Twin Feat: Community College Transfer Success Stories At Montclair State University

Press release from Montclair State University:

Twin brothers Craig and Brian Scott have always relied on each other – growing up together and working side by side in TV and sports broadcasting. Now seniors majoring in Film and Television, they’ve found their creative home after transferring in to complete their degrees, discovering firsthand both the challenges and rewards of moving from community college to Montclair State University.

“We’re together pretty much 24/7 so it helps to get feedback from each other. Just having him in the same major helps a lot. We’re each other’s biggest advocates – even having my class with him makes a difference,” says Craig.

After graduating from Livingston High School in 2020, the brothers took separate paths – Craig to Connecticut, Brian to another New Jersey college. The pandemic kept them mostly confined to their dorms with classes held remotely. Both soon realized they needed a change.

They regrouped at home and enrolled at County College of Morris. Craig earned his associate degree in May 2024. Brian followed in December 2024. Both worked for Big State Sports, a media platform for New Jersey high school athletics.

“Community college, in my opinion, is probably one of the best decisions I made,” says Brian. “If you’re unsure about college in general, your best bet is to go to community college so you can actually get an understanding of how college works. And from there, you decide.”

Why Montclair?

“I knew I wanted to come to Montclair to finish my degree,” Craig says. “Honestly, the only school I really considered was Montclair. We visited (the College of Communication and Media) and were impressed by the modern facilities. I absolutely love it and it’s really close to New York City, which was a big selling point for me.”

Seamless Transfer – Montclair’s 2+2 Program

For the Scotts, the transfer route made sense both academically and financially. “Even spending just a year at community college to get prerequisites done makes a big difference,” Brian says. “Once that’s done, you can go to a four-year school to continue what you want to do.”

Montclair’s partnership with community colleges through a 2+2 Program offers a supportive pathway:

Honors and Flexible Learning

Transfer students are encouraged to apply to Montclair’s honors programs:

Montclair also offers accredited online programs for transfer students with 45+ college credits, including Business Administration, Economics, Family Science and Human Development, Liberal Studies, Psychology and RN to BSN.

What’s Next?

With graduation on the horizon – Craig in winter 2025, Brian in spring 2026 – the Scott twins are setting their sights on careers in television, film and sports broadcasting.

They say they quickly found their place at Montclair, joining the Red Hawk Sports Network to produce live sports broadcasts and getting involved in campus life.

“Just putting myself out there, volunteering and making connections with other students and the professor who runs the sports broadcasting club was a life changer,” Craig says. “It helped me feel connected.”

This press release was produced by Montclair State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.