A Transfer Student’s Guide to
the gold standard
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The Road Ahead Transferring to LSU
At LSU, we recognize that many times the road to a college education contains more than its share of curves and intersections. Minds, plans, and decisions are all subject to change. Just because you wanted to pursue a particular path out of high school doesn’t mean that you want to pursue the same path, one, two, or even three years later. No matter the road you have travelled thus far, LSU wants your final stop to be here, at Louisiana’s flagship university. After all, at the end of a long trip with many twists and turns, it’s always nice to find a place to call home.
LSU is the only public university in Louisiana designated as having very high research activity (RU/VH) by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the highest ranking awarded to doctorate-granting institutions. An aerial view of the LSU campus showcases the red-tile roofs that are part of the University’s Italian Renaissance-style architecture.
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Becoming an Tiger LSU mascot Mike the Tiger, pictured in front of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, engages students and fans at one of the University's many sporting events and celebrations.
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In the University’s impressive history, which spans 150 years, legendary Tigers have included award-winning authors, political heavyweights, engineers and architects, world-class athletes, and successful businessmen and women, among others. Will you be the next great Tiger?
Transfer Requirements
Students with previous college or university work from regionally accredited institutions may be considered for admission if they have: • 2.50 grade point average (gpa) or better on all college work attempted • 30 college level hours, including a college-level course in English and in mathematics (above remedial) If you have fewer than 30 college-level hours then you must meet our current freshman requirements while maintaining at least a 2.5 gpa on all college work. Applicants who have earned more than 60 semester hours of college-level work must be accepted by their intended senior college.
Transferring Student Athletes If you are a student-athlete who is awarded an athletic grant-in-aid, you may be admitted if you meet the standards found in Bylaw 14.5 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rulebook. A studentathlete at LSU will be subject to a number of special academic requirements specified in the rules of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the NCAA.
Transfer students have priority registration according to the number of hours that they will have completed at the point of transfer to LSU. You will need to contact your intended senior college if you wish to be advised prior to your being able to register. Otherwise, when you attend transfer orientation, you will have an opportunity to receive advisement and register for classes. All students will be considered for admission based on an evaluation of their likelihood of success at LSU. LSU will consider college gpa, pattern and quality of courses taken, grade trends, educational objectives, special talents, significant life and career experiences, membership in groups underrepresented in the student body, or special circumstances. As a prospective transfer student, you should submit an admission application and a complete official transcript from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or is desired. Students enrolled in college at the time applications are submitted should have transcripts sent when they apply for admission, to be followed by supplementary records at the close of the semester. Provisional admission, pending receipt of supplementary records, may be granted when it is impossible to obtain final records prior to scheduled registration dates.
LSU currently ranks among the top 30 public universities in total research awards. The University’s total federal funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Homeland Security has increased 86 percent or more than $90 million over the last five years.
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While many transfer students are pleased to learn about LSU’s 21:1 student to faculty ratio, it’s the teacher-student interaction that really sets LSU apart from national peers.
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Application Checklist for Transfer Students An application cannot be reviewed until all necessary items have been received by the LSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid. When applying for admission to LSU, a transfer student must: • Complete the application for undergraduate admission by the appropriate deadline. See “Application Deadlines” sidebar. • Include your e-mail address on the application. This enables the Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid to communicate with you regarding your application, so check your e-mail account regularly. • Forward official copies, in English, of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to: LSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid 1146 Pleasant Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 • If fewer than 30 semester hours (above remedial level) have been earned, you should forward official copies of your high school transcript and ACT/SAT score(s) to: LSU Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid 1146 Pleasant Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 • After you are admitted to LSU, you will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to apply for housing and register for orientation.
Application Deadlines Application Term
Deadline
Fee
Fall Spring Summer
April 15 December 1 April 15
$40 $40 $40
(October 1 for international applicants who have international credentials)
Apply early! Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis once all applicant materials and credentials are received. During non-peak times, an admissions decision can be made in as little as one week. We will keep you updated regarding the status of your application via e-mail.
LSU’s need-based aid program, Pelican Promise, helps offset tuition costs for Louisiana residents. Students whose family income is at or below 150 percent of the poverty level and are Pell Grant eligible will receive tuition assistance. The intent of the University is to award all eligible students as long as funding is available. 5
Regardless of where they are from and where they may go, LSU graduates are Tigers forever.
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Acceptance of Credit from Other Collegiate Institutions The Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid evaluates your coursework from other institutions after a complete application and all official transcripts from each college and university attended have been received. Credit earned in regionally accredited colleges and universities is generally accepted; however, courses taken at the lower (1000-2000) level cannot be given upper (3000-4000) level credit. For schools not regionally accredited, we determine acceptance of credit based on recommendations of selected institutions in the states where the schools in question are located. Applicants who are admitted are given an opportunity, usually through advanced-standing examinations, to validate some or all of the credit. Each student’s record from a non-accredited college will be considered on the basis of individual merit. Transfer coursework is handled in two ways: 1. If we have an exact equivalent of the course, then we classify it as an exact equivalent in our numbering system. 2. If we do not have an exact equivalent then we load the coursework by level and title. Additionally, for all in-state two- and four-year institutions, LSU participates in the Articulation Matrix which is a crosswalk of how freshman- and sophomore-level courses transfer amongst public institutions in the state of Louisiana. You may wish to refer to the articulation matrix on the Louisiana Board of Regents Web site at: http://regents.la.gov/academic/articulation_2010-2011.aspx. The achievement and prestige of receiving an LSU degree is always a reason to smile.
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LSU students are proud to show their school spirit...
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Credit allowed for transfer is, in all cases, subject to review by your LSU senior college with regard to its applicability toward a particular degree. Questions relating to the evaluation of credit should be referred to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid. When your transcripts are sent to LSU, they will be evaluated and your credit will be posted. When you come for our transfer orientation, you will meet with senior college and faculty advisors who will review your coursework and determine what remaining hours you will need for your degree. Counseling staff in the senior colleges at LSU have two tools that are used to guide you as you complete your major requirements at LSU: the computerized degree audit and CATS (Comprehensive Academic Tracking System). (See sidebar.) When you are admitted and your coursework is loaded, a computerized degree audit is produced that keeps track of what courses you have completed, courses in progress, as well as courses left to complete your degree. When you attend transfer orientation, your LSU college counselor will go over this with you to give you a status of where you are in your degree. As a Tiger, you can meet with your LSU college counselor to go over this degree audit on a regular basis to make sure you’re on track for graduation.
CATS The Comprehensive Academic Tracking System (CATS) is designed to help you reach academic success at LSU and make sure that you are progressing toward graduation each semester. Each major has a RECOMMENDED PATH that is the optimal path for graduation in four years. CATS checks your progress each semester by tracking you on the CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS needed and gives you feedback when you are not meeting those requirements.
LSU’s Office of Career Services annually posts thousands of full-time jobs on its virtual job board.
from front...
...to back.
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Students often socialize between classes in the Quadrangle, or "Quad," which is at the core of LSU's campus.
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Transfer Scholarship Information The transfer scholarship program is competitive and students are evaluated with their incoming peer group. The number of awards is based on the overall applicant pool and the specific scholarship award amount may vary based on each student’s credentials. The total number of awards offered and individual award amounts will be determined each year based on available funding. Both resident and nonresident transfer students with a minimum 3.5 cumulative gpa on college coursework and a minimum of 30 earned hours will be reviewed for scholarship opportunities. Incoming transfer students (applying for summer or fall semesters) must complete an admission application and submit official college transcripts from any college attended on or before March 15 for priority scholarship consideration. All materials must be postmarked by this priority date for consideration. Students meeting the priority date for scholarship consideration will be reviewed for the first round of offers designated for transfer students.
Financial Aid
LSU awards Title IV Federal Financial Aid through a variety of programs including grants, loans and work-study. These programs are available to assist transfer students in funding their education. The funds may be used for educational expenses including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.lsu.edu/financialaid.
Students show their school spirit during home football games by singing fight songs and cheering the team to victory.
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Wherever your pursuits have taken you before, we want you to call LSU home.
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Transfer Orientation The LSU Transfer Orientation program gives you an opportunity to learn about services at LSU, understand the intricacies of credit evaluations, meet with advisors from your intended major field of study, obtain an ID card and information on how to use your Personal Access Web Service (PAWS) Account, and if you have not done so, schedule classes. Visit the “Sessions, Schedules, and Costs” page at www.lsu.edu/orientation/transfer to see a list of orientation dates. In order to attend this program, you must pre-register by the deadlines that are listed. On-site registration will be limited to people with extenuating circumstances only. Please follow the instructions you received via e-mail carefully. You will notice that some sections of the registration form have been automatically completed from the information currently on file in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid. If any of this information is incorrect, contact LSU admissions at admissions@lsu.edu before submitting the Transfer Orientation application. Please note that you need to bring copies of the following items to orientation: • Transfer evaluation of credits • Catalog from your former university or college • Any additional course credit information
Contact Us Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid 1146 Pleasant Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 225-578-1175 for Admissions Inquiries 225-578-3103 for Scholarship and Student Aid Inquiries Fax: 225-578-4433 E-mail: admissions@lsu.edu or financialaid@lsu.edu Web: www.lsu.edu/admissions or www.lsu.edu/financialaid or www.lsu.edu/orientation/transfer
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