Transferring Community College Courses to NC State

I'm a junior in high school considering starting at a community college before transferring to NC State. How do courses transfer, and what's the process like to ensure they count toward my degree?

Your plan to start at a community college and then transfer to NC State can be a savvy strategy, both academically and financially.

To ensure a smooth transfer, you'll want to work closely with academic advisors at both the community college and NC State. They can guide you on which courses will satisfy degree requirements. However, here is a general breakdown of the process:

1. Course Equivalency: First, you'll want to check which of your community college courses are equivalent to those offered at NC State. NC State has a Transfer Credit Search Tool that you can use to evaluate course equivalency for North Carolina community colleges. If your courses are equivalent, they will generally transfer directly and apply towards your degree. However, even if a course doesn’t have a direct equivalent, it could still transfer as a free elective or count toward general degree requirements.

2. Grade Requirements: Typically, you'll need to earn at least a "C" grade for a course to be transferable. Be sure to check NC State's specific policies.

3. Application Submission: When you're ready to apply to NC State, you will fill out a transfer application. As part of that application, you'll submit your transcripts from your community college so the admissions team can see what courses you've completed and the grades you received.

4. Credit Evaluation: After you’re admitted, NC State will evaluate your transcripts for transferable credit. You'll receive a Transfer Credit Report that shows which courses have been accepted for credit.

5. Degree Audit: Once you've declared a major, you can use NC State's degree audit system to see how your transferred courses apply to your degree program. This system visually organizes your academic plan and shows what requirements you've met and what you still need to complete.

In summary, the transfer process requires some careful planning and regular check-ins with academic advisors to ensure you're taking the right courses at your community college. It's a good idea to start this planning process as early as possible to ensure you're on track.

Remember, in some cases, some course credits may not transfer exactly as expected. That's why it's essential to seek advisor guidance and utilize the Transfer Credit Search tool. Despite these efforts, keep in mind there might still be unexpected issues with some course credits, but generally, these can be resolved with communication between the institutions.