Transfer Planning and Applying

• Meet with your advisor! Share with your advisor or your HOPE advisor your academic, career, and transfer goals.
• Get to know the faculty in your department and participate in class. Many schools require that you submit letter of recommendation from faculty when you apply for transfer.
• Start learning about transfer. Attend a Transfer 101 Workshop, meet with visiting Admissions representatives or stop by a Transfer Fair.
• Save your syllabi from all of your BHCC courses. You may need these when you transfer.

• Choose a major that is best aligned with your transfer goals and stay on track for graduation.
• Do some Career Exploration and complete Career Coach to help you clarify your interests and skills and find career areas to explore.
• Attend a Career Exploration 101 workshop
• Once you complete Career Coach and Career Exploration 101, discuss what you learned with your advisor.
• Sign up for Commonwealth Commitment! 

• Get involved with student activities, athletics, internships, the Commonwealth Honors Program, Phi Theta Kappa/Alpha Kappa Mu and Community Engagement. Campus and community involvement enhance your candidacy for acceptance and empowers you with skills that benefit your academics and career.

• Make every effort to earn good grades. Good grades are tied to additional transfer benefits, such as scholarships and guaranteed admissions.
• Are there areas of your academics that could use more attention? Explore offices such as MathSpace, College Connection, Tutoring and Academic Support Center, the Writing Place, and Language Lab.

• One way to help pay for your education is to obtain scholarships. Finding scholarships involves doing research, achieving high grades, and being involved with your community. 
• Check out the BHCC Scholarships, Paying for Four-Year Colleges, and sign up to receive weekly Scholarship Newsletters.

During your time at Bunker Hill Community College, we encourage you to research and connect with four-year colleges. We encourage a combination of MassTransfer, Transfer Guarantee, BHCC Partnerships, and other colleges you find. Visit our Transfer Partnerships page.

• BHCC regularly hosts admissions representatives from area colleges and universities, see who is coming on our calendar to the right.
• Many colleges work closely with Transfer Services to facilitate visits to the campus for our Transfer Fairs, tabling, one-on-one appointments. Please visit our College Visits and Transfer Events page to register for a virtual and on-campus college visits.
• Remember, this is a time for you to learn more about the colleges, and for their staff to learn about you. In fact, many admissions counselors work closely with members on selection committees, and can advocate for your application if you make a good first impression.

Visit our Transfer Partnership page to see how our articulation agreements with New England colleges and other transfer opportunities

• Visit college websites to see if they offer any campus tours, information sessions, open houses, or other events for prospective students. Visit colleges at least one semester ahead of your final semester at BHCC.
• Contact the admissions departments at colleges that you think you might want to apply to. Many colleges offer open houses and information sessions for prospective students.
   

When attending college events at BHCC, we encourage you to come prepared with a list of questions you might ask the admissions counselors. You can refer to our Getting Ready for the Transfer Fair document for examples of well-informed questions to ask an admissions counselor.

Consider what you would value in a college and what you need to be successful. Some questions may look like:

Career Preparation
What research programs are available to students in my major?
What do students in my major do when they graduate? Do they work? Attend graduate school?
Does your college offer have internship programs?

Student Life
What clubs and organizations are most popular?
Do they offer co-curricular opportunities? Clubs? Organizations? Honors Programs? Athletics? Internships? Study abroad?

Support Services
Are there scholarships for transfer students?
What are the requirements to be accepted?
What’s the process like after the application is completed?
What resources exist for transfer students?

Can you tell me about counseling and tutoring services?

• Create a list of 5-10 colleges of interests, as the FAFSA and CSS Profile allow a 10 college maximum.
• Include colleges that could be a guaranteed admission, colleges that are a good match for you, and competitive colleges. 

Use our Transfer Worksheet to help keep track of certain qualities you are looking for in a college:

• Do they have my major? Do the required courses meet my expectations?  Is it clear what I will be able to do for a career with this major?
• What is the tuition and fees?
• Does the location work for me?
• Do they offer classes when I am available? Days? Nights? Weekends? Online?
• Do I have the option to be part-time student or full-time?
• Can I live on-campus?
• Do they offer scholarships for transfer students?
• What is the deadline for application? To apply for financial aid?
• What are the requirements for application?  Will I need to write an essay? Supply recommendations, etc.?

• Every college will have their own transfer deadline. The deadlines can be found on the college admissions webpage.
• Most commonly, colleges admit students for Fall and Spring semesters. Some colleges allow students to enter during the summer. But keep in mind that not all colleges accept students each semester. Some only have a Fall entry option.

Generally, a student will apply to a four-year college during their final semester at BHCC.

• All colleges require the completion of an application and submission of an official transcript.
• It is important to check the four-year college webpage to see the specific materials needed.

If you are applying to colleges for the Fall or Spring, some four-year colleges require the College Report and/or Mid-Term Report through the Common Application.

College Reports 

1. Fill out the section of the College Report labeled “To the Applicant” on the first page. Please note that for a representative of BHCC to complete this documentation on your behalf, you will first need to complete the “To the Applicant” section questions and then make sure that the document is signed before uploading the application to the Transfer Cover Sheet.
2. Complete the Transfer College Report document on Etrieve and attached the College Report.  
3. Be sure to upload the College Report to the Transfer Cover Sheet. (If you print anything to fill out, you can scan or take a picture of the form to upload it).
4. Once you have completed the Transfer Cover Sheet and uploaded your documentation, click the submit button at the bottom of the screen. You will receive an email confirming your submission to your BHCC email. 

The form will be sent directly to Academic Records. Once completed, Academic Records will email the form to the colleges that the student listed on their Transfer Cover Sheet.  Academic Records will send the student an email letting them know their college report has been completed and sent to the colleges requested. 

Mid Term Reports

A Mid-Term Report includes information on your current courses. You can complete this report by using details from your transcript or student information portal, such as Moodle. Please refer to the Program Materials section in the Common Application for instructions on where to submit the Mid-Term Report.

• Application. Fill out the MassTransfer Application for any of the participating MassTransfer colleges. Colleges in the Massachusetts Transfer Guarantee will have their own applications on their admissions websites.
• Official Transcripts. Send transcripts from each college attended via the to the receiving college. Order your BHCC official transcript.
• FAFSA.
• CSS Profile. (if applicable)

All colleges will have their application requirements on their admissions websites. Please be prepared to send the following information:

• College Application
• ·Official Academic Transcript
• College Report
• FAFSA
• CSS Profile (if applicable)
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statements

• Please visit our Paying for Four-Year College page to being research on scholarships.  
• ·Fee waivers are available to students who fill out the Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver. Be sure to include each college in your request.
• ·You may also visit MassEdco for assistance in finding scholarship and completing FAFSA and the CSS Profile.

A benefit to the Common App is that you can see all the requirements of the application when you select the colleges of your choice.

• Create a Common App Transfer Profile
• Common App on YouTube
• Common App for Transfer
• ·Common App Help Center. Live Chat with a staff person from Common App and ask any questions.
• ·Search for colleges using the Common App Explore feature.

• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Include the school codes for all the schools you are applying to on your FAFSA application. Be aware of each college’s deadlines for applying for financial aid, they may be earlier than the application deadline.
• Many colleges using the Common Application also require that you complete the College Board CSS/Financial Aid Profile. View directions on how to complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.
• Need help completing FAFSA or the CSS Profile? No problem! Schedule a virtual appointment with MassEdco, which has appointments specifically for BHCC students.

Some colleges will require that you submit letters of recommendations. Give your professors, advisors, and other writers at least one month’s notices. Review our How to Request a Recommendation and Request Form.

NOTE: If you are applying as MassTransfer or Massachusetts Transfer Guarantee student, you do not need to submit letters of recommendation. 

• Many colleges require a student to submit an essay and or personal statements as part of an application. This information should be on the transfer admissions website and the Common Application.
• Start this process early and make sure to read the directions carefully, you may have to answer specific questions.  Review Writing Your Transfer Essay.
• Visit the Writing Place at BHCC for essay writing support and attend a Transfer Essay workshop:

NOTE: If you are applying to a MassTransfer college, you do not need to submit an essay. 

Request transcripts early. You must supply individual transcripts from all colleges attended. Order an official BHCC transcript.

Most colleges do not require the SAT’s or ACT’s for transfer applicants.

If an institution presents standardized tests as an application requirement, find practice sites online and study before you take the test. Contact transferservices@bhcc.edu to see if we have SAT Exam fee waivers available.

If the colleges require TOEFL or IELTS scores, the BHCC Language Lab has excellent help for the test preparation.

Exceptions to TOEFL or IELTS:

1. If a student is using a MassTransfer pathway to apply to a UMASS Campus or State University, and have maintained a 2.5 GPA, then the student does not need to complete TOEFL.
2. Some colleges may have exceptions to the tests. Be sure to check a college website.
3. A student can also reach out to an admissions office and ask if they may be considered for a waiver if there is no formal process in place.

Remember to apply for graduation from BHCC during your last semester.

• Once you have collected and finalized all your materials you are ready to submit your applications.
• Upon completion, you will receive confirmation messages that your application has been submitted successfully. You will have a short time frame to wait to hear of acceptances.
• While we encourage you to explore colleges before applying, you might take this time to revisit some of your notes and past conversations with admissions counselors and other advisors.

When you receive an acceptance, you will likely have new information that may affect your decision. This includes the deadline to decide if you will attend their college and when to submit the non-refundable deposit.

Note that acceptance to another college will include the following the three items:

1. Acceptance Letter
2. Course-by-Course Evaluation
3. Financial Aid Award

A college that has accepted you really wants you to attend. The admissions office expects questions. If you haven’t visited already, schedule an appointment/tour at the college to help you decide.

It is also important to review the financial aid award letter. This letter will outline the financial support you will receive, including federal financial aid, federal loans, MassTransfer benefits (if applicable), and institutional grants and scholarships. Remember that private colleges will determine financial need as reflected in the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

If the financial aid award is preventing you from attending, ask if they can offer you more aid. The financial aid appeal process is encouraged, and requires writing a detailed letter outlining special circumstances or any other details that may have changed or not included in FAFSA or CSS.

It is critical that your courses at BHCC and other colleges are being applied appropriately to a bachelor degree program. If you feel your transfer credit is not being utilized to the fullest extent, then consider writing to the admissions or registrar’s office to discuss appeals and substitutions for courses from your prior coursework. Read more on tips for appealing transfer credit.

Once you feel comfortable with one college, be sure to adhere to the deadlines to accept or decline. The college you choose will require an enrollment deposit.

As a final requirement for your admittance, you will be required to send in an official transcript after final grades are posted or after your degree or certificate has been awarded. If you will be taking additional courses to complete your degree prior to attending (such as summer classes), be sure to discuss this with the college of your choosing.

Attend the earliest session offered to you.