An underserved population of students is on the rise. Transfer students, from both two- and four-year academic institutions, often experience hurdles in their attempts to make a seamless resettlement into another school. Confusion about credit transfer equivalencies and the lack of a dedicated department for transfers (with individuals from both academic and admissions departments) can make frustrating or even delay one’s transfer admission goals.
Fortunately, many academic institutions are allocating resources to serve the needs of this burgeoning group.
“We had 720 transfer students enroll in our spring 2011 semester,” says Christine Murphy, executive director of the office of admissions for Adelphi University. “The number of transfer students is on the rise here. We recently instated a Transfer Initiative Committee, which is a cross-functional team [including members of the admissions, enrollment management, student affairs and academic affairs departments] which works on every issue related to transfer students,” she says.
Unlike some universities that won’t evaluate your credits until after you’ve sent in your enrollment deposit, to better facilitate the process for a student considering a transfer to Adelphi, “We post transfer equivalencies [a list of which classes will count toward credit at the institution you plan on transferring to] on our website. It’s an extremely helpful resource — you can be your own admissions counselor,” says Murphy.
Or, “You can bring in your transcripts and we’ll evaluate your credit transfer options,” she adds.
A transfer orientation program also exists.
“We never want students to make quick decisions. We advise students unhappy at a four-year institution to stay for at least 16 weeks. At that point, you should know what the best decision is for you,” Murphy advises.
Even if you’re already comfortable with the transfer process, there are additional reasons to take advantage of Adelphi’s transfer orientation program, according to the administrator.
“You’ll learn about new resources, scholarship opportunities, honors programs, working on campus and how to get involved,” she says.