Here is text of an article I recently had published in Private Colleges & Universities magazine:
The college search process can be stressful. Part of what makes it stressful for many students is the belief that they have one chance to get it right, one chance to pick the right school that is going to be the perfect fit and open the doors to a bright and successful future. Transfer = Failure. That’s the myth.
Here’s the reality. No matter how well you’ve researched your schools of choice, how many times you’ve visited campus and how many “experts” you’ve consulted; the odds are you may consider transferring out of your school of choice. 33% of college students transfer each year according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. That’s 1 in 3 students! In other words, a lot more students than you might think decide to start at one school and then end up graduating from somewhere else.
Reasons for transfer are as varied as students. Some start off with a plan that involves transfer – enrolling in a two-year private or community college with intention to move on later. Others will transfer because they change major or career path and find that the institution they are enrolled in doesn’t offer the academic program to support their new direction. Many others just find that the school they chose didn’t meet their expectations, either in terms of academic offerings, social outlets or it just wasn’t the right fit. Regardless of the reason, there are many advantages to transferring.
If you find yourself at your school of choice and suddenly realize you are in the wrong place, chances are things aren’t going well for you. The fact that you aren’t happy is may be affecting your academic performance. In fact, there is a well documented correlation between student satisfaction and achievement. So, if you aren’t happy, you won’t do as well. Pursuing transfer in this case is not a barrier to success, it is paramount to it. By starting over in a new environment, you can keep moving forward rather than continue to look back.
What happens if you change your academic focus? Believe it or not, this is a regular occurrence on college campuses. Did you know that 70% of college students change their major at some time in their college career and the average student changes majors 3 times? Chances are you won’t graduate college with the same major you intended to pursue or with the same career intentions. Let’s use me as an example:
When I went to college (back in the stone age), I was convinced I was going to be a lawyer and majored in Political Science because all lawyers major in Political Science, right? It wasn’t long before I learned two things. First, all lawyers do not major in Political Science and Political Science was not at all what I thought it would be. I ended up graduating college with degrees in Theatre and English (subject areas I truly enjoyed) and fell into a career in higher education. Who saw that coming? No one goes to college thinking about a career as an admission counselor. Part of college is finding yourself and, if what you find at your first institution is what you want to do with your life, then that is a major accomplishment. If that school doesn’t have the academic program to help you achieve your new goals then it is time to move on to somewhere that can. No failure there!
One of the more popular reasons for transfer is the planned transfer. 39% of American college students are enrolled in a public or private 2 year college (approximately 7 million people!). Of these, some are seeking to earn only an Associate degree, but the majority enrolls with intentions to transfer to a 4 year college or university. Why start 2 year? There are many reasons. Location is a big one. For many students, moving away from home right after high school graduation can seem quite daunting. Enrolling at a community college close to home gives you the chance to ease into the college experience without leaving the nest, so to speak. Another reason is cost. Most 2 year schools, public and private, are less expensive than 4 year colleges because they don’t have the same infrastructure costs. This means you can save a lot of money and take fewer loans by starting in a 2 year and transferring, leaving you with significantly less debt upon completion of your Bachelor’s degree.
For the majority of students at Dean College in Franklin, MA, starting at a 2 year school is all about positioning to gain admission to their dream schools. Let’s face it, high school isn’t for everyone. I spend my days getting to know students who perhaps didn’t live up to their potential in high school but who are capable of incredible success on the college level. Unfortunately, a large part of the admission process at many of the more selective colleges and universities is based on the academic transcript so a student with intelligence but not the grades or test scores to match can get shut out. By coming to Dean, these students are given the opportunity to reinvent themselves academically, learning important organization, time management and study skills in the process. In some cases, it may also provide you the chance to prepare for a collegiate transition you may not have been emotionally ready for right after high school.
They do this within a very traditional residential college environment, going to class alongside students with similar experiences and even students in our baccalaureate degree programs. When they graduate, they earn admission to schools that may not have even considered them coming out of high school (98% of Dean graduates who seek transfer are accepted). At graduation each year, I get to share in their successes as I learn of their admission to schools like New York University, Boston University, Cornell, University of Michigan, University of Southern California and many, many more. When they earn their diploma from these selective schools, there isn’t a designation that says “transferred in and graduated”, they get the same diploma as the students who studied there for four years. Success is about what is accomplished at the conclusion of the journey, not where you started.
The transfer process is much easier than you think. Most colleges and universities accept transfers each year and the criteria for admission is often less stringent than the requirements for freshmen admission. How can this be? Basically, you’ve proved you are able to succeed at the college level. For example, a highly selective school may have an average accepted freshman GPA of an A-, but they are willing to accept a transfer student with a B average in college. Some colleges will even waive SAT/ACT requirements for students who have a minimum number of college credits, so if test scores kept you out the first time, proving yourself capable of succeeding in college classes can reopen the door to you.
Transfer is not taboo. Want proof? Talk to people in your community and ask them if they graduated college from the same school they started at. You might be surprised with what you find. As you enter into your college search, keep in mind that there are always second chances and many different paths to the same destination. If you find that your school of choice isn’t what you thought it would be or you don’t gain admission to the places you hope to, remember that the transfer option is not only available, it may just be your ideal road to success.
Musings about Higher Education and Admissions from the Vice President for Enrollment at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Know What You're Signing Up For
For anyone wandering into the realm of higher education, the myriad of options may seem overwhelming. What path is best for me? Public or Private? College or University? Big or Small? Community College or Trade School? The list goes on. One of the most confusing additions to these questions is the meteoric rise of for-profit institutions in the last decade.
What is the difference between a for-profit and a not-for-profit. The simple answer is that not-for-profit institutions are not really "owned", they are operated. For example, your flagship state university is not so much owned by the state, it is operated on state or federally held land. This is where the phrase "land-grant" comes from. As a result, all dollars absorbed by a not-for-profit are re purposed within a campus' operations, either through student instruction and services, facility upkeep and new construction, or through re-investment in the endowment which serves as both a pool for distribution of financial aid and scholarships and a sort of a rainy day fund should an emergency arise where a quick dose of cash is needed - for example, the water pipes need replacement across campus. Ultimately, all money absorbed by a not-for-profit is either directly or indirectly used for the eduction of the student.
Not so with for-profit institutions. For-profits are owned by a single owner, an ownership group or a corporation. Because they are privately held companies, they have greater flexibility in what they can do with dollars they absorb and they are under no obligation to put those dollars towards student education. As a result, any dollars brought in by these businesses above and beyond the cost of running the business become profit for the owner(s), they do not need to be reinvested. Given the great need for an educated populous in today's economy, for-profits are able to market an in-demand service and make a great deal of profit with little to no accountability to the consumer. Check out this great article on CNN today that illustrates the pit-falls of the for-profit higher education industry.
This isn't to say that for-profit always equates to bad. For-profits have their roots in providing educational services that meet very specific vocational goals. Schools such as DeVry and ITT Tech have for years been providing students seeking career advancement in specific fields such as mechanics, computer technical repair and secretarial work. However, they do so with a cost and sometimes those costs are more than a student bargains for. Also, the "degree" they earn may not be the degree they thought they would be obtaining. Most for-profit institution credits are not accepted by not-for-profit institutions because they lack the appropriate accreditation, making the credits obtained obsolete when a student goes to transfer.
As with all aspects of the college search, it is important to ask questions and get all the facts before making a commitment. If you are a considering a for-profit, do your research and know what you are signing up for - it could save you a lot of frustration in the long term.
What is the difference between a for-profit and a not-for-profit. The simple answer is that not-for-profit institutions are not really "owned", they are operated. For example, your flagship state university is not so much owned by the state, it is operated on state or federally held land. This is where the phrase "land-grant" comes from. As a result, all dollars absorbed by a not-for-profit are re purposed within a campus' operations, either through student instruction and services, facility upkeep and new construction, or through re-investment in the endowment which serves as both a pool for distribution of financial aid and scholarships and a sort of a rainy day fund should an emergency arise where a quick dose of cash is needed - for example, the water pipes need replacement across campus. Ultimately, all money absorbed by a not-for-profit is either directly or indirectly used for the eduction of the student.
Not so with for-profit institutions. For-profits are owned by a single owner, an ownership group or a corporation. Because they are privately held companies, they have greater flexibility in what they can do with dollars they absorb and they are under no obligation to put those dollars towards student education. As a result, any dollars brought in by these businesses above and beyond the cost of running the business become profit for the owner(s), they do not need to be reinvested. Given the great need for an educated populous in today's economy, for-profits are able to market an in-demand service and make a great deal of profit with little to no accountability to the consumer. Check out this great article on CNN today that illustrates the pit-falls of the for-profit higher education industry.
This isn't to say that for-profit always equates to bad. For-profits have their roots in providing educational services that meet very specific vocational goals. Schools such as DeVry and ITT Tech have for years been providing students seeking career advancement in specific fields such as mechanics, computer technical repair and secretarial work. However, they do so with a cost and sometimes those costs are more than a student bargains for. Also, the "degree" they earn may not be the degree they thought they would be obtaining. Most for-profit institution credits are not accepted by not-for-profit institutions because they lack the appropriate accreditation, making the credits obtained obsolete when a student goes to transfer.
As with all aspects of the college search, it is important to ask questions and get all the facts before making a commitment. If you are a considering a for-profit, do your research and know what you are signing up for - it could save you a lot of frustration in the long term.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Admissions and Learning Disabilities
Over the last several years, more and more students with diagnosed (and undiagnosed) learning disabilities are pursuing a college education. This is a great step forward for higher education. There are a number of theories on the reasons for this trend ranging from more frequent diagnosis to colleges and universities being better equipped to provide services for students with differing learning styles. Regardless of the why's, it is important to think about the how's and where's.
Dean College has a long history of services for students with learning disabilities. Our ARCH Learning Community offers one of the preeminant programs in the country in this area. But how do you navigate the admissions process as a student with or a family supporting a student with a learning disability? Dean College President Dr. Paula Rooney shares her perspectives in a recent post on the Campus Overload blog for the Washington Post. Great insight to get started!
Dean College has a long history of services for students with learning disabilities. Our ARCH Learning Community offers one of the preeminant programs in the country in this area. But how do you navigate the admissions process as a student with or a family supporting a student with a learning disability? Dean College President Dr. Paula Rooney shares her perspectives in a recent post on the Campus Overload blog for the Washington Post. Great insight to get started!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The World Cup and College Choice
Every 4 years, the world stops for me. A leap year birthday you ask? No, the globe’s most popular sporting event, the World Cup, is upon us. As a lifelong soccer aficionado, countless hours of watching international friendlies and qualifiers culminates in a month long buffet of the best football/soccer. As I sat up last night catching up on the day’s results and goals, it occurred to me that my love of “the beautiful game” has interesting parallels to my professional life.
In soccer, anyone can win at any time. While this is true in other sports, it is nowhere more apparent that at the World Cup where success is never assured. Much prognostication about the matches played is based on pedigree – the global football powers who are expected to offer the upstarts who found their way into the tournament a quick dose of reality. Teams like Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, England and Argentina are expected to dominate while the South Korea’s and Honduras’ are told they should just be happy to be there. But a funny thing happens when these teams get together on a new continent – nothing is assured.
This is similar in the college selection process. From practically infancy, children are told they must strive to gain admission to the “best” schools, the schools that reputations and U.S. News tells us will offer graduates a path paved in gold to success. What conventional wisdom neglects to take into consideration though is that the students applying to colleges and universities each year are INDIVIDUALS, and need to be treated as such. What do I mean by this? Well, a student may have done all the “right” things – excelled academically, earned a killer ACT/SAT score and done all the other intangibles to earn admission to the nation’s most selective schools. But that doesn’t mean they should go there. The simple truth is if a student isn’t happy, they won’t be successful, no matter where they go. And getting into and attending Harvard isn’t a guaranteed path to anything if you can’t make the grade.
The same is true in this year’s World Cup. France, one of the most successful soccer nations of the last 20 years is out after the first round, winless in 3 matches. This is a team with some of the most talented players on the planet, yet they couldn’t even muster a win over host South Africa, one of the lowest ranked teams in the tournament. Why? The players were miserable. Infighting, instability and a lack of singular focus led to an early exit.
What’s the point? If you choose a college purely on reputation, you may be setting yourself up for failure. There is so much more that goes into the decision including who you are going to class with, what happens outside of class and frankly, the intangible “gut” feeling. Selecting a college where you will be happy and engaged in a community that will work with you to help you succeed is a whole lot better than choosing the one an arbitrary ranking system selected for you. You are a human being, full of potential and frailty. Why choose a school based solely on the numbers?
Oh, and GO USA!
In soccer, anyone can win at any time. While this is true in other sports, it is nowhere more apparent that at the World Cup where success is never assured. Much prognostication about the matches played is based on pedigree – the global football powers who are expected to offer the upstarts who found their way into the tournament a quick dose of reality. Teams like Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, England and Argentina are expected to dominate while the South Korea’s and Honduras’ are told they should just be happy to be there. But a funny thing happens when these teams get together on a new continent – nothing is assured.
This is similar in the college selection process. From practically infancy, children are told they must strive to gain admission to the “best” schools, the schools that reputations and U.S. News tells us will offer graduates a path paved in gold to success. What conventional wisdom neglects to take into consideration though is that the students applying to colleges and universities each year are INDIVIDUALS, and need to be treated as such. What do I mean by this? Well, a student may have done all the “right” things – excelled academically, earned a killer ACT/SAT score and done all the other intangibles to earn admission to the nation’s most selective schools. But that doesn’t mean they should go there. The simple truth is if a student isn’t happy, they won’t be successful, no matter where they go. And getting into and attending Harvard isn’t a guaranteed path to anything if you can’t make the grade.
The same is true in this year’s World Cup. France, one of the most successful soccer nations of the last 20 years is out after the first round, winless in 3 matches. This is a team with some of the most talented players on the planet, yet they couldn’t even muster a win over host South Africa, one of the lowest ranked teams in the tournament. Why? The players were miserable. Infighting, instability and a lack of singular focus led to an early exit.
What’s the point? If you choose a college purely on reputation, you may be setting yourself up for failure. There is so much more that goes into the decision including who you are going to class with, what happens outside of class and frankly, the intangible “gut” feeling. Selecting a college where you will be happy and engaged in a community that will work with you to help you succeed is a whole lot better than choosing the one an arbitrary ranking system selected for you. You are a human being, full of potential and frailty. Why choose a school based solely on the numbers?
Oh, and GO USA!
Introductory Post
Welcome to the Dean Dean blog. Why this blog as opposed to others? Well, if you or someone close to you is interested in Dean College, then you will probably find some interesting insight into our community and admissions process here. If you are interested in enrollment related issues with regards to colleges and universities, you'll find some of my opinions on current trends here as well. Ultimately, what you'll get is honest opinions from someone who has been in the profession for over 15 years.
It has been a remarkable first year here at Dean College. We have seen record applications and are on the verge of record enrollment. The campus is going through many changes, from our new Main Stage and Dining Center wing on our Campus Center to the unveiling of 3 new baccalaureate degrees in Liberal Arts & Studies, Business and Theatre. The staff in the Office of Admission has come together as a great team and works tirelessly on behalf of the students who choose to apply to Dean. All in all, 2009-2010 has been great, but we expect 2010-2011 to be even better!
What is in store for the future? Well, we just launched our new VIRTUAL TOUR and, in less than a month, will launch a new admissions website. By the end of the summer, www.dean.edu will get a full facelift as well to make it more navigable and serviceable for prospective families and the community.
I hope you will enjoy keeping up with Dean College through this blog. Please feel free to comment freely, ask questions, and share ideas here as you wish. I hope my musings will be useful, if not entertaining!
It has been a remarkable first year here at Dean College. We have seen record applications and are on the verge of record enrollment. The campus is going through many changes, from our new Main Stage and Dining Center wing on our Campus Center to the unveiling of 3 new baccalaureate degrees in Liberal Arts & Studies, Business and Theatre. The staff in the Office of Admission has come together as a great team and works tirelessly on behalf of the students who choose to apply to Dean. All in all, 2009-2010 has been great, but we expect 2010-2011 to be even better!
What is in store for the future? Well, we just launched our new VIRTUAL TOUR and, in less than a month, will launch a new admissions website. By the end of the summer, www.dean.edu will get a full facelift as well to make it more navigable and serviceable for prospective families and the community.
I hope you will enjoy keeping up with Dean College through this blog. Please feel free to comment freely, ask questions, and share ideas here as you wish. I hope my musings will be useful, if not entertaining!
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