by Bennett Shupp

RACC students may begin baccalaureate program while currently still Ravens.

A majority of college students are working towards a similar goal: receiving a degree that will get them a well-paying job in a desired field. In many cases, an associate degree cannot guarantee that. That means studying for a bachelor’s degree might be the wiser choice. But that move to a baccalaureate program can be difficult to plan. A student needs to pay attention to what classes transfer to another school’s gen-ed requirements and major requirements. And that often seems like a game of whack-a-mole.

RACC is a great college for taking inexpensive classes which, in many cases, will transfer to a four-year school. But it can be difficult to plan and figure out which classes at RACC will fit another school’s degree. That is when RACC’s dual admissions and cross registration programs may really help.

In dual admissions, a student signs an agreement which states they are committing to transfer to one of the four-year schools partnered with RACC. These colleges include Kutztown University, Albright College, Bloomsburg University, Temple University, Millersville University, Saint Joseph’s University, and Alvernia University. The agreement comes with benefits such as increased credit transferability and advising during the transfer process.

Jane Dietrich, current Senior Academic Advisor and Transfer Specialist, has been advising at RACC for 15 years.

She stated that, “[Dual admissions] is a good opportunity for students, especially when you’ve identified the school you want to transfer to and the program of study.”

Students wishing to transfer should take advantage of dual admissions because “the best way for a successful transfer is by planning,” said Dietrich. “It makes the whole process so much easier because we can plan [each] semester, and we can plan out your classes to fit our degree and to fit into [the transferring college’s] degree.”

Another program that benefits transferring RACC students is cross registration. This is offered to full-time students who may take one course per semester at a partnership school with a cross-registration agreement.

“This gives you a leg up when you do get there,” said Dietrich. “With cross registration, you can take some of those introductory major courses while you’re here at no extra cost. Then [those classes] come back here to fulfill our requirements and they’re [also] going to work up there and put you at a higher level.”

She also mentioned that students considering the dual admissions program “should take it seriously. They should have a genuine interest in attending the college in which they sign the letter of intent.”

In reference to the future of dual admissions at RACC, Dietrich said it may be “moving in a different direction to enhance dual admissions. Maybe we’ll do more program-to-program pathways that are more easily defined to help in planning. I think it will be made stronger.”

To learn more about dual admissions at RACC or to apply, meet with Transfer Services Staff by making an appointment in Berks Hall, Room 209 or by calling 610-607-6245.

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