If you're like a growing number of college students, you've decided to save between about $22,000 and $60,000 by attending a community college for your first two years of college. You'll knock out your core coursework at a nearby two-year school before transferring to a generally more expensive four-year school where you'll specialize, finish up, and get your diploma.

Besides saving you tens of thousands of dollars over two years, a community college can also give you a way to show a picky transfer admissions officer you already have a proven track record of college success.

But with transfer spaces limited and transfer admissions sometimes even more competitive than freshman admissions, how else can you show an admissions officer you've got what it takes to make the jump between schools?

Here are seven practical ways to make your transfer application stand out and help you get you accepted to the school of your choice.

1) Make the Dean's List

A semester or two on the Dean's List can add some definite shine to your transcript. Although it can vary by school, to make the Dean's List, you'll typically need to get straight A's for a semester, or at most one B.

When you're ready to transfer, being able to say you're a Dean's List student will show admissions officers you've excelled across the board in your classes.

2) Keep your GPA as high as possible

It should go without saying, but a high grade point average is often critical to getting accepted when you transfer. Don't blow off your first two years of classes just because you're in a community college or expecting to transfer and end strong.

Your freshman- and sophomore-year GPA lets admissions officers know how you perform in a college environment and tends to be a strong predictor of what your academic performance will be over the next two-plus years. Bomb your first two years of college grades, and you may have a hard time convincing an admissions committee that you'll actually take two more years of college seriously.

Aim to keep your GPA around at least a 3.0. This means trying as hard as possible in all your classes, and even retaking classes you maybe didn't do so well in the first time around - retaking a class that challenged you will show admissions officers you have determination and perseverance, and that you'd rather push yourself to master something that's difficult for you than just pad your GPA.

Speaking of which ...

3) Take the most challenging courses you can

Make a point of taking the more challenging courses available to you. Although a high GPA is impressive, most admissions officers would rather see a 3.5 in difficult courses than a 4.0 in cakewalk classes.

Admissions officers were once college students too. They can tell by your course load whether you're ambitious and willing to challenge yourself and push your boundaries or whether you're just trying to skate by with easy A's.

Ask your academic advisors or professors which courses in your major or which core requirement courses are a bit tougher than the norm, and enroll.

4) Get letters of recommendation

Put yourself in an admissions officer's shoes: What if you have two virtually identical transfer applications in front of you, but one student has glowing letters of recommendation from college professors while the other doesn't?

All else being equal, the students who can get professors to speak on their behalf are likely going to look better. And even among other applicants with recommendations and similar GPAs, a great letter talking about what a motivated, poised, well-spoken student you are can set you apart. A strong letter of recommendation can add a human element, a sense of your personality and drive, to your transcript.

The best way to get a good letter of recommendation is to be an active participant in your classes, especially smaller classes where your presence is more noticeable. Professors are human - they like it when other people express an interest in what they say. And they can tell which students care and which students don't, so make sure you're in that first group.

5) Join an honors society

Another way to make your application stand out in a crowd is to join an honors society like Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Theta Kappa, or Golden Key. Some fields of study have their own honors societies, like Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, and Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society.

Honors societies may solicit you for membership based on your GPA or if you make the Dean's List so many semesters in a row. However, not all of these groups will come to you, so take a proactive approach and look for them.

Ask your academic advisors and other students, particularly upperclassmen, about any honors societies they know of, and find out what you have to do to become a member.

6) Perform community service

Not only will it make you feel good to help others, but it's almost impossible for some kind of track record in community service not to make your transcript look better. Volunteer work can show an admissions officer you care about your community and that you're not just another self-absorbed 20-year-old.

Picky about how you spend your time? There are an almost endless number of ways to help your community, with choices for every personality type. You can participate in blood or food drives, volunteer as a Big Brother or Big Sister, or help build houses for families in need through Habitat for Humanity.

If your classes keep you way too busy during the semester, consider arranging a "Volunteer Vacation" that lets you volunteer during your time off, like summer vacation or spring break.

Check with your school's Student Activities Office - they may have a list of community activities and organizations on hand.

7) Speak to advisors at the schools you want to transfer to

Before filling out your transfer applications, try to establish a relationship - even if it's just by e-mail - with an advisor or professor at the schools you have in mind. Academic advisors can be a source of invaluable advice: You can find out which courses will transfer over, what core requirements you'll need to have met before you transfer, what admissions officers may be looking for in particular areas of study, and so on.

Many schools are happy to assist you in your transfer efforts and may be able to put you in contact with an advisor, professor, current student, or other source of information. Contact the admissions office and ask them who's available to work with potential transfer applicants.