• Save your syllabi from all of your BHCC courses. You may need these when you transfer.
• Get to know the faculty in your department and participate in class. Many schools require that you submit letters of recommendation from faculty when you apply for transfer.
• Make every effort to earn good grades. Your academic transcript is a permanent record.
• Choose a major that is best aligned with your transfer goals and stay on track for graduation.

• Do some Career Exploration or take a Career Assessment to help you clarify your interests and skills and find career areas to explore.
• Attend the Exploring Majors & Career Pathways workshop (view the schedule and other workshop offerings at bhcc.edu/careerservices)
• Meet with a Career or Academic Advisor in the LifeMap Commons, room E-235
• Get involved with student activities, athletics, the Commonwealth Honors Program, and Community Engagement. Campus and community involvement enhance your transfer applications.
• Start learning about transfer.  Attend a transfer workshop, meet with visiting Admissions representatives or stop by a Transfer Fair.

• BHCC regularly hosts admissions representatives from area colleges and universities, see who is coming on our calendar to the right.
• Admissions representatives from over 40 colleges and universities attend the BHCC Transfer Fair each fall (October) and spring (March). Please review our Getting Ready for the Transfer Fair and the list of anticipated colleges before attending.
• Contact the admissions departments at colleges that you think you might want to apply to.  Many colleges offer open houses and information sessions for prospective students.

Investigate 6 to 10 colleges; we would suggest a combination of public and private colleges. Use our Transfer Worksheet to help keep track.

• Do they have my major? Do the required courses meet my expectations?  Is it clear what I will be able to do for a career with this major?
• Does the location work for me?
• Do they offer classes when I am available? Nights? Weekends? Online?
• Can I be a part time student or do I have to go full time?
• Can I live on-campus?
• Do they offer study abroad opportunities? Athletics? Internships?
• Do they offer scholarships for transfer students?
• What is the deadline for application? To apply for financial aid?
• What are the requirements for application?  Will I need to write an essay? Supply recommendations, etc.?

The transfer admissions website for each college should tell you which application to use:

• If you participated in a Massachusetts state transfer eligible program, you will complete the MassTransfer Application.
• Many private colleges use the Common Application.
• Some colleges will have their own application.

If you are applying to colleges for the Fall or Spring, some four-year colleges require the College Report and/or Mid-Term Report through the Common Application.

College Reports 

1. Fill out the section of the College Report labeled “To the Applicant” on the first page. Please note that for a representative of BHCC to complete this documentation on your behalf, you will first need to complete the “To the Applicant” section questions and then make sure that the document is signed before uploading the application to the Transfer Cover Sheet. 
2. Fill out the Transfer Cover Sheet by listing all the colleges you are applying to that request the College Report. 
3. Be sure to upload the College Report to the Transfer Cover Sheet. (If you print anything to fill out, you can scan or take a picture of the form to upload it). 
4. Once you have completed the Transfer Cover Sheet and uploaded your documentation, click the submit button at the bottom of the screen. You will receive an email confirming your submission to your BHCC email. 

The form will be sent directly to Academic Records. Once completed, Academic Records will email the form to the colleges that the student listed on their Transfer Cover Sheet.  Academic Records will send the student an email letting them know their college report has been completed and sent to the colleges requested. 

Mid Term Reports

Mid-Term Report need to be completed by your current professors; please email your professors and ask that they print and fill out the attached document and send it back to you. Send the Mid-Term Report to the contact information found on the Common Application.

Please visit our Money for Four-Year College page to being research on scholarships.  

You may also visit MassEdco for information about application fee waivers, scholarship opportunities, and assistance with financial planning such as completing FASPA and the CSS Profile.

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Include the school codes for all the schools you are applying to on your FAFSA application.

• Be aware of each college’s deadlines for applying for financial aid, they may be earlier than the application deadline.
• Many colleges using the Common Application also require that you complete the College Board CSS/Financial Aid Profile. View instructions for completing the CSS/Financial Aid Profile here.

Many schools will require that you submit letters of recommendations; this information should be on the transfer admissions website of the college you are applying to. Give your professors at least one month’s notices. Review our How to Request a Recommendation and Request Form.

You may be required to submit an essay and or personal statements; this information should be on the transfer admissions website of the college you are applying to.  Start this process early and make sure to read the directions carefully, you may have to answer specific questions.  Review Writing Your Transfer Essay.

Request transcripts early.  You must ask any and all other schools and colleges you have attended to send your transcript to the colleges where you are applying. Order an official BHCC transcript here.

• Request college academic transcripts as soon as you know where you will apply.  You do not need to wait until you have completed your application. 
• If applicable, you need to arrange to have HiSET or GED equivalencies sent to the colleges where you will apply.  BHCC cannot do this for you.  
• International High School or Secondary Schools may need to be translated or have specific requirements based on the country.  This is not difficult but you must make the request as soon as possible. 

If the college requires SAT or ACT scores you must submit these.  You must look on the colleges’ web sites for this and for whether you need recent scores.  If you must take one of these tests, find practice sites online and practice before you take the test. 

If the colleges require TOEFL or IELTS scores, you must take these.  The BHCC Language Lab has excellent help for the TOEFL exam.  Regardless of any specific requirements, a TOEFL score of 100 or higher will open doors for transfer and for jobs.  TOEFL tests the speed of your English language fluency.  You can have a high GPA including A’s in English 111 and 112 and still not be guaranteed a high TOEFL score.  Take the practice exam in the Language Lab. 

Remember to apply for graduation from BHCC during your last semester through your online self-service account.