I didn’t expect all my courses to transfer seamlessly, but this situation is unbelievable. I’m three years into my chemistry degree, and now they’re telling me that my basic chemistry courses don’t count at all? I’ve already cleared analytical and organic chemistry 1; there’s no way I’m redoing general chemistry. Had I known it would be this troublesome, I never would have transferred here.
I faced a similar situation. There’s a limit to how many credits you can transfer, around 64, I think, and some courses might not transfer at all. In my case, transferring from another college in Arizona worked out well because almost all my courses were accepted.
You can also appeal some transfers by uploading a syllabus from the class that you are trying to credit for.
You can definitely challenge their decisions. Just submit your syllabi and plenty of evidence. I faced a similar issue when I transferred and initially, they rejected many of my courses. However, I didn’t give up, fought my case, and managed to get all but two recognized. Keep pushing and don’t accept their initial rejections as the final answer.
If you've only got your official transcripts checked till now, then there's more to do. Initially, they'll match your transcripts against previous evaluations from other students to assign equivalent credits wherever they match. Next, you should catch up with your academic advisor to go over your degree needs and chat more about your transfer credit. They'll explain how to assess a transfer course and suggest which ones you should prioritize for evaluation. Also, when you're putting in a request to evaluate a course, make sure to mention which class you're aiming to earn credit for.
Did you use the online tool to see what transferred and when did you find out what they actually took?
I used the audit DARS tool to see what officially transferred. I didn’t know about the online tool until recently.
I faced a similar challenge with graphic design. When told I had to start from scratch, I put together an appeal packet with all my course syllabi, completed coursework, and grades from previous major subjects to see if they could be considered. They ended up allowing me to bypass just one class. I’d suggest trying the same, but don’t keep your hopes too high that they’ll accept everything.