When I decided to start my education at a two-year college, I already dreaded the “t word”—transfer. Community college saved me money, gave me time to hone in on my major and offered me a scholarship opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Still, I was petrified of what I thought would be a convoluted transfer process (I was so wrong.) As my two years finished up and I decided to transfer to Rowan University, I realized there are simple ways to make transferring much easier. Take these five tips to heart early on and you’ll have the easiest transfer ever.
1. Start planning early
If you are attending a two-year college in state, don’t pick a single class until you’ve visited NJTransfer.org. This free website is the best resource transfers have. Enter in the associate degree path you’re on and the bachelor’s degree you want to earn over the next four years. The website will tell you which classes to take so you can fulfill as many requirements as possible. Following this step from the beginning helped me transfer nearly 100 credits, making my Rowan University course load a lot more manageable.
2. Choose the school you transfer wisely
Rowan University partners with all New Jersey community colleges with a number of local community colleges. These partnerships have serious benefits so give them extra thought. For me, choosing to transfer to Rowan meant a waived application fee, the option to interview with a recruiter and be accepted on the spot and a guarantee that all of my credits would transfer.
3. Explore what resources are available to transfer students at your new school
Will you have to go to orientation with brand-new college freshmen, or take a special freshman only class despite having junior status? Are there staff members who specialize in the transfer process? At Rowan, the Division of Transfer Services is here to help you every step of the way. Transfer Services holds different workshops and plans transfer-specific orientations and events to help you become familiar with campus. And when in doubt, you can always email Transfer Help to access any department at any time for help or questions.
4. Once you’re admitted, be sure to look into transfer scholarships offered by your two-year or four-year college, as well as outside organizations.
The most prominent transfer scholarship program is NJ Stars. This program admits high-achieving high school students to local two-year colleges tuition free! Keeping their GPAs up earns those students a $5,000 grant once they transfer to a NJ state college. To learn more about the options for NJ transfer students, visit HESAA.org. The State of New Jersey, in partnership with Rowan University, also offers the Garden State Guarantee. Garden State Guarantee provides financial aid resources specifically for Transfer students.
5. Once you get on campus with your transcript in tow and your scholarships lined up, get involved!
Rowan offers forums, lunches and meet-ups for transfer students to get to know each other. These students are also given all of the same privileges as returning students from the moment they step on campus. Move into student housing, join a school sports team or run for student government. The best tip to transferring is really just to embrace the culture of your four-year school and make it your home.
About Rowan
Since its founding in 1923, Rowan University has evolved from a teacher preparation college to a public research institution ranked among the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Rowan University offers bachelor’s through doctoral degrees and professional certificates in person and online to nearly 25,000 students through its main campus in Glassboro and its eight other locations in southern New Jersey. Rowan focuses on practical research at the intersection of health care, engineering, science and business, while ensuring excellence in undergraduate education. The University has earned national recognition for innovation; commitment to high-quality, affordable education; and the development of public-private partnerships. A Carnegie-classified R2 (high research activity) institution, Rowan is the fastest-growing public research university in the Northeast and among the nation’s top 10 fastest-growing, as reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2025, Rowan opened New Jersey’s only veterinary school and is one of only two universities in the nation to offer M.D., D.O., and D.V.M. medical degrees.