According to the National Student Clearinghouse, approximately one-third of college students transfer schools before earning their undergraduate degree. In fall 2021, this amounted to 1.2 million undergraduates enrolled as transfer-in students to more than 3,400 institutions. Whether the reason for transferring is driven by finances, the student not finding the right environment at their initial college, a change in major, or another reason, these staggering numbers show there is a clear demand for IECs to keep up with unique needs of transfer students.
Seeing this need, we co-founded the 51³Ô¹Ï Transfer Students Affinity Group in December 2021. Our group provides support and discussion for IECs who work with (or want to work with) college students exploring undergraduate transfer opportunities. This includes both planned transfers (students attending two-year colleges with the stated goal of applying to four-year universities) and unplanned transfers (students switching schools or returning to a different school for any number of reasons). Our affinity group, now 250 members strong (and growing!), meets monthly, often with a transfer-focused presentation by a college admission representative.
We invite you to join our active group of transfer specialists, or reach out to one of us if you are referring a student who has expressed interest in changing institutions!
By Jaime Smith, MA, MSEd, CEP, 51³Ô¹Ï (OR) and Priscilla Vivio, MEd, CEP, 51³Ô¹Ï (WA), Co-Chairs