Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums College Transferring college credits

As a follow up, here is it almost a year later and we're STILL ironing out issues with transferring credits that we THOUGHT we had already worked out. Too much trust on the part of my son is part of the problem, verbal reassurances don't always come about on paper and updates after meetings on such subjects often need reminders to actually transpire on a transcript.

So sorry to hear about your DS' ongoing struggle with a determination that should have been made by the time of admission/registration. This is a current consideration for my 9th graders as we decide among AP courses/tests and dual enrollment courses in the context of in-state public v. in-state private v. out-of-state college.

Thanks Portia and Quantum for your sympathy, I'm afraid it's still not over yet as of yesterday. I "think" yesterday was simply a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, however, over a year and a half after admission and with a year left to go in pursuit of his undergrad in Electrical Engineering, he's still ironing out what they'll let him transfer and substitute of what he's already done.

He even spoke to one professor who told him that if he's used a class toward a different degree, that he couldn't use the credit toward his current degree, he could only use it to fulfill a requirement but not the credit which he'd have to take additional course to fulfill the credit requirements. It "appears" that this professor may simply be too far removed from reality to understand the process, which is what we've often found.

You certainly MUST talk to the right person to get the right answer. It's not wise to assume that any professor in the department knows or can find out what will transfer and what won't. There is usually someone who specializes in the transfer of credits in each department for the record, another person who decides if a class syllabus equates enough to transfer, and a department head and someone else who has to sign off on it all.....but often none of them can give you answers you have to go to the other one for.

Here's an endorsement for Colorado, then, because we've been adamantly assured by multiple sources that any in-state community college courses DD takes will be fully accepted by any state college or university of her choice.

Making the pot sweeter, DD can begin earning community college credits via dual-enrollment without even leaving her school building as a HS freshman.

In state college course acceptance is very cool indeed Dude, I'd like to see a lot more of such in state agreements and cooperation.

We've had dual credit college / high school credit for quite sometime too. Carrying in 28 credits from Community College / dual credit and AP allowed eldest DS to do a BS in physics in 4 years while taking no more than 15 credits a semester which is of course quite manageable.

FYI, this page lists summaries and links to details regarding states that have guaranteed transfer of community college credits to state universities.

http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/MBquest3RTA?Rep=TR1603

And since we're on the site, this links to info on dual/concurrent enrollment policies by state:

https://www.ecs.org/dual-concurrent-enrollment-policies/

Thanks aeh! That's very helpful. I noticed where I live the transfer of credits is indeed stipulated, however, only if part of a completed AA or AS program. So if a student simply takes a few credit hours of say, Humanities or Calc without completing an AA or AS program, there is no guarantee.

Thanks, aeh, for that informative link, which would be a great starting place for the many people interested in this issue. Beware, however, to go to the direct source (state laws, etc.) for current information. I had actually done my research last year, so can say that the info for my state is not totally current/accurate.

In trying to navigate this for my ninth graders, I am already seeing shades of some of the issues brought up by Old Dad. There is a major distinction between transferring AP credits or random community college credits versus an associate degree. Furthermore, even with an associate degree and the presumed "junior, status, remember that these credits are only good for "general ed" credits. For STEM majors in particular, there are usually many required courses in the first two years that do not fall under general ed.

I've also seen lately that what classes transfer can depend on which major one is pursuing. I'm told that at one of our state colleges, if you're going into the Pharmaceutical track, they accept zero AP credits, the same doesn't hold true for other majors at the same college.

I was informed again this weekend where one of my wife's students who already has two AA / AS degrees from a communicability college was told at one of our state colleges that he'd have to register and go though the college orientation before they could tell him what would transfer.. Is it just me or does that seem seriously lacking in service? Buy my product and then I'll tell you how much it costs?

Again, my whole point in this thread is purely to alert those who haven't had to deal with transfer of credits to make everything crystal clear, to double check, to not assume ANYTHING, and to get it all in writing, otherwise, you may be at the least unpleasantly surprised and perhaps finding yourself or loved one doing extra semesters because of lack of understanding the situation.