How can my previous achievements help me in college?

Jonathan & Andre Talk About Transferring College Credits

Hey Andre, remember when we started college and found out we didn’t have to start from scratch?

Definitely! 🙌 I was surprised how many of my past experiences helped me get college credit. That saved me time and money too.

Same here. Before starting college 🎓, I had already taken some community college classes. When I applied, I had to send in something called a transcript 📄—it’s like a report card for college. It shows all the classes you took and the grades you got.

I sent in my transcript too. They used it to see which of my old classes could count toward my degree. I also got credit for some training I did while I was in the military. That came from a special record called a Joint Services Transcript.

Some of my friends took AP classes in high school and passed the final exams. That earned them college credit too. It was a great way to get ahead.

And don’t forget people who speak another language. If you take a language test and do well, you can sometimes earn credit without taking more classes.

Right! And people who have done special job training—like firefighting or EMT—can get credit through something called a Prior Learning Assessment. It shows that your life experience taught you things you’d usually learn in class.

The cool part is, most students already have something—a job, classes, or training—that might count for credit. It just takes a little work to get it approved.

Now, I know some students who studied outside the U.S. They had to get their transcripts translated into English and then reviewed by a special service that tells the college what the classes were equal to.

Yeah, that’s called international credit evaluation. The college looks at the report to decide which classes they’ll accept.

It’s a bit more work, but it can be worth it. If you already studied in another country, you might not have to retake the same classes here.

And speaking of other countries—if your English isn’t ready for college classes yet, don’t worry. Some colleges offer ESL programs to help you build your English while you study.

Yeah, and there are even schools that offer some courses in Spanish or other languages so you can start your degree and keep improving your English at the same time.

The big lesson? Keep track of everything you’ve done—classes, jobs, training—and talk to your college advisor. They’ll help you figure out what counts.

And that can mean fewer classes, less money to spend, and getting your degree faster.

Exactly. Use what you’ve already done. You might be closer to graduating than you think!

Now that you’ve learned about how your previous achievements can help you in college, it’s time to explore the admission process.

Learn about the admission process!

If you’d like more information, feel free to reach out to Kean University. (Kean and NJCU signed an agreement to merge the two universities by July 2026. More information here).

Kean Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Kean Office of Career Services

Kean Office of Financial Aid Office

Kean Office of the Registrar

Kean Center for International Studies

Questions Worth Asking

Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes only. It does not provide advice on individual cases, nor should users expect it to expedite or influence the admissions process at any institution. The site does not reflect the official views or policies of Kean University.