RCC Transfers: Where to Go Next

SUNY Rockland students spend approximately two years studying hard, experiencing the ups and downs of college life, gearing up for whatever comes next. However, the big question is, "What does come next?"

Although some students have an idea of where they want to journey onto, others may have not one clue as to what to look for when deciding where to transfer.

With so many different colleges and universities—large or small, with a city life or "suburbia"—the choices seem endless.

Nevertheless, narrowing down your options doesn't have to be too difficult when choosing the right school.

The most important thing to know is that picking the right school is an individual decision.

Len Gersten, a faculty counselor at RCC, specializes in transferring and offers advisement for any student enduring the college transfer process. The whole ordeal of transferring can become overwhelming, but luckily there's a group of people located in the Academic Advisement office who are willing to help.

There are several factors that one should keep in mind when selecting school possibilities and creating a list. School size, location, and financial limitations are some examples of criteria that need to be considered when figuring out the best options.

After pinpointing exactly what you want your school to have, the best way to research the perfect school is to know what kind of programs the schools on your list offer.

From business to graphic design, whatever your major

or interests may be, RCC students are known for continuing their education at some of the most prestigious and well-known colleges and universities.

According to the US News and World Report website, the best business schools in the country include University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), New York University, Cornell University, and University of Virginia.

Other schools such as CUNY Baruch College and Pace University are known for their business programs, and are both in New York.

Another popular major at RCC is English. US News and World Report have New York University, University of California (Berkeley), University of Iowa, Northwestern University, and Columbia University on their list of the best English programs.

Graphic design majors should look into Carnegie Mellon University, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Delaware, Drexel University and Maryland Institute College of Art. According to www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com, the best science undergraduate programs include Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, Duke, John Hopkins University, and University of Wisconsin.

These programs are known for being competitive, but it shouldn't scare you off. SUNY campuses like Stony Brook Binghamton, or Downstate, are also noted for offering great science programs.

Other universities to check out are Arizona State University, University of Central Florida, and University of North Texas, which according to US News and World Report online, enrolled approximately 5,000 transfer students in the fall of 2009.

Many RCC students apply to schools like Ramapo College in New Jersey, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Albany, Hunter College, St. Thomas Aquinas, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.When transferring, it's important to know where you stand—but don't be afraid to send out applications to a few schools.

Don't be discouraged by uncertainty, use an opportunity to transfer to be unique and explore all the schools you could possibly find.