Transfer Guide by Semester
First Semester: Major Choice and Transfer Research
Choose Your Major
Your OCC major should match your interests and be similar to the major at your four-year college. Meet with an academic advisor to discuss your major and degree requirements.
Meet college representatives from across the country on the Ocean County College Campus.
Colleges and universities will be on the campus mall to discuss transfer opportunities for OCC students.
Attend Transfer Events hosted by partner colleges to help you understand the admissions requirements and process.
Second Semester: Stay on Track and Visit Transfer Schools
Stay On Track
Meet with an academic advisor to plan your courses. Consider summer courses to stay on track.
Open House
Learn about admissions, scholarships, housing and your major at schools of interest.
Information Session
Get general transfer information and a tour of the campus
Networking
Ask to attend classes during a visit to meet faculty (Admission representatives can help you schedule)
Third Semester: Select Schools and Prepare to Apply
Transcript
Request your OCC transcript (usually after you submit the transfer school application)
Personal Essay
Writing Samples take time to prepare; the Tutoring Center can help.
FAFSA
Complete Prior-Prior Year for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Review Your Plan
Meet with an academic advisor to review your plan.
Fourth Semester: Complete Applications and Attend Instant Decision Days
Submit Transfer Applications
Attend Transfer Events hosted by partner colleges to help you understand the admissions requirements and process.
Test Scores?
Do you need test scores: ACT, SAT, Praxis Core (Education majors), etc., ask an Academic Advisor.
Free Applications
OCC hosts Instant Decision Days in the Spring and Fall semesters where you can apply to many transfer schools free of charge.
Need Help?
Meet with an Academic Advisor to review your plan.
Congrats, you’ve been Accepted!
Accepted Student Event
These events typically help with your next steps in the enrollment process, and provide opportunities to meet faculty, staff and students.
Financial Aid
Talk with your new Financial Aid Office at the four-year college to prepare for registration
Meet Your New Advisors
Transfer Orientations are typically offered from April – July
Register For Your First Semester
Your advisor can help you decide which classes you need to take in your first semester.
Colleges and universities look at several factors when determining eligibility for entrance and financial support, such as grade point average and course selection at the previous institution.
The easiest way to ensure a smooth transition is to begin the transfer process as soon as possible. In your first semester at OCC, begin a dialog with Advising and Transfer Services staff about your goals for transferring.
Transfer Resources
The first step to a successful transfer is to choose a major appropriate to your goals. Meet with an academic advisor in your first semester at OCC to discuss your options. If you are undecided, utilize the resources available to you at the Career Center.
- A.A. and A.S. degrees are designed to transfer
- A.A.S. degrees are not designed to transfer
- Setting/Environment: Are you looking for a traditional college campus, or would you rather attend an institution which is integrated into a city?
- Class Sizes: Is it important to you whether a typical class has 20 or 200 students?
- Faculty Achievements/Qualifications: Would you prefer a research institution which can provide you with research opportunities, or are you looking for an institution where professors are more focused on teaching?
- Social Life: Do you intend to get involved in Greek Life? Do students stay on campus or go off campus on the weekends?
- Safety: Does the institution offer a safe ride program? How safe do students feel on campus?
- Affordability: Can you afford the institution? How much debt are you willing to take on to finance your education?
- Specific Major: Does the institution offer the major or program you want to pursue?
- Graduate/Professional Opportunities: Does the institution offer five-year/combined degree programs?
- Distance from home: Will you need to travel home often? Did you consider travel expenses in your financial picture?
- Extra-curricular activities: Does the institution offer the extracurricular activities you want? Is there an opportunity to create a new club?
- Living arrangements: Are transfer students required to live on-campus? Is there special housing for transfer students? Does the institution offer affinity housing or living-learning communities?
- Career Planning: Does the institution have a career center that will assist you in planning for a career? Will help be available in securing internships and jobs?
Transferring to a university or 4-year college takes time and planning. Speak to a transfer advisor to create a personal plan transfer plan or view our Transfer Timeline!
Scholarship is money gifted through an organization, college, or corporation usually for the purpose of paying for a student’s education. There are various types of scholarships available to students to help pay for college. Transfer students can use the following resources to assist them in the process of looking for scholarships:
- Financial Aid Office at Ocean County College
- Financial Aid Office at a 4-year College/University (Merit or Academic)
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- State Agencies such as the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA)
- Reference Librarians at the local or state Library
- Community, Religious, and Civic Organizations or ethnic groups
- Professional Affiliations such as PHI THETA KAPPA
- Corporations and local Businesses
NJ Transfer
New Jersey has a state-wide agreement to assist students with transfer from a community college to a 4-year public institution. Under the Lampitt Law, community college students who complete an AA or AS degree will receive half of the credits needed for graduation with a bachelor’s degree. While the law does not cover New Jersey’s private colleges and universities, many of those institutions have established similar policies that allow community college graduates to transfer with full junior standing. Careful planning is essential for a smooth and efficient transfer experience.
NJ Transfer is an online resource that helps you transfer community college courses in the State of New Jersey. On the website, you can discover:
- Which courses to select at community college
- Which New Jersey four-year colleges offer equivalent courses
- How the courses will satisfy four-year degree requirements
- Where you can transfer your community college courses in New Jersey
- How to contact a New Jersey college or university if you need information about admissions, transferring courses, or transfer recruitment events
- Which professional fields are in high demand in the State, as well as other job opportunities
- The law only covers students who graduate from an AA or AS programs. AAS programs are generally considered to be terminal. These career programs are meant for students to go directly into the workforce upon completion.
- Typically, students will want to match their degree programs (e.g. AA in Liberal Arts to BA in Psychology). When a student changes degree program intentions (BA to BS) after finishing a degree, the law still applies to general education coursework; however, additional courses might be necessary to complete the bachelor’s degree.
- Some majors at the four-year college will take more than an additional two years to complete because the programs require more than 120-128 credits (Architecture and Engineering are two examples.)
- The law does not guarantee acceptance to college. Students must still apply and be granted admission, which can be competitive and require specific coursework and/or GPA (e.g. business, teaching, and engineering, among other programs).
- Meet with an advisor to discuss your goals and the best associate’s degree for you.
- Begin researching institutions.
- Choose courses carefully for your degree program, utilizing NJ Transfer. The “Transfer Programs” function on NJ Transfer is best suited for student planning.
Contact the Ocean County College Academic Advising Office at 732.255.0300 or email Laura Wills, Coordinator of Transfer Services, at lwills@ocean.edu
Visit the NJ Transfer website.
We Are So Excited, Tell Us About Your Acceptance and New Adventure!
We may share your story on the College’s social media and website!
Transfer Success Form
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NJ Transfer Tutorials
Students wishing to learn how to find recommended OCC courses for transfer to specific institutions can view the videos below.
Visit the NJ Transfer Tutorials page to view tutorials on additional NJ Transfer functions.
Transfer Application FAQ
The best way to start the application process is to go to the transfer admissions page of the college you would like to attend. There is typically a checklist with deadline dates and application materials. It will also tell you what type of application is accepted for transfer students (e.g. Common Application)
Typical Deadline Date are 6-9 months prior to the semester:
- October – December for Spring
- January – March for Fall
- Rolling Admission: Applications are taken through the summer (June/July) for Fall
In most cases, you will be required to fill out an online application. The questions are typically personal information, including your intended degree, colleges you have attended, and sometimes an essay. Applications vary in content, but most are asking about you, so you already know the answers.
At OCC, you can easily order your transcript at any time online through OCC Transcript Request
For any other college/university attended or your high school transcript, always call that school directly.
Supplemental information could include any of the following:
- High School Transcript
- SAT or ACT or other types of testing
- Personal Essay
- Supplemental Essays
- College Resume
- Letter of Recommendation
- College Reports – filled out by the Registration & Records Office
Some colleges will offer a promotional code to waive the fee. However, if there is no promotional code, it is suggested to speak with an admissions counselor or attend an event (virtually or in person) where a fee waiver could be provided. If you meet certain qualification, financial aid may be able to write a letter asking the college to waive the fee.
Check out the OCC Transfer Events page to meet with a college or attend an Instant Admit Day where the fee is waived for OCC students
Congratulations! We are excited for to take the next step on your journey!!
Read the acceptance letter thoroughly and you will most likely need to deposit with the four-year college to secure your spot. Attending an accepted students day and meeting with your advisor are good first steps to getting to know your new college. Registration days for new transfer students usually do not begin until May, so check your email for more information!
Be sure to connect with the admissions representative and the financial aid department at the four-year college to discuss any issues with grants, loans, or scholarships.
If you have not completed the FAFSA, you will not be able to receive funding for 2022-2023. Four-year colleges have great tools you connect with on their website including workshops to help you fill out and understand your FAFSA results.
Evaluating credits is usually completed after a student deposits at a four-year college. You may not receive an official evaluation until the summer. Remember to send your final official transcript to the college after spring grades are issued and your degree is conferred in June.
Graduating in summer?
Not to worry, preliminary evaluations are completed; however, the final evaluation will not come until October. Always bring a copy of your student (unofficial) transcript from OCC to advising and registration sessions to discuss coursework.
Most students need to attend a registration or orientation days at the four-year college. These sessions could begin as early as April. Still, many are not scheduled until May or June to avoid issues with students’ current courses at Ocean County College. If possible, try to schedule a meeting with your advisor to start reviewing your coursework and planning semester, especially if you want to take summer courses at the four-year college.
Important Information
Transcript Request – Send your Official Ocean County College transcripts.
Transfer College Evaluation Form (PDF) – Important information to collect when you are visiting a transfer school.
Transfer College Chart (PDF)– Checklist to organize transfer application documents