On Wednesday, May 1, Bellevue College hosted its annual Spring Quarter Transfer Fair in the L Building lobby from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Students could speak with representatives from different universities at the event about the transfer application process. Participating schools included UW Seattle, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, Washington State University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University and many other in-state and out-of-state colleges.
At this point, many colleges are not accepting new transfer applications for Fall 2019 this year because their deadlines have past. However, select schools are considering new applicants for Fall 2019.
Many college representatives shared their insights into the transfer application process to help Bellevue College students achieve their education goals.
Carlos Williams, assistant director of the Office of Admissions at the University of Washington said, “The admission decisions are based on preparations for their major. If students feel a certain major fits their needs and interests, they should apply.” Speaking of how to get ready to transfer to UW, Williams said, “Major preparation is a big deal. Make sure that students meet all the prerequisites. Sometimes students need to submit a separate application depending on the department application.” An Associate’s Degree is not a critical element in the application review, but having close to 90 college credits can be helpful.
For those who have been admitted to UW Seattle, Williams said, “Try to reach out to the counselors and academic advisors on campus. The main idea is to make the campus smaller and build new connections.” Williams mentioned that transfer students can find support on campus from student organizations, clubs and advisors to adapt to a new environment.
Kristi Wilson, program manager of the Institute for Business and Information Technology at Bellevue College said, “Within IBIT, we offer 4 bachelor degrees including accounting, data analytics, information system and technology, and digital marketing. These programs are applied learning programs that provide students the skills they need to land a job in the field.” IBIT at Bellevue College is targeting not only current BC students, but also transfer students who want to come to Bellevue College since it is a great, affordable place to complete a Bachelor’s Degree. “These are fields with high demand for jobs, and we want students to have the education learning and skills that they can land a career after they graduate from Bellevue College.” said Wilson.
Each program offered by IBIT at BC has its own set of prerequisites. “We expect students to have developed some associate degree level credits, and general education classes before they enter the program.” Wilson suggested students reach out to the program managers at IBIT to get some one-on-one advising to walk students through what they need to accomplish.
Besides Washington colleges, representatives from out-of-state schools such as Arizona State University also came to the event to answer students’ questions. Renee Beauchamp, representative from ASU said, “Arizona State University is a large public global research university. We’ve been acknowledged this year for being the most innovative university in the country.” Beauchamp suggested students sign up for the ASU and BC guarantee program for admission. This is a pathway program for their undergraduate degree and transfer to ASU while focusing on the current courses. BC students are eligible to sign up for the Guaranteed Program for Admission online at admission.asu.edu/transfer/gpa/washington Transfer students are encouraged to plan ahead and apply early for admission. Bellevue College students can make appointments with their academic advisors at BC to keep themselves on track of their academic plans.
Photo by Penny Yeh, The Watchdog