Do private colleges usually accept DE credits from community colleges?

[Kassia]

Dd is a sophomore and will probably graduate high school with 80-90 DE credits from our community college (she'll have 31 at the end of this school year).  It is important to her (for now) that she can use these credits towards her college degree.  I know our state schools will accept the credits, but I don't know anything about private schools - especially those out of state.  
 

Also, what about OOS public schools (although I think it's more likely she'll attend private if she's OOS).

 

Thanks!  

Edited January 27, 2018 by Kassia

[kiana]

It's more common than not for them to transfer; she can simply avoid applying to ones that don't.

 

It is common, though, for there to be a cap on number of credits transferred even at state schools. I have seen 60-72 frequently. 

[bibiche]

The (elite) private universities I am most familiar with will not accept dual enrollment credits.

Edited January 27, 2018 by bibiche

[RootAnn]

If she has an idea of some colleges she's interested in, see if they have a "transfer tool."

 

For example, I just looked at the University of Texas-Dallas to see if they accepted credits from the local state college DD#1 is taking a class from this semester. It is on the tool, but they've never transferred a class from them, so if she goes there (unlikely for several reasons), there is a process to go through to get credit. Obviously, UTD isn't private, but that's my example!

 

ETA:  Some colleges specify that the college classes can not have been used for high school credit ("Dual Credit") and can't appear on the high school transcript. Rice's policy, for example. They don't like the double-dipping.

Edited January 27, 2018 by RootAnn

[Bookwoman]

I used to be an advisor at a private university. We did accept DE credits but as mentioned above, there was a limit. 60-72 sounds like the right range. And that would be a limit for all transferred credit - DE, AP, CLEP, etc. Additionally, we did not typically equate DE credits with upper level (300- or 400- level) courses, so a student bringing in a large amount would end up with some coming in as non-specific general credit.

[creekland]

It all depends upon the school.  I've seen plenty that accept DE credits without thinking twice (perhaps capping the total and perhaps only giving general credit rather than specific credit - no hard and fast rule there either).

 

I've seen schools that will accept CC credits, but not DE.  The student has to choose whether the credit is used for their high school diploma or college.  Same possibility for caps and what the credit goes toward.

 

I've seen schools not accept DE credit, period.  If the student is in high school, the credit is considered DE.  (CC is not an option to choose.)

 

You will have to sift through colleges she's interested in to see what their specific policy is.

[8filltheheart]

It can matter if the courses taken align with the courses they offer. Keep syllabuses in case she needs to have the courses evaluated for transfer credit.

[kiana]

It can matter if the courses taken align with the courses they offer. Keep syllabuses in case she needs to have the courses evaluated for transfer credit.

 

This is a super good point, and saving the exams/papers if you have access is good as well. (This doesn't mean that you're out of luck if you didn't, just that if you CAN, you should save them). 

 

There are a few specific math classes we don't accept without reviewing exams. 

1) It is not at all uncommon for a syllabus to be "I wish we could get through this". 

2) It is also not uncommon for something to be listed in the syllabus and technically "taught", but students weren't required to actually know it for any questions. 

3) For one class, the class is commonly taught at DE as a rather "cookbook" class (use this method to solve this problem), and that just isn't enough to continue through the major; you really need to be able to to solve the problem without someone telling you how. 

[catz]

It really depends on the school.  We just looked a a moderately competitive LAC that will not take more than 6 classes x 4 credits = 24 credits will transfer.   That goes for AP too.  She will need to individually check programs of interest if having every credit transfer is important to her. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by WoolySocks

[Pawz4me]

As others have said, it depends on the school and probably to some extent on the CC where the DE credits were earned. DS19, who had 70+ credits and an AS degree when he graduated high school, only applied to one private college (one of the colleges that change lives schools). They said they'd accept all of his CC credits. ETA: I think public schools are the same--it really just depends on the individual school.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Pawz4me

[DawnM]

We have looked at two schools for my oldest.  They were very specific on what they would take and what they would not take.  They would not take any within the major of study as they want you to learn their sequence of methods, etc....and they would take General Eds as long as they matched what was needed or offered by the college he was transferring to.  They would also accept up to 3 classes as electives if they didn't offer the same class.

 

He had taken a total of 15 classes (45 semester credits) and they accepted 30 of those, for a total of one full year of transfer credit.  We did just get word that if he shows them what he did in another class, and they evaluate it, he could get another class waived.

 

The above is what the school he is in accepted.

 

The other school he looked at wasn't quite as generous and only wanted to accept about half of those classes.

[snowbeltmom]

My oldest's school doesn't accept outside credit for certain classes, but they do let the students take a placement test to see if they can place into the higher level class. I don't know if they are awarded credit for the lower level class if the students test out of it though.

[regentrude]

Many colleges require that the last 60 credits are taken at their institution.so there is no value in transferring more than 70 or so hours. A typical degree program requires 128 hours.

[regentrude]

Also, some people have mentioned that some colleges limit the number of credits a student can have and still be considered a freshman, which is relevant for financial aid

[JanetC]

The more elite the private school, the more likely there are hoops required (documenting textbook, syllabus, etc) to accept credits and/or limits on total number of advanced standing credits. My older daughter was allowed a maximum equivalent to a semester and a half of credits.

 

Public schools are much more accommodating to community college credits. My DDs did DE at the largest CC in our state and some neighboring state Us actually have transfer equivalency charts for it just like they do for their in state system.

[GoodGrief]

Dd is a sophomore and will probably graduate high school with 80-90 DE credits from our community college (she'll have 31 at the end of this school year).  It is important to her (for now) that she can use these credits towards her college degree.  I know our state schools will accept the credits, but I don't know anything about private schools - especially those out of state.  

 

Also, what about OOS public schools (although I think it's more likely she'll attend private if she's OOS).

 

Thanks!  

 

As everyone else has said, it depends. They transferred beautifully to an OOS flagship public for my oldest, and it was a huge help in allowing her to skip some of the huge freshman core classes that she would have likely felt lost in. They also allowed her to graduate on time when she had health issues that stole a couple of quarters.

 

Other daughter's OOS private did not accept dual enrollment or her APs, but those courses were considered for placement.

 

[Bootsie]

When a student has a large number of hours to transfer, one issue is whether the new school will accept the transfer hours but another issue is whether the hours will be accepted toward a desired degree.  For example, a number of business classes must be taken as a junior or senior.  I student may have 90 hours to transfer to the new school, but maybe only 45 of those will apply to the courses needed for a particular degree.  Or a student may need a "junior or senior level literature class" and all classes at the community college are freshman and sophomore level and would not count toward that requirement. 

[FriedClams]

Look for equivalency tables on websites. From my research it looks like DE credits from larger, 4 year colleges are more likely to be accepted than CC credits. AP seems even more hit or miss. Small, private, online colleges seem like the least likely to be accepted.

 

And, since I'm old and turning into my parents, the reality is that colleges are businesses. It's not to their advantage to accept a lot of transfer credit from anywhere since they make a whole lot less on a regular year student versus for year. I'd also suspect their might be transfer fees that add on to tuition you've already paid for those classes.

 

It'll be interesting to see the pendulum of DE/AP/college in high school swing back. I don't think it'll be long before it swings back to be an exception and not the rule.

[regentrude]

. I'd also suspect their might be transfer fees that add on to tuition you've already paid for those classes.

 

I have never heard of transfer fees being charged by a university.

 

I don't understand what the bolded

 

It's not to their advantage to accept a lot of transfer credit from anywhere since they make a whole lot less on a regular year student versus for year

 

means.

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by regentrude

[kiana]

I think it's "they make a lot less money on a student who graduates faster". This is true, but having people graduate faster also improves their time-to-degree metrics and their number of yearly graduates per enrolled student, so it's not as common as it seems like it might be. 

 

Credits being accepted but not counted for specific requirements is sometimes more driven by departments (it's the department who sets the major curriculum) than by the university, and if the course was indeed rigorous enough it is often possible to challenge it (this is one place where keeping the syllabus and assignments can be very useful). For example, when I said above that "we don't accept certain classes without reviewing exams", it's not that there's no credit, it's that it counts for lower-division elective credit. This won't help you for a major, but if all you need is general education, it's plenty. 

 

So it's also important to research transfer credit policies with the department that houses her intended major. Also, some majors are a lot more hierarchical than others; it's very hard to catch up in math or physics or engineering or music, much less hard in other departments where the curriculum is less sequential. 

 

I would not, however, rule out colleges with great merit aid because they won't take all of them -- if she gets enough aid, it might be cheaper to do 5 semesters at one place than 4 somewhere else. 

[Kassia]

 

 

I would not, however, rule out colleges with great merit aid because they won't take all of them -- if she gets enough aid, it might be cheaper to do 5 semesters at one place than 4 somewhere else. 

 

I agree.  In fact, I don't really want her to graduate early.  She's already young for her grade (August birthday) and I don't see any reason for her to finish college early.  If she gets credit for DE, then I'd like to see her take lighter loads (like one of her older brothers), get a minor (also something her older brother did), take more classes that interest her, or double major.  As of now, she wants to graduate early, but she's so young and could change her mind.  She also doesn't want to repeat classes, which I can understand.  

[G5052]

It's really going to vary. Some colleges are going to have transfer agreements or even full databases of what they accept. Others are even going to have guaranteed admission agreements where they basically count two years at the community college the same as the first two years in their program.

 

In my state, the state colleges don't treat DE any different than any other college credit.

[kokotg]

My son will graduate with a number of DE credits, so we've been looking into this. As far as I can tell, most very selective colleges are pretty picky about what DE they'll accept. I can give Emory as an example, because I've looked at it the most and we just did a tour there yesterday, and I asked the admissions guy about it. They won't take more than 12 credit hours for incoming freshmen from any source (AP and DE together). He said AP credits have an edge when you're looking at what will transfer because they know exactly what's in the curriculum and how it lines up with their courses. They won't take DE courses that were used to fulfill high school graduation requirements, but they might, on a case by case basis, accept some that went beyond the requirements. If you're looking at less selective colleges, they're more likely to accept more of your DE credits. 

[GoodGrief]

I agree.  In fact, I don't really want her to graduate early.  She's already young for her grade (August birthday) and I don't see any reason for her to finish college early.  If she gets credit for DE, then I'd like to see her take lighter loads (like one of her older brothers), get a minor (also something her older brother did), take more classes that interest her, or double major.  As of now, she wants to graduate early, but she's so young and could change her mind.  She also doesn't want to repeat classes, which I can understand.  

 

She sounds like a very hard working and practical young woman who is eager to get to adult life. :-)

 

Not sure what you mean by a lighter load, but some scholarships will require a full time load each semester/quarter, and some schools don't have a part time option, so keep that in mind. But being able to double major or minor is a great benefit.

 

I guess in the end I would try to mentally prepare her that not all the credits may transfer and that doesn't negate the work she put into going that route. She was preparing herself for college life, and learning how to learn at that level. She also is potentially providing a greater variety of opportunities for herself, as schools and scholarships will look at that transcript and see that she has proven what she can do.

 

If they all do transfer, then great!

[Kassia]

She sounds like a very hard working and practical young woman who is eager to get to adult life. :-)

 

Not sure what you mean by a lighter load, but some scholarships will require a full time load each semester/quarter, and some schools don't have a part time option, so keep that in mind. But being able to double major or minor is a great benefit.

 

I guess in the end I would try to mentally prepare her that not all the credits may transfer and that doesn't negate the work she put into going that route. She was preparing herself for college life, and learning how to learn at that level. She also is potentially providing a greater variety of opportunities for herself, as schools and scholarships will look at that transcript and see that she has proven what she can do.

 

If they all do transfer, then great!

 

Thanks!  Her older brother started college with a lot of DE credits and was able to take 12-14 credits/semester instead of 15-18, plus he added a minor.  It was very nice for him and that's what I meant about a lighter load.  

[kiana]

Does she have long term goals, too? Or just "finish"?

[Kassia]

Does she have long term goals, too? Or just "finish"?

 

Good question.  Right now, no long term goals.  She is obsessed with circus arts and wants to perform even though she's aware that is not going to happen.  It's been a struggle for her mentally.  I am hoping she finds something in her DE classes that she's passionate about that she wants to do as a career.  She has had fantastic professors who love her and want to help her with career and academic choices so that's been nice.  

[kiana]

Aha, yeah, I remember you saying that. 

 

Isn't she going to college near where there's a great school for that?

[Kassia]

Aha, yeah, I remember you saying that. 

 

Isn't she going to college near where there's a great school for that?

 

 

That's what we're working on now.  She prefers a small college near a circus school or a studio with aerial silks (close proximity to some kind of classes is a must).  She thinks she wants to be in a warmer climate, but she also doesn't want to be far from home - she's unsure about location.  We would need merit aid and she is hoping for many of her DE credits to transfer.  It's been a frustrating search!  

[kiana]

Frankly, it is SO much easier to find free time as a student that (were I in her shoes) I would be trying to make it 12 credits/semester for 4 years just so I could spend my free time at circus training. 

 

After being a student, you have the money, but not the time. 

[Kassia]

Frankly, it is SO much easier to find free time as a student that (were I in her shoes) I would be trying to make it 12 credits/semester for 4 years just so I could spend my free time at circus training. 

 

After being a student, you have the money, but not the time. 

 

Exactly!  That's what she is hoping for and why she wants the DE credits to transfer.  Even if she doesn't continue with circus arts in college, it would be nice for her to have more room in her schedule for other things.  

[kiana]

I'd originally read your posts as she wanted to make sure that all of them transferred, possibly I was wrong. What I was meaning to say is that as 12x8 = 96, all she really needs to worry about is that they take enough to pretty much complete gen eds; she can spend four leisurely years on extra topics (I ended up with 3 minors because of my entry credits), or just taking every class the university offers in whatever major she ends up in (I also did that for my major). 

 

Repeating classes is frustrating but a lot of universities (again, investigate) will say "Ok, you took (for example) linear algebra at home, and you seem to know it well, but we don't give credit for that; however, you can take advanced linear algebra, and we will substitute that". 

[RootAnn]

As I've been researching merit scholarships for my oldest kid (junior this year), I'm finding many of them require 15 credits/semester minimum or 30 credits/year. So, you'll have to add that into your equation . . . I am finding some of the bigger universities offer dual majors where one is a foreign language and it doesn't take much to fulfill the language major if you are already starting at the 300-level. (There are exceptions to this! One university I found doesn't start counting classes for the major until you GET to the 300-level - assuming that anyone who wants to major in the language already has four semesters worth of knowledge under their belt.)

[SMMom1]

It depends on the university. Here are the policies from three private universities: USC, Yale, Tufts. None will accept DE for college credit if it is on the high school transcript.

 

[katilac]

Private colleges can be selective or non-selective, and they will all have their own rules. The less selective the school and major, the more credits they are likely to take. 

 

Does your community college have classes that are equivalent to 3000 level courses? If not, that alone will be a limiting factor, because  a substantial number of courses need to be taken at the 3000+ level to qualify for graduation. This will apply for both majors and minors. 

 

Different majors can also have very different gen ed requirements. One of the majors dd is looking at requires four social sciences, 2 at the 1000 level, 2 at the 2000 level. Another major only requires one social science. Assuming the student takes the higher number at CC because she's thinking about the first major, they might transfer for the second major but would only count for electives. This second major also only has 15 hours of free electives, so this scenario would leave you with only two free electives to take (which is a negative if you want to explore and take some interesting classes just for personal and academic growth). These factors are going to apply even within your state system; they may "accept" all of your credits, but that doesn't mean they will put you closer to graduation. 

 

Extra electives don't matter one way or the other.

 

If she plans to attend for 4 years anyway, or even 3, I wouldn't fret about every single credit transferring, when she plans to have so many. 8 semesters at 12 hours equals 96 hours, with graduation requirements at 120 or 124, sometimes 128. At 124, 80 transfer credits leaves 44 remaining, which is not even two years at 12 hours per semester.  

 

I would urger her to not to start boxing herself into certain colleges because of this. Be careful and intentional about some of the credits, sure, but I wouldn't stress over it, and I would want her to take some classes on their own interest and merit, not just because they will transfer. Lots of people double major without any transfer credits, so even going in with 30 or so will lighten the load considerably. 

Edited January 29, 2018 by katilac

[dirty ethel rackham]

Another thing to watch out for is what they do with the transferred credit.  K received transfer credit for a ton of classes, but many of his gen eds did not fulfill certain "core" classes that had to be taken on compus ... a diversity credit, a humanities that met a writing component.  So, although K was technically a junior after the first semester on campus, those credits really would not have reduced time on campus.  The point is moot now because K won't be going back there after the mental illness issues.  

[Kassia]

Another thing to watch out for is what they do with the transferred credit.  K received transfer credit for a ton of classes, but many of his gen eds did not fulfill certain "core" classes that had to be taken on compus ... a diversity credit, a humanities that met a writing component.  So, although K was technically a junior after the first semester on campus, those credits really would not have reduced time on campus.  The point is moot now because K won't be going back there after the mental illness issues.  

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug: