Finding a way through the haze
Josh Ritchey
-Staff Writer-
28 days. Imagine paying for a semester, signing up for classes, moving to a new town and possibly finding a job in 28 days. Thats around the average time between semesters over winter break for most schools.
For those transferring or graduating from Meramec or starting classes here or at another school in spring, a crunched timeline maybe one of the obstacles in the way. For many, final grades play a huge role in determining acceptance and registration for spring enrollment.
Passing grades of a C- are often required in order to count as credit at another accredited college. Low GPAs can deter acceptance or cause probationary acceptance for students. demanding that they meet a GPA of 2.5 in their entry semester, according to the transfer policies of numerous four-year universities like Webster University and Saint Louis University.
The beginning of registration at Meramec, for example, occurs months before the end of the actual semester, October 27 was the first day of Spring 2012 registration, according to the STLCC academic calendar.
Financial aid applications are also dependent on admission to a school.
Final grades at Meramec are due December 19, and degree conferral is on December 20. Transcripts are mailed to the transferring institution and usually not received, evaluated or opened until the administrative offices open back up in early January, setting a realistic timeline of registering, paying and housing to about two weeks.
“If you’re going to a four-year institution in January, it is harder, especially if you’re going away,” Coordinator of Enrollment Management Kim Fitzgerald said. “It really depends on where your comfort level is at.”
Scholarships and financial aid are generally much more plentiful in favor of first-year freshmen. There are usually far less scholarships available for upperclassmen and transfer students; they can be much more difficult to acquire when starting out at a new school.
Another issue for many students is the explanation of what a class transfers for at another institution.
“All of my credits transferred, but not what I took them as,” said Meramec graduate and current Fontbonne University student Heather Pollman.
Many schools require a courses that are transferred in order to gauge a student’s level of learning and current status in a degree program. Some schools, like Webster University and SLU, for example, have a database that details some of their unofficial, direct agreements with two-year colleges and other schools.
Some four-year institutions have transfer agreements that allow dual credit at both Meramec and their own institution. When searching a four-year institution’s website, typing the words “transfer articulation guide” can help locate both the agreements and a list of particular classes and their equivalents. Choosing the right classes at Meramec can help limit time spent at a four-year college and save money too.
