Rachel McClurg
Lantern Staff
For sophomores, the transfer process is approaching quickly. Starting the process as quickly as possible is a good idea for those wanting to transfer soon.
“Students should communicate with their Butler Academic Advisor to begin the process as early as possible,” Academic Advisor Shannon Herbert said. “We can provide them with contact information and transfer guides to most schools in Kansas. They should then go for a transfer campus visit to the colleges or universities they are considering.”
Since Butler is a community college, it is very common for people to transfer to a university. Talking to other sophomores could help in the long run if they have a head start getting the process over with.
“My advice to those who haven’t applied yet is to stay ahead of the game,” sophomore Taylor Bergman said. “Make sure to plan ahead of time such as planning visits, sending transcripts and enrolling.”
There are many resources available to students who plan on transferring after they have completed their courses at Butler.
“The Butler Academic Advising website and websites of transfer colleges and universities are very helpful,” Herbert said. “We also have transfer representatives that visit our campuses at Butler in El Dorado and Andover to help answer questions. Your Butler Academic Advisor is a great resource, too!”
A common problem when transferring is having classes that either do not transfer or transfer differently. Being aware of this when choosing classes could save a lot of hassle later on.
“The process has been pretty easy so far,” sophomore Caitlin Dodgen said. “Only a couple of my classes are having to transfer as electives instead of what I actually intended them for.”
Talking to an advisor when picking classes can also help to avoid the problem of taking classes that will not transfer to a university.
“Every college or university evaluates our classes to see how they fit into their degree programs,” Herbert said. “Our fundamental level classes like Fundamentals of English or Fundamentals of Algebra do not transfer because they are preparing students for college level work.”
Attending a community college is common among recent high school graduates because often it is much cheaper than a university. After completing community college, a lot of the time college students will transfer to a university.
“I’m finishing up the amount of credits I can take at Butler and I want to further my education so I’m switching schools to get the further education that I want,” Dodgen said.
As of 2015 and according to the Kansas Board of Regents, the top three universities Butler students transferred to were Wichita State, Kansas State, and Fort Hays.