Derek Bao said he didn’t have the “guts” to transfer schools during his freshman year at Purdue University.
But after joining the crew team and a fraternity, he still wasn’t happy at the school. Bao transferred to Northwestern last quarter. The McCormick junior said he came to NU for the “challenging academics and the opportunity to explore a great city like Chicago.”
A study by the Department of Education released earlier this year reported that almost 60 percent of undergraduate students attend more than one institution during their college careers. NU is following the national trend with an increase in transfer applicants from 2003 to 2006, according to statistics provided by NU Director of Undergraduate Admissions Keith Todd.
There were 631 applicants for transfer admissions in 2003, and this year’s pool had 1,039 applicants for next fall.
Transfer admission numbers vary from year to year, depending on internal targets and the quality of the applicant pool, Todd said in an e-mail. Most of NU’s transfer applicants apply to be admitted for the Fall Quarter. The application deadline is May 1.
Transfer decisions are made on a rolling basis and decisions are usually made by July 1.
NU expects to enroll at least 100 transfers this year, depending on the strength of the pool, Todd said.
Some students, such as McCormick sophomore Liz Ridgway, transferred to NU so she could play varsity soccer.
Many of NU’s transfer students live in a dorm they have nicknamed “the T-house” at 2251 Sheridan Rd. Ridgway said the dorm has a homey feel because it’s so small.
“Everyone knows everyone’s name. If you walk in and have had a bad day, people will question you,” Ridgway said.
Other students, like Bao, transfer to NU for an academic program.
Bao said the school’s established biomedical engineering program played a big role in bringing him to NU. He said the biggest challenge in transferring schools has been in the classroom, where Bao competes with many pre-med students.
“It’s different than a state school because everything is curved,” he said.
One out of every eight undergraduates moves back and forth between two- or four-year institutions, according to the Department of Education study. Students are increasingly taking advantage of dual-enrollment programs while in high school, credit by examination and enrollment during colleges’ summer terms.
Looking at college graduation rates is no longer a true measure of who is actually getting a degree, according to the study.
Communication senior AJ Giovannetti transferred to NU from DePaul University. He said he wanted to stay close to Chicago and transfer to the best school possible. Giovannetti began college as a music student, then transferred to the School of Communication.
He said NU has allowed him to have more academic freedom and resources.
“Northwestern allows people to discover what they truly enjoy doing and branch out and get involved in different parts of college life,” Giovannetti said.
Reach Alissa Dos Santos at [email protected].
