hinder the eagerness of the students to get the information they needed for their dream school.

For students who are looking to transfer and who missed the event, Counseling Services is located in the Community Center.

What do I need to transfer?

• Two years of a high school foreign language or two terms at a community college
• A GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Math (depends on the college)
• Writing (depends on the college)