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Getting Ready for Transfer Orientation and Advising

After reading the information in this booklet regarding how transfer credits are evaluated and how they apply to the LS&A degree requirements (look over the FAQ section carefully), it is a good idea to look at your transfer credit and make a tentative list of how those courses might apply to your degree here. Using the "Progress Towards Degree Self Check" form on the next page, fill in any courses that you think might be used to satisfy LS&A requirements. If you have received your credit evaluation from the Admissions Office, use that to assist you in this exercise. If you have not yet received the evaluation, make a list of all the classes you think will transfer and make your best guess at how they will transfer and apply.

Count up how many transfer credits you think you will have and how many credits you would still have to take in LS&A to reach the minimum 120. Note how many credits, if any, come from courses that might be taught in another portion of the University (e.g., Engineering, Business, Kinesiology) rather than in the liberal arts college.

Note if you think you have a transfer composition course that the U of M English Composition Board accepts as intro comp. If you can, check the ECB website for verification.

Note any courses that you think might meet Language, Race & Ethnicity, and Quantative Reasoning. Be sure that you talk to your advisor about these courses and what you have to do to see if your estimate is correct for these requirements.

Write on the back of the form all of your transfer courses that you think might apply to your concentration. If you have access to the Internet, look at the online LS&A Bulletin's concentration homepage at:

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/saa/concentrations.html.

Check the requirements and pre-requisites for that concentration so that you have a good idea of what might count toward the concentration and what courses you might still need to take.

Consider if any of your transfer credits might be counted toward the Distribution Requirement. Pattern97 is the only distribution pattern available to transfer students at this time.

Your advisor will also fill out a Progress Towards Degree form using the most up-to-date information the Advising Center has received from Admissions. You and the advisor will compare notes during your orientation sessions so that you will receive an official outline of exactly how your transfer credits will be used in your degree here.

We encourage you to access the LS&A Student Academic Affairs home page to read about College rules and requirements in detail before you come to campus. Once you have finished filling out the Progress Towards Degree Self Check, look at the on-line Course Guide for the coming term to see what courses in your concentration are going to be offered and which ones you would be interested in electing your first term here. Also browse through what courses are available that meet other requirements you still need to satisfy or courses that would add a particular skill or experience that you would like to add to your transcript. It is a good idea to make a long list of courses and alternates that are available in the coming term that would be of interest to you. Bring that list with you to orientation so that you and your advisor can use it as a starting point in your discussions. If you don't have easy access to the Internet at home or at school, you may find your local public library has Internet connections available for public use. The more research and thinking that you do prior to your orientation, the further ahead you will be when you consult your advisor and get ready to register.