The time has finally come: the end of the spring semester. For most, this means a relaxing, stress-free summer vacation. For others, sophomores to be exact, an entirely new journey awaits those continuing on to a university from Allen Community College. It can be compared to going though senior year all over again: sad, scary, and stressful. It sounds all bad, but transferring to a university is something to be proud of.

Kansas has adopted a fairly new system called reverse transferring. Students obtaining an associate’s degree from a community college can directly transfer to basically any university in Kansas and be accepted as a junior. This prevents some credits being accepted and some that do not transfer, causing transfer and enrollment rates to grow.

Specifically focusing on Allen, sophomores typically transfer to Washburn University, Pittsburg State University, Emporia State University, and Kansas State University. Of course, these are not the only schools students transfer to, but they are the most popular selections.

A statistic from the Kansas Board of Regents show that students that transferred to university from Allen Community College do, in fact, perform better in the classroom compared to a student who went to university directly after high school.

Universities typically accept 60-68 credits from transferring sophomores. To graduate with an associate’s degree, most common degree programs require 64 credits. Students have responsibilities other than getting these credits.

Bobbie Haviland, registrar at Allen, said sophomores must do two things to ensure transferring with a degree: apply for graduation and get all official transcripts sent. Just because a student participates in graduation (walks), does not guarantee a degree. Nearly 60 students applied for graduation this past year but did not receive a diploma. To ensure a student has a diploma come May, Haviland recommended a couple of tips.

• Get a degree audit and update it often. Relying on only your advisor can get students in credit trouble come springtime.
• Check the classes that are offered at both Allen and the university the student wishes to transfer to, and see about taking it here.

Community college is a smart and affordable transition stage for students going to college who may not be ready for a class with 300 other people and who may be unsure of what to study. With smaller classes, a smaller campus, and low tuition rates, community college should be taken into major consideration by high school seniors. The scholarship opportunities are endless, as well as memories and friends that can last a lifetime.