Name:
Date:
Current program:
How to use this worksheet. Transferring is normal and often sensible. It goes wrong mainly when credits do not carry over, and that is almost always knowable in advance. This sheet is about finding out before you move, not after.
PART 1
What Transferring Actually Involves
Read together first.
The parts that matter
- Outside CUNY, credits do not automatically count somewhere else — each receiving institution decides. Within CUNY, Pathways core courses are designed to transfer between CUNY colleges — but confirm it in writing anyway.
- Some courses transfer as an exact equivalent; some transfer only as general credit; some do not transfer at all.
- Requirements differ, so a course that was required at one place may not exist at the next.
- Timing matters — deadlines for transfer applications are often earlier than you expect.
Key idea: Ask what will carry over before you commit, and get the answer from the place you are going to, not the place you are leaving.
PART 2
Where I Am Now
Take stock of what you have.
1.Courses completed so far, and credits earned:
2.Which of these were required for my current program?
3.My current standing (grades, any outstanding requirements):
Clarify — List everything, including courses you did not enjoy or did poorly in. What transfers is decided by the record, not by how you felt about it.
PART 3
Where I Am Considering Going
One destination at a time.
4.Program and institution:
5.What does it require that I have already done?
6.What does it require that I have not done yet?
7.Has anyone told me, in writing, which of my credits will count?
Clarify — “In writing” matters. A verbal “that should be fine” is not something you can rely on later, and asking for it in an email is completely normal.
PART 4
The Cost of Moving
Be honest about what the move costs, in time as well as money.
8.How many credits would I likely lose?
9.How much extra time would that add?
10.Is the reason for moving worth that?
Clarify — Losing some credits is not automatically a reason to stay. A program that fits better can be worth an extra term — but decide that knowingly rather than discovering it afterwards.
PART 5
Who I Need to Ask, and When
Names and dates.
11.Who at my current institution can confirm my record?
12.Who at the destination decides what transfers?
13.What is the application deadline?
14.What will I do this week?
Clarify — The person who decides what transfers is usually at the receiving institution, not your current one. Ask them directly — your current advisor can only tell you what you have, not what it will be worth elsewhere.
💡 Tips for You: Get It in Writing
- A verbal yes is not a transfer. Ask for the answer in an email, and keep the email. Staff change and memories differ.
- Ask who actually decides. The person being helpful is not always the person with the authority. Find out who signs off.
- Check the credits before you commit. Moving is far cheaper before you have paid for a term than after.
Reflection
What is the one thing you still do not know about transferring? Who has the authority to answer it? What exactly will you ask them, and when?
— End of Worksheet —
Bring this to your next session and talk it through.
FOR MENTOR USE — STUDY THIS TOGETHER
Mentor Guide
How to run this worksheet, use the hints, and review it together
1. What this builds
Transfer planning, aimed squarely at the failure mode: discovering after the move that credits did not carry. The sheet insists on a written answer from the receiving institution and makes the time cost explicit, so a transfer becomes a decision rather than an accident.
2. Running it
- Read the part headings aloud together before the student starts. Knowing the shape of the sheet lowers the cost of starting.
- There are no wrong answers on the fill-in lines — this is the student's own thinking, not a test.
- Every working part has a Clarify hint. The student should try the part first and read the hint only if stuck. It gives a strategy, never words to copy.
- If a line stays blank, that is information. Ask what made it hard rather than filling it in for them.
3. What to watch for
- Part 2 lists that omit courses the student did badly in. Transfer decisions run on the transcript; an incomplete list produces a wrong answer.
- Part 3's “in writing” question answered with a remembered conversation. Help them draft the email — this single step prevents the most expensive version of this mistake.
- Part 4 where the student has already decided emotionally. The question is not whether they should move but whether they know the price; make sure the number is on the page.
- Deadlines in Part 5 are commonly the binding constraint and commonly unknown. If it is not known, that is the week's task.
4. Reviewing it
Review with the student, not by marking the page. Ask them to read one answer aloud and say why they wrote it — the reason matters more than the wording.
Finish by agreeing one specific thing to try before the next session. Write it on the last line so it is not lost.