The end of the semester is always a stressful time for students, especially when they are thinking of transferring their credits to a four-year university. Luckily, the transfer process at Frederick Community College is not as stressful as most students think.
The time an individual student spends at FCC varies. Some students might only spend a semester here after graduating from high school, and other students could be here two years or more.
Elyse Palumbo, a first-year student at FCC, is a recent high school graduate. She plans to transfer to West Virginia University as a psychology major in the spring, after spending one semester at FCC. “Coming here has helped give me a slower transition into school. I felt like I personally needed this transition, and that my time here was an overall great experience,” said Palumbo.
Palumbo chose to transfer to WVU because they have a well-regarded psychology program, and the campus is not far from where she lives now.
Emily Woodard, a Frederick Community College alumna, spent one year at FCC before transferring to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. There she is majoring in Environmental Science, with a minor in German.
Woodard said, “I think my time at FCC was helpful. It allowed me to gain independence without being fully on my own, and also allowed me to strengthen skills like balancing different parts of my life (clubs, school, work, etc.). FCC was nice because it was close to my house and my work, so my life was pretty centralized. The classes were also not overwhelmingly big like they would be at a four year. However, I did feel a little stifled at FCC because I couldn’t really have total independence while I went there. FCC also did not offer classes for my major, which was also frustrating.”
The transfer application process varies depending on the student, but it is easy to figure out. It can be done online, through a student’s college of choice website.
Palumbo said, “I had to apply as a spring student, and then I had to turn in my transcripts. I have to wait for this semester’s grades as well. It’s a little stressful, but it’s totally going to be worth it in the end.”
“The process was pretty easy, overall. It was essentially the same as applying to FCC, but instead of a freshman application, it was for transfer students. I had to get my transcripts from high school and FCC since I was only one year into college when I was transferring,” Woodard said.
Many databases are available to help students in ensuring that their credits earned at FCC will transfer to their projected college. One such database is ARTSYS. This database works with any branch of the University of Maryland, and is beneficial in helping students find credits at their community college that will transfer to their four-year university.
Here’s a link to more help and information on FCC’s transfer resources: https://www.frederick.edu/student-resources/counseling-advising-resources/career-transfer.aspx
