Of all the community colleges in Oregon, Portland Community College is the one to watch. Aside from being the largest community college in the state, they offer the best resources for students looking to transfer from community college to another university. Although this is a great component of the school, it will sometimes be more convenient to find a transfer guide online. I believe that we will always have the very best community college transfer guide available on the internet, helping students transfer to Ivy League, Tier 1 or any university they desire.
The PCC website features an entire section dedicated to transferring to specific Oregon universities, such as Portland State University. In this section, you'll find helpful information on transferring credits, along with what classes to to take from start to finish. This is something that you will not find in most school websites. Most schools have articulation agreements and resources, but very few have made such a wide variety of information readily available online. Transfer information is usually tucked away somewhere in the admissions office in a booklet. As a result, not many students see or use it. Having all these transfer guides and information readily available online is great! In my opinion, every community college should have a section as detailed as this one.
Transferring to Portland State University
Using the Oregon transfer guides provided at pcc.edu, and perhaps my own community college guide, you'll have no problem getting into Portland State University. It's a lot easier when you have a step-by-step plan of what to do along the way. After getting accepted, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.
Although credits cost as little as $89 per credit at Portland Community College (for resident, or in-state students), you'll have a slight increase when going over to PSU, totaling around $8,000 per year. Now, that's quite a steal in comparison to a private university like NYU (which costs around $50,000 per year). You'll have completed your associates and bachelors degree for less than that so it's definitely a bargain.
To transfer to Portland State University, try to stay as focused as you can. That means keeping yourself focused on your goals and getting help when you need it. It's up to you to take advantage of all the resources available to you in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.
Something Else I Like About PCC
In addition to accessible transfer resources, PCC has an honors program for ambitious students. If you wish to transfer to a top university from community college, take advantage of this. Also, it shows that PCC cares deeply about providing a top quality education, which is why they take steps to recruit gifted students. If you're attending PCC, I strongly recommend you work your hardest to get into a program like this. Joining the honors program at my community college was one of the best decisions I've ever made. You might end up applying to Portland State University and getting accepted, but then decide to attend another university.
Sometimes when you keep yourself open to opportunities, especially at community colleges like PCC, you will achieve more that you ever thought possible. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. Thanks to Thomas Le Ngo for the photo and hats off to PCC for being a leading community college!
