July 31, 2012

5 Best Practices for Counselors: Transfer Students

Jul. 31, 2012 at 11:54 AM | By Andy Dryden | Comment Count

Recently, I interviewed with Fox Business on what are the best tips for students who are considering transferring school. This conversation sparked the idea for this post. Tapping in to my personal experience as an advisor at a community college, here are five best practices to use when educating students on how to navigate the transfer process.

Provide students with a clear, specific plan. The transfer process for students is filled with anxiety. Transfer students need to know how and if their credits are transferrable and what additional courses are needed to achieve their post-secondary goals. Providing a plan from day one to graduation is the fastest way to streamline the transfer process and empower students with the confidence to take the next step.
Communicate proactively with students. Students need to know when important deadlines are approaching and giving them a heads up can be helpful. *A word of caution: don't rely on spamming students as the only means of communication. There's no faster way to alienate a student than to fill their inbox with emails that are not specific and relevant to them.
Educate students about the financial implications of transferring. Designate a expert in your financial aid office to coach students on what aid is available and what restrictions to be aware of. Most importantly, be upfront about the cost of transferring. This includes financial costs as well as time spent for degree attainment.
Help students make the right personal connections. Students interested in transferring to your school always have a reason. Find out what that reason is and connect students with resources (academic departments, athletic directors, other students) who can nurture that interest.
Always present consistent information. Nothing undermines your efforts to alleviate student anxiety than to present inconsistent information. Keep your staff well-trained and your technology up-to-date by empowering them to maintain website content for transfer articulations, knowledgeable on programatic and financial aid changes, and by making it super easy to find current catalog information.