The spring semester is here, and that means graduation for some of us community college students.

That also brings the prospect of transferring to a four-year university. It’s essential to know the steps in making sure your transfer application process runs as smoothly as possible. Those steps include talking to an adviser, filling out applications and sending transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters.

From teachers or classmates, you may have heard rumors of where to go or what to do, but in a nutshell, here’s the proper road map:

Transfer Application Checklist:

1. Visit an academic adviser at any HCC campus.
   Simply visit the Advising Center or make an appointment by calling the respective numbers for each campus that can be found on the Houston Community College website. The advisers will be able to inform you which classes can be transferred over to your prospective future college. Another resource is in the PeopleSoft Student Sign-In System, which informs you if you have completed all requirements in your major under the tab or section (iAAR) Academic Requirements.
2. Research the specific deadlines and requirements of the school you are applying to.
   Each university has different deadlines and requirements depending on the major that you are applying. A great resource to use online is CollegeBoard.com. The website has up-to-date information on the deadlines for each college and extensive background information which includes graduation and retention rates, and national school rankings.
3. Send in official transcript(s) from any college previously attended and current.
   To request or order your transcript, go to Credentials-Inc.com from the Houston Community College website under Transcripts or use this link: bit.ly/1KnnNPw. Each transcript costs $7 to send electronically and $17 to order through the phone. If you attended a university prior to HCC, you would have to go to that school’s respective website and order from there.
4. Send out any recommendation letters from past teachers per the university’s request.
   In most cases, recommendation letters aren’t necessary with state schools in Texas. But if you’re applying to a private university or an Ivy League school like Rice or Brown, they tend to ask. However, the fact that you’re a transfer student signifies college readiness to begin with.
5. Send test scores.
   SAT and/or ACT scores would be necessary, particularly in the case of private institutions. On average, private institutions do often require standardized test scores, just like with recommendation letters or instructor evaluations. For example, SAT and/or ACT scores are required from Rice University, but in the case of Brown University, they aren’t required from a community college student.  Since Ivy League schools fall into this category, if you are looking to apply to a school on either the West or East Coast, make sure that your test scores are stellar.

For more info: HCC Advising and CollegeBoard.com