I finished high school in 2023 in South Carolina. My GPA was 4.402 weighted and 3.571 unweighted. I was in the top 25% of my class, took all Honors English and History, some Honors Science and Math, and did FFA and Automotive every year. After high school, I went straight to work as a mechanic, but now I want to go to college for a degree in Mechanical Engineering.My plan is to start at a tech school (probably Piedmont Tech) in Summer or Fall 2025, do my core classes online while working full-time, then transfer to USC (University of South Carolina) to finish my degree. When I transfer, I’d probably have to go part-time since I still have bills. Does this seem like a good plan? What are my chances of getting financial aid, scholarships, or grants? Where should I apply for them? Do I even have a shot at getting into USC when I transfer?I’ve already applied to Piedmont Tech and have a meeting with them next week. I know they’ll have advice, but I wanted to ask here too and see what others think. Any suggestions or things I should know? Would really appreciate any help!
I think you’re making a great choice. More students should consider this route instead of jumping straight into college! Solid plan!
Kip said:
I think you’re making a great choice. More students should consider this route instead of jumping straight into college! Solid plan!
Thanks! There are things I wish I had done differently, but I think everything will work out in the end.
Check out this link (remove spaces to open it): https:// sc. edu/about/offices_and_divisions/advising/transfer_advising/transfer_partnerships_othersc_schools/Make sure Piedmont Tech has a transfer agreement so your credits actually count when you switch to USC. You can absolutely do this, but you’ll need to plan things carefully. Look into USC’s transfer scholarships, and try to attend a transfer student day—they go over the whole process, and you might even meet with an advisor!