TRAC services get students on the fast track to a university.
By Jakoby West
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Students who plan to transfer to a university in the fall should begin now, a transfer adviser says.
“If a student wants to start in the fall, now is the time,” Yesenia Caloca, transfer adviser at the transfer and career center, said March 1 in an interview.
The transfer and career center, known as TRAC, is located on the first floor of Moody Learning Center and offers advice and services to help students through the transfer process.
The first step of the transfer process starts with enrollment in this college, Caloca said.
Once enrolled at this college, students are assigned an adviser and given a copy of an associate degree plan for their major.
After enrollment, they are able to use services in the TRAC center.
If students are unsure of where they want to transfer, the TRAC center helps students explore their options and decide which university is the best fit for their major.
When deciding on a transfer institution, students should first think about if they want to stay in San Antonio, if they want to stay in Texas or if they want to attend a university out of state, she said.
With a university selected, a TRAC service students should use is following a transfer degree guide for their intended university.
The guide will show classes a student should take at this college and which classes transfer and apply to that university’s bachelor’s degree requirements.
“If you’re a student, they have a transfer degree plan for you and tell you which classes to take. So basically, I’m at UTSA right now; I’m just not there yet,” criminal justice freshman Kameron Jones said.
Following the transfer degree guide is especially important for students planning to pursue a math or science degree, Caloca said.
“If you’re going to be doing a math or a science degree, there is very specific course sequencing that needs to happen to be able to move on from one class to the next for their major,” she said.
The TRAC center offers physical copies of transfer degree guides for most universities in Texas, and students are urged to come by and pick one up as well as a physical copy of the associate degree plan, she said.
“With those two in hand, we can help them map out their transfer process,” Caloca said. The TRAC center then encourages students to meet with a university representative, which they can do during fairs and events hosted by the TRAC center.
Students can find a list of TRAC events as well as book an advising appointment with university representatives on the TRAC center website at www.alamo.edu/sac/TRAC/.
Students are then encouraged to meet with their transfer adviser every semester so they can make sure they are on the right track while also avoiding snags the students could face during the transfer process.
Some of the problems that could delay transferring include the three-peat rule, which requires students to pay out-of-district rates for a course when enrolling in it the third time.
Another problem could be students affected by the six-drop rule, which limits drops to six in all four years at public colleges in Texas.
She said meeting each semester with a TRAC adviser ensures a student is aware of the requirements of senior institutions, such as grade-point average.
When it comes down to applying to the transfer university, the student should do so one semester in advance, she said.
Be aware of university deadlines, she said. Some students may need to apply earlier than one semester.
Caloca said the process of applying to the university can be summed up in three main steps:
• Fill out an application for the university. If they are applying to a university in Texas, students do so through Apply Texas: www.applytexas.org/adappc/gen/profile.WBX.
• Pay all the admission fees and application fees, which vary by institution.
• Submit official school transcripts.
There may be additional steps depending on the university, but the TRAC center is here to help guide students through the process.
For questions regarding transferring or the transfer process, visit the TRAC center on the first floor of Moody Learning Center.
The center is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday; and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the first Saturday of the month.
Students can call the center at 210-486-1500.