After being virtual for two years, the Fall Transfer Fair will be back as an in-person event. The fair takes place at the Craven Student Services Center in the Multi-Purpose Room on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Over 40 universities will present at the fair and students who are planning to transfer can get in touch with the admission department of their favorite schools.

Scott Cooper, who is the transfer counselor at College of the Desert, recalls that it was a challenge during the last two years delivering all the information to the students in an online setting. He says, “Everyone is excited to be back in person this fall. Online did not feel as personal, life is still about personal connections, those universities are largely in person places. It feels good to have the Transfer Fair back in person.”

“Learning is still a social activity,” he said. Around 40 universities will attend the fair. The universities send their admissions staff to answer questions and meet COD students. Cooper is proud that all the UCs have committed, from UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and over to UC Berkeley. There will be a whole UC section at the fair.

Students at COD also know Cooper as the ‘Transfer Man.’ When he was new in the role as transfer counselor, he noticed that a lot of students were anxious about the whole transfer process. He would hold workshops, and as he continued to notice students looking nervous and scared, he decided to wear a cape one of his former universities gave him to one of his workshops. He walked into the room with the words, “Have no fear! Transfer Man is here.” The rest is history. Since then, he gets emails and letters from former students addressed to the Transfer Man.

Ideally, every student should start collecting information on transferring when they start attending COD. Cooper finds, “Most of our students do not dream big enough.” He further explains that most of them do not see themselves at a UC. They often need the encouragement that he and other counselors are giving them. When they find out that the UC schools are accessible and many are affordable, a lot more possibilities come up. He says, CODs students are very capable and well-prepared. His advice? “Knock on every door. Don’t close doors, if one door is not opening, go to the next, but knock on every door!” Cooper is encouraging students to apply to a UC, especially when they have a GPA about 3.0 or higher. That is why students should get involved with the Transfer Center. The counselors work with the students on their education plan, and they show the students the possibilities they have.

Cooper suggests all students join the ‘My Transfer Plan’ on the Canvas page. Students need to explore their options early on. “The Transfer Center offers college tours, transfer fairs, and they have representatives coming to COD on a regular basis,” Cooper explains. “This is a good way for students to get to know the people who are working on the admission process. It’s always good to know the names and develop a personal relationship with the people who decide about their admission.”

Students get more help, than just meeting the representatives of their favorite schools, at the transfer center. Cooper says, “We do the application with the students. I can help students with identifying the schools that have their program, both, in state and out-of-state. We also help them with the essays.” Most transfer responsibilities, past that point, is following up with due dates and deadlines. It is more about organizational skills than becoming smarter. By the time they start applying it is about to stay on the timeline. That can be very foreign to people who are first generation college students; it is like a foreign language to them.

Students can also contact the faculty advisors who are experts in their fields if they have questions regarding a program. Scott Cooper suggests that students talk to their professors. There is also a list of transfer advocates on the COD website. There are faculty members accessible by subject who welcome talking to students about their program.

There are even more resources available for the students. “First, all counselors are transfer counselors. Everyone at COD who is a counselor can help with transfer. Second, all the special programs at COD from CalWorks, EOPS, Foster Youth, TRIOS, the mesa club, and many more have great resources,” Cooper explains.

This is a developing story, please check in soon for updates when the transfer fair takes place on Oct. 3.