AMERICAN UNIVERSITY TRANSFER
PROGRAM AT
GREEN RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
AUBURN, WA, USA
E-mail: international@grcc.ctc.edu
Website: www.grcc.ctc.edu
1. THE FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY BACHELOR’S DEGREE
A university Bachelors degree usually takes four years to complete,
although it can
easily take longer. Students can earn a Bachelors degree by taking all four years at
the same university, or taking one or two years at a college and finishing the rest at the
university. This is called transfer. It is cheaper and easier to earn a Bachelors degree
by starting at a community college and finishing at a university.
Lower and upper division - The
four-year Bachelors degree at American universities is
divided into two parts - lower division classes (the first two years) and upper division
classes (the last two years).
General education requirements - Lower
division classes consist mainly of general
university requirements (GURs). GURs are classes in a wide variety of subjects, mostly
unrelated to the major subject. The purpose of requiring GURs is to give the college
student “universal” knowledge, not
just information in his or her major subject. The
word “university” reveals its
original mission of developing well-educated generalists,
although this has changed somewhat over the years. More technical majors (engineering,
architecture, etc.) require fewer GURs, while less technical majors (art, psychology,
business) require more GURs.
Major and minor - Upper division
classes consist of courses in the major subject, and in
most cases a minor subject as well. A student might major in history, for example, and
minor in English. Business and engineering majors usually do not have majors, but
specializations. Examples of specializations would include accounting, marketing or
finance (business) or electrical, chemical or civil engineering (engineering).
Quarter and semester - American
universities are on the quarter (three quarters per
year) or semester (two semesters per year) system. Students usually take four
classes per quarter, or six per semester, for a total of 12 per year. Both systems
require four years for the Bachelor’s degree.
Credit - Classes are taken for credit.
It takes 180 quarter credits, or 120 semester
credits, to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in most majors.
One semester credit
equals 1.5 quarter credits.
Transfer - One unique feature of
American universities is the transferability of credits
from one college or university to another. Generally, courses taken at one university
are honored at another. Students can take all of their lower division courses at a
community college, for example, and transfer to most US universities as a third-year
junior. Credits taken outside the US can be transferred in many cases as well.
2. SAMPLE PROGRAMS
It is impossible to list every possible program. Students have many
free choices of
classes in every major. General education requirements (GURs) include Humanities
(art, communications, languages, music, philosophy, speech, etc.), Social Sciences
(history, geography, psychology, political science, sociology, etc.), and Math/Science
(mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, etc.). They also include small
classes called Activities (physical education, beginning computer, guitar, etc.). Some
choices are possible in major and minor courses as well.
 Arts and Sciences
Business Engineering
Computer Science
Lower Division (Green River Community College)
| Year 1 |
English writing
Mathematics
GURs |
English writing
Mathematics
GURs |
English writing
Mathematics
Engineering
GURs |
English writing
Mathematics
GURs |
| Year 2 |
GURs
Some major
|
Accounting
Economics
Business law
Some GURs |
Mathematics
Engineering
Science
Some GURs |
Mathematics
Physics
Some computer
Some GURs |
Upper Division (university)
| Year 3 and 4 |
Major classes
Minor classes |
Specialization
Possibly minor |
Specialization
Possibly minor |
Computer science
Possibly minor |
3. THE “2 + 2”
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSFER PROGRAM
About half of all American university students
earning a Bachelor’s degree
transfer
from a community college. The system is basically quite simple. Students take their
lower division courses at a community college (2 years), transfer to a university, and
complete their upper division courses (2 years) at the university to earn a Bachelor's
degree. It is as easy as “2 + 2”.
Many students prefer to start at community colleges because
costs are lower, classes
are easier, and transfer is virtually guaranteed to US universities.
4. UNIVERSITY TRANSFER CHOICES
Green River Community College international
students have transferred to prestigious
universities all over the United States. Our students have been admitted to the following
universities (among many, many others):
| Arizona State University |
University of Hawaii |
| Boston University |
University of Illinois |
| California State University |
University of Indiana |
| Cornell University |
University of Massachusetts |
| Georgetown University |
University of Michigan |
| George Washington University |
University of Minnesota |
| Michigan State University |
University of North Carolina |
| Ohio State University |
University of Oregon |
| Parsons School of Design |
University of Southern California |
| Purdue University |
University of Texas |
| Seattle University |
University of Virginia |
| Texas A&M University |
University of Washington |
| University of California, Berkeley |
University of Wisconsin |
| UCLA |
Washington State University |
| University of Connecticut |
…and many, many more! |
5. UNIVERSITY ADMISSION AS A
TRANSFER STUDENT
Your Green River international student
advisor can help you plan for transfer to the
university of your choice. Transfer students are usually considered third-year juniors
by their transfer university. It is best to plan early. Admission to universities depends
on the following factors:
College grade point average
(gpa) - Your grade point average,
particularly that of your first three quarters at Green River, will be the
most important element of the admissions decision at your target
university.
Number of college credits -
Most universities require transfer
students to have completed about one year of courses - 45 quarter
credits - to use their community college grades as the primary basis
of admission.
TOEFL score - The most
competitive universities require TOEFL
scores in the range of 580-600 (CBT 237-250). Most universities,
however, require TOEFL scores between 500 and 550 (CBT 173-213).
A number of universities do not require TOEFL for students who have
completed a two-year Associate of Arts degree (the degree offered
at Green River).
Extracurricular activities -
Participation in student government, clubs,
organizations, and work experience all adds to a student’s chance of
admission. This is particularly true in admission to elite universities,
where competition foradmission is greatest.
Other requirements - Many universities require an
essay. Care should
be taken to make sure the essay is mistake-free, on topic, and above
all, interesting. Letters of recommendation may also be required. In
addition, all universities require the following: 1) application, 2) financial
statement, 3) original college (and probably high school) transcripts,
and 4) an application fee.
6. GREEN RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Located near Seattle, Washington, Green River Community
College offers high quality
educational programs to approximately 9,000 students. The forested campus lies in a
suburban location about 40 minutes from downtown Seattle, and 20 minutes from
Seattle International Airport.
The college welcomes about 400 international students from
40 countries. The
“top ten”
countries represented at Green River, with approximate
number of
students, include:
| Japan |
70 |
Kuwait |
20 |
| Hong Kong |
55 |
United Arab Emirates |
20 |
| Taiwan |
55 |
Brazil |
15 |
| Korea |
50 |
Sweden |
15 |
| Indonesia |
50 |
Thailand |
10 |
Green River offers a full range of services,
including a) housing, b) academic,
personal, and transfer advising, c) social activities, and d) free computer and
internet use. The college offers the following basic types of programs:
Academic programs
University transfer (top universities such as
UC Berkeley and Washington)
High
school completion (same classes count for both high school and
college)
Degrees
and certificates (3 to 24-month programs)
Job training programs
Internship (school-arranged job)
Customized business and technical training (individuals or groups)
Degrees and certificates (3 to 24-month programs)
English language programs
Intensive ESL (college or business
preparation)
Summer IESL (short program)
Summer
Study and Fun (study/tour program)
Customized
private English (individual or group)
Group
English for specific purposes (ESP)
Approximately 130 academic and vocational (job)
majors are available.
The following is a small sample of our majors:
| Architecture |
Business |
| Art |
Chemistry |
| Aviation |
Communications |
| Biology |
Computer Science |
| Economics |
Music |
| Education |
Nursing |
| Engineering |
Photography |
| English |
Physical Therapy Assist. |
| Forestry |
Psychology |
| History |
Social Science |
| Mathematics |
|
7. INTENSIVE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
(IESL)
Green River’s Intensive ESL program provides a strong foundation of English for
students wishing to attend a college academic program, or improve their English
skills for work in their home countries. The program has five levels, ranging from
beginning to pre-academic. Each level takes one quarter to complete.
Students are given an IESL placement test during
orientation, the week before class
starts. Based on the results, students may be placed in any of the five levels, or may
be placed in the academic level, qualified to take academic classes without ESL.
Placement in other ESL programs, TOEFL, IELTS and/or Cambridge scores, if
available, are also considered. The program is organized as follows:
Fall, Winter Spring Quarters
(11 weeks, Mon-Fri) |
Summer Quarter
(8 weeks, Mon-Thu) |
| Morning |
Breakfast, study |
Morning |
Breakfast |
| Noon - 12:50 |
Speaking/Listening |
9:00 - 10:30 |
Reading |
| 1:00 - 1:50 |
Lunch |
10:40 - 12:10 |
Grammar/TOEFL |
| 2:00 - 2:50 |
Grammar/TOEFL |
12:10 - 12:50 |
Lunch |
| 3:00 - 3:50 |
Writing |
12:50 - 2:20 |
Writing |
| 4:00 - 4:50 |
Reading |
2:30 - 4:00 |
Speaking/Listening |
| 5:00 on |
Dinner, study, free time |
4:00 on |
Dinner, study, free time |
8. ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AND ACADEMIC PLACEMENT
TOEFL is not required for admission to Green
River’s English language
programs.
Strong English language skills are needed for success in the college academic and
vocational programs. Students who meet at least one of the following criteria qualify
for admission into the college’s
academic program without ESL. If none of the
criteria are met, the student will be placed in the college’s Intensive ESL Program
first. Students completing GRCC’s
Intensive ESL program graduate to college
academic standing without TOEFL.
The following criteria govern placement in the colleges
academic program or
Intensive ESL program:
| COLLEGE
ACADEMIC/VOCATIONAL |
INTENSIVE
ENGLISH (IESL) |
| 1. TOEFL 173/500 or higher |
TOEFL 170/497 or lower |
| 2. Completion of GRCC IESL Level
5 |
GRCC IESL Level 4 or lower |
3. Academic placement on IESL
Placement Test (Michigan Test 85
or higher) |
ESL placement on IESL Placement
Test (Michigan Test 84 or lower) |
| 4. COMPASS placement in Engl 110 |
COMPASS placement in Engl 100
or lower |
5. Completion of other recognized
college
preparation ESL program |
Completion of lower level of other
college preparation ESL program |
6. College academic standing at
other
recognized college or university |
ESL standing at other college or
university |
9. COSTS
| Quarterly tuition (Fall 2000 through Summer
2001) |
$2,153 |
| Housing (host family, room and board) |
$1,350 |
| College application fee |
$50 |
| Housing application fee |
$100 |
10. ADMISSION
The following items are needed for admission
to Green River Community College.
1. College application
2. College application fee of $50
3. Financial statement
4. Transcript (grades) of last school attended
5. Optional: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge score, if available
6. US transfer students only: Transfer form (to be signed by present school)
If housing is needed:
1. Housing application
2. Housing application fee of $100
|
Please refer to our online application on www.grcc.ctc.edu/international
11. DATES AND DEADLINES
The application should be submitted at least
one month before the beginning of the
quarter desired. The following represents the college schedule for 2000-2001:
| Quarter |
Quarterly
dates |
Appl.
deadline |
| Summer 2000 |
June 26 - August 18 |
May 31 |
| Fall 2000 |
September 25 - December 14 |
August 31 |
| Winter 2001 |
January 2 - March 20 |
November 30 |
| Spring 2001 |
April 2 - June 15 |
February 28 |
| Summer 2001 |
June 25 - August 17 |
May 31 |
| Fall 2001 |
September 24 - December 13 |
August 31 |
12. HOUSING
Four housing options are available for Green
River students:
College-affiliated apartment - Space is
available in an apartment complex
only a ten-minute walk from campus. If a unit is not immediately available,
housing is arranged in a “friendship
family” (see “2” below) until a
unit comes open. Cost: $300-700 per month, depending on number of
roommates and size of apartment.
Friendship family
- This option is best for students wishing to try a host
family without a long obligation. If the student wishes to move to an
apartment, the family will help make arrangements. Cost: $25 per day;
one week minimum.
One-month host family - Students can
choose to remain with the host
family at the end of the month or move into an apartment. Single room
and full board. Cost: $500 for one month.
Three-month host family - This is the
cheapest option, but the student
must stay a minimum of three months. Single room and full board.
Cost: $1,350 for three months.
13. SEATTLE AND WASHINGTON STATE
Seattle is a beautiful, modern city in the
Pacific Northwest of the United States.
The Seattle area is famous for great scenic beauty and a dynamic economy.
High-technology giants Boeing and Microsoft are located here. An excellent
college and university system produces graduates in business, computer
science, engineering, and virtually all educational fields. Shopping is excellent,
and entertainment includes sports, great restaurants, music, clubs, culture,
and many other attractions.
The natural beauty of the area is absolutely stunning.
Seattle and Green River
Community College are located on Puget Sound, a long arm of the ocean
snaking between two towering, snow-capped mountain ranges. Boating, fishing,
mountain climbing, river rafting, skiing and camping are all possible within an
hour’s drive of the city.
The movie “Sleepless in Seattle” gives an impression that it rains a lot in Seattle.
In winter, it does! Snow is very rare, except in the mountains, where it supports
many excellent ski resorts. Spring and fall are good seasons in the Seattle area,
and summers are absolutely beautiful. Winter temperatures range between 0 and
10C, while warm summer temperatures fluctuate between 10 and 30C.
14. CONTACT
International Programs
Green River Community College
12401 320th Street SE
Auburn, WA 98092-3699
USA
Tel： 253-288-3300
Fax：253-931-6346
E-mail：international@grcc.ctc.edu
Website：www.grcc.ctc.edu
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