In fact, about half of all Latino students in higher education start their higher education in community college.

These two-year colleges are appealing because they’re often local, cost-effective, enable students to work part-time, and offer financial aid. Hence, there’s no stigma attached to launching one’s higher education pursuits at a community college.

All junior college students must navigate the in’s and out’s of transferring into four-year colleges, and then master the demands that premiere college require of students.

In a November 14, 2020 New York Times article, Lawrence Bacow, Harvard’s president, said, “Diversity also represents a pathway for excellent, for both Harvard and the nation.”

Gaining acceptance into an Ivy League college is very competitive. The Atlantic magazine in 2018 said just 6% of students who applied to Yale University and 4.6% for Harvard for the class of 2022 were accepted.

A study issued by the nonprofit Campaign for College Opportunity in 2017 “The Transfer Maze” focused on the steps students face transferring into four-year colleges in California.  Students who earn a bachelor’s degree are set on the path to a middle-class life and help employers meet their changing needs.

Nonetheless, the numbers of students advancing to four-year colleges in the largest state of the union could improve:  4% transfer after two years of enrollment, 25% after four years, and 38% after six years of enrollment at one of its 133 community colleges.

In fact, it calls the transfer process into universities a “maze of complexity, and confusing pathways that are difficult to navigate.”

Here are tips from experts for Latino students to navigate transferring into a top four-year college smoothly.

Tip No. 1:  Create your own personal hook—early on

Even in your freshman year at a community college, start thinking about your own personal hook, what differentiates a student that can be described in a college essay in an application to a four-year college, explains Pam Proctor, a Vero Beach, Florida college consultant and author of The College Hook.

The hook must be something that “jumps off the page in your essay and sets them apart from other grade A students,” she says. For example, she advised a student who was a native of Venezuela, who loved food, and started writing food-related articles for a local newspaper.  Some of her articles focused on Latino cuisine but others involved a trip to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory in Vermont. Hence, she created a food hook as a published writer that separated her from the pack.

Starting as a freshman, focus on this one singular activity that sets you apart, such as working a volunteer on a cancer ward, working on social justice campaigns, or working in a science lab on an experiment.

Tip No.2:  Maintain a straight A average

If a Latino student wants to apply to Princeton, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, Vassar, or any elite college, he or she will be competing against the crème de la crème.  “Academically, you need to have straight A’s,” Proctor advises, without mincing words. And your SAT scores must be first rate, and she also adds that students, whose SAT scores aren’t, can request to take the exam again even when in college.  Gaining entry to Phi Theta Kappa, a collegiate honor society, can also strengthen one’s resume.

Tip No. 3:  Promote your Hispanic heritage

Proctor says that many elite colleges are committed to having a diverse student body, and therefore, “your Hispanic heritage is a big part of your hook.” If you’re a first-generation Latino attending college, explain in your essay what obstacles you needed to overcome. Did you grow up in El Barrio in the Bronx or the South Side of Chicago or the projects of Richmond, Virginia?  Did you work as a food deliverer for UberEats, or in a high-end boutique and climb your way up the ladder?

Tip No. 4:  Research the college; understand what majors it offers

Research the college, identify the majors that each offers, and note the disciplines that they don’t teach. The earlier you can conduct this research, the better. Do not wait until your sophomore year is ending. Proctor points out that Harvard offers no business major, but Cornell, University of Notre Dame and Georgetown do. Then if you’re going to transfer, note which courses are accepted and which aren’t.     

Tip No.5:  Know the specific requirement of the college you’re targeting

Knowing up-front which colleges you want to transfer to and identifying their particular requirements are critical to transferring to the school of your choice, notes Christina Espinosa-Pieb, vice president of Instruction at De Anza College, a community college based in Cupertino, California, and known for its high transfer rates. Its 19,000 student body includes 27% Latinos. “Each college is very specific about what courses they accept in transfer requirements,” she emphasizes.

Tip No. 6:  Connect with your college advisor or counselor

One of the primary roles of your college advisor or counselor is to steer you into taking the right courses to transfer into the college that most fits your career goals and temperament. Advisors can also suggest the most demanding courses, which will best prepare you to transfer into elite colleges.

Tip No.7: Identify the colleges with sizable Latino populations

Some colleges have done a very effective job of diversifying their student body, appealing to Latino students.  For example, Proctor pointed out that Rice University in Houston has made diversity a priority and now has a 15% Latino student body, while Cornell and Williams College are at 12%. Some colleges are looking to strengthen their number of Latino students and those are other schools to target, Proctor suggests. Some colleges that attract a large number of Hispanic students include: the University of Central Florida, Antioch University-Santa Barbara, and Florida International University.

Tip No.8:  Look into scholarships and grants—at an early point

While gaining entry into an Ivy League school is extremely competitive, many of them offer need-based aid. “If you need financial aid, you’ll get it,” Proctor says. Other colleges may offer grants because they’re pursuing A students with a Latino background that may have had to overcome obstacles. Start at an early point to explore scholarships and grants.

Tip No.9:  Demonstrate your leadership skills

Espinosa-Pieb constantly hears that selective colleges pursue students who demonstrate leadership skills, which can play out in a variety of ways. Students who worked on recent political campaigns for mayor or city council can demonstrate their leadership skills in their personal essay. Elite schools are pursuing students who show “confidence and leadership,” she says.

Tip No.10:  Military experience is an asset

Community college students with military experience are viewed as an asset. “Colleges want veterans because they have real-world and leadership experience far beyond their years,” Proctor says. For example, Notre Dame has an office of veterans and military affairs that is looking for academically inclined students with military backgrounds. It also offers a two-week scholarship program called the Warrior Scholarship (omva@nd.edu) for military veterans.

Tip No.11:  Consider transferring to first-rate in-state colleges

States such as California and Florida offer guaranteed acceptance into a state university, though not necessarily the college of your choice. Hence, Proctor says a student isn’t guaranteed a spot into the University of Florida, the flagship state school, or highly-rated State University of California-Berkeley or UCLA, which depend on grade point average and performance. Virginia offers a Passport program that steers students to courses that will be accepted by every public university

Tip No. 12:  Get involved in your college campus

Espinosa-Pieb says De Anza College has over 75 student clubs and 100 faculty members who volunteer their time as student advisors. The more involved and engaged students are in campus life, the more prepared they are to gain acceptance into an elite college. Her son, who was interested in screenplay writing, served as a teaching assistant while at De Anza, which helped him get accepted into The University of California-Berkeley.

Tip No. 13:  Start taking classes in your major from early on

Take classes in your major from your freshman year, suggests Espinosa-Pieb.  “If not, you may not have enough time to get through all your courses if you wait,” she says. Furthermore, most students are enthusiastic about their major, which makes studying at college more rewarding. If for some reason you don’t do well, you can change majors early on and be adaptive.

Tip No.14: It’s Not All About the Ivy League

Ivy League colleges reject about 95% of applicants. Hence, experts interviewed suggest creating a fall-back plan and establishing a wide net of colleges to transfer into. Colleges such as Amherst, Colby and Vassar have been called the Little Ivy League. And keep in mind that Hispanic Serving Institutions are highly regarded.

Tip No.15: Don’t Let the Pandemic Stop You

Asked what impact the pandemic is having on Latino students applying to elite college, Proctor replied, “None at all.” Only drawback is visiting a campus is more difficult during a pandemic. Espinosa-Pieb says that several students have transferred to first rate institutions after the pandemic struck. That indicates to her that transfer classes were accepted and everything seems to be on course.