While Binghamton University admissions officials are actively pursuing transfer students, the State University of New York system has taken steps to make transferring credits between campuses easier.
“Transfer students are very focused; they want to maximize their credits at their community college as well as the four-year college to ensure a timely graduation,” said Cheryl Brown, director of undergraduate admissions at Binghamton University. “Students will be able to find a curriculum at Binghamton University to fit with their previous coursework for a seamless transition.”
Through an updated credit transfer policy within SUNY, students will have an easier time transferring between the 64 campuses.
According to a SUNY press release, the policy, which will go into effect in fall 2010, would allow for first- and second-year undergraduate courses that a student has successfully completed at one SUNY institution to transfer with full credit to another.
According to Brown, BU has a strong commitment to aid transfers in transitioning as smoothly as possible.
The University accepts approximately 800 transfer students each fall semester with an average grade point average of 3.4, Brown said. This makes up one-third of the student population at BU.
BU receives its largest groups of transfers from Broome Community College, Tompkins Cortland Community College and various colleges in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, according to Harolyn Pasquale, an associate director of undergraduate admissions.
Brown added that there are currently 100 international transfer students and 70 out-of-state transfer students enrolled at BU.
There are a variety of programs and initiatives at BU to help transfer students along in this process.
According to Pasquale, some of these initiatives include the Transfer Mentor Program and the Planning One-on-Ones.
“We use these transitional initiatives to make sure students are comfortable when they come to Binghamton University,” Pasquale said.
According to Pasquale, the Transfer Mentor Program is very successful.
The program offers an opportunity for older transfer students to provide help to newly transferred students, Pasquale said.
According to Brown, the program provides students helpful guidance and answers various questions they may have about college credits, courses or even campus life.
The other program, Planning One-on-Ones, is an outreach program for students looking to transfer into BU.
The outreach program is a special opportunity where undergraduate admissions personnel from BU go to community colleges and four-year institutions to speak with possible transfer students regarding their admissibility to the University, according to Pasquale.
In the One-on-One program with Broome Community College, admissions personnel make appointments with potential transfer students and let them know on the spot whether or not they have been accepted to BU.
“If a potential transfer student is not admissible at the time of the appointment, we talk with them about what requirements they would need to completely and properly transfer to Binghamton University,” Pasquale said.
“[Transfer students] add a lot to the Binghamton University campus because a large portion has different experiences through their different stories and backgrounds,” she added.