Well, it’s that time of year once again: the time when courses are coming to a close and testing goes into overdrive. It is also the time to plan for the upcoming spring semester. While current students may find it a breeze to prepare for next year, for others wishing to begin enrollment in the spring, it is a different matter. Specifically, the transfer student may be more likely to be active in this arena compared with a new freshman.

For the potential transfer student, coming in from another school can be a confusing but rewarding process. There are two ways to get into UMass Boston from another college. First is the regular approach that most people take, which is comprised of the typical application process, minus the letter of recommendation, but still with the requirement of being in good academic standing. You fill out your information, hand in the application fee, and attempt to write an essay that hopefully gets you noticed. Then, it’s simply a matter of waiting to find out if you’re accepted.

The second transfer approach is by far the easier and least costly of the two. Referred to as the Joint Admission Program (JAP), all one need be is a graduate from one of the accepted associate’s degree programs in a Massachusetts community college, Dean College or Quincy College. Here, the requirement is the basic JAP application form as well as any relevant transcripts from previous schools, and it is done, with no essay and no admission fee.

One more benefit to JAP is the Tuition Advantage Program (TAP), which reimburses JAP students up to one-third of their UMass Boston tuition as long as a GPA of 3.0 or better is maintained. Since JAP students are expected to be at UMass Boston for two years after graduating from a two-year school, TAP is only available for up to four semesters.

Remember, not all colleges and universities share the same classification of courses, and getting clearance for credits to transfer from school officials is essential. But even this can be a hassle for some, and may be better to do before sending the application since heavy justification may be needed for some courses to be accepted. This may come in the form of an essay explaining the reasoning or even a meeting with the professors. Even then, the credits may not be accepted.

But deadlines are approaching and approaching fast. The deadline for international students is already past. The final deadline for regular transfer applications is January 1; granted, since school business is rarely conducted on New Year’s, one would probably be better off sending the application in before Christmas.