Transferring to Goddard College

75%

Goddard undergraduate students enroll with transfer credit  

92%

Credits accepted where the student has achieved a grade of C or better

17-80

Age range of our undergraduate students  

35

Average age of our undergraduates

Every 15 semester hour credits transferred saves 1 semester’s tuition

Philosophy

Goddard’s undergraduate programs are 75% transfer students.  When you apply to transfer to Goddard, you are not the exception to the rule, you are the rule.  We believe that student centered education should be accessible to students at every stage of their life.  Our low residency model means that you don’t have to leave your home, job, and community to complete your Bachelor’s degree.  Generous transfer credit saves you money.  When you look at the total cost to complete your degree, every 15 semester hour credits you transfer in saves you a semester’s worth of tuition.

Definitions

Transfer student: We consider you a transfer student if you are pursuing undergraduate study and will bring with you at least 15 semester hour credits from an institute of higher education.  

Levels: Goddard doesn’t count levels by year, but rather by semester, so instead of sophomore, junior, senior, our undergraduates are levels 1 through 8. Sixty percent of our transfers come in at level 5 or higher.

Dangling credits: Each level at Goddard is 15 semester hour credits.  If you have some fraction of remaining credits from your total, we call those dangling credits. For instance, a student with 54 credits would enroll at level 4 (45 credits) with 9 dangling credits.  Sometimes, our students can advance ahead a full semester level by completing extra credits during the semester or between semesters.  

Semester hours vs. quarter hours: quarter hours are calculated slightly differently than semester hour credits.  If your college is on the quarter system your total semester credits are approximately ⅔ of the total on your transcript.  When you apply to Goddard, we will do the conversion for you as part of your Transfer Credit Evaluation

College Credit Transfer

Our credit transfer policy is generous.  You can transfer in up to 75 credits provided you received a C (2.0) or better in the class.  Our “wide knowledge” requirements are broad, so fulfilling those requirements is easy.  Wide Knowledge requirements that you can transfer in are:

  • 12 credits in Arts and Humanities 
  • 12 credits in Social Sciences
  • 12 Credits in Math and/or Science  

Undergraduate students are also required to complete 6 credits in Social Justice, but these must be taken within your Goddard study plans.  Any credits above and beyond wide knowledge come in as “additional credits” and still count towards your degree (up to 75 credits).  You can also transfer in up to 12 credits of AP or CLEP courses.

Assessment of Prior Learning

Assessment of Prior Learning (APL)  is a process where you can receive credit for non-university learning.  This is a semester or year long portfolio development in which undergraduate students can receive up to 45 credits (or three levels).  It’s not unusual for our students to graduate in less time than originally expected because of APL.  Some examples of APL credits include: training or certificate programs, deep dives into personal interests, or professional experience.

Application

Goddard’s application is a conversation.  We want to get to know you and help you figure out if Goddard is a good fit for you and if you are a good fit for Goddard.  We have never required, recommended, or even used test scores as part of our evaluations.  Below are our general admissions requirements:

  • Official transcripts from every college you’ve attended and proof of high school graduation: this is important because we review credits from official transcripts only.  To get the most credits, make sure you have all of your transcripts sent.  Transcripts are official when they come directly from the institution either electronically or by snail mail. 
  • Proof of high school graduation: this is required for federal financial aid.  This proof can take a number of forms, and may even be on your college transcripts.  Check with our office for more information.
  • 2 letters of recommendation: these can come from anyone (besides a family member) who knows your work ethic and/or academic attributes.  If you’ve been out of school for a while, don’t panic-employers, colleagues, and sometimes peers can also be suitable recommenders.
  • Personal essay (questions vary by program-to learn more visit our application instructions page)
  • Interview: this is required for all undergraduates except those applying to Psychology or Education
  • PRAXIS results for students studying Education for Licensure at our Vermont campus

We review applications on a rolling basis, so as soon as your file is complete it will be sent for review.  Our turnaround time is usually a week or less.  Keep an eye on your email inbox.  This is our primary means of communication about your application.

Financial Aid

File the FAFSA (fafsa.gov) at the same time as you file your application.  This will put you on the radar of our financial aid office for need-based federal aid, student loans, and Goddard scholarships.  We also recommend looking for scholarships outside of Goddard through one of the major scholarship databases, or by Googling things that are more particular to you. 

For more information, visit our Financial Aid page.

Resources

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