A third of all students in the country end up transferring to other colleges or universities, according to a special report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Transferring schools can be a difficult adjustment for some students, whether they are transferring from a community college or seeking to move from one four-year school to another, but Ball State admissions work to make the transition a smooth one.

The office of admissions makes transferring a fairly easy process by accepting credits for 24,000 courses nationally and over 7,500 courses from Indiana’s two- and four-year colleges and universities, according to bsu.edu.

Ball State is currently home to 796 transfer students, compared to 768 in 2015, according to the academic and student affairs committee.

Bria Patterson, a sophomore telecommunications major, transferred from Northern Illinois University to Ball State because the university offered her more opportunities within her study.

“I transferred ... because Ball State had a better program for my major with a lot of opportunity here for me,” Patterson said. “I got a scholarship to come here so I could pay in-state fees.”

Monica Martin, a junior logistics and supply management major, transferred to Ball State after she discovered her potential through the university’s business school.

“I felt like I would get a better education at Ball State business school ... I was looking at other places but Ball State had the best education. I love it here,” Martin said.

Many transfer students worry about the fees that come with the new institution, but Chris Sherck, the Ball State transfer coordinator, said there are opportunities for students to receive  transfer scholarships if they maintain a high GPA, which can give them a big tuition break.

“I believe that transferring to Ball State is typically a very cost-effective thing for most of our transfer students,” Scherck said. “Our tuition costs upfront are very competitive with other institutions across the state. I believe that alone is an attractive thing to transfer students.”

Ball State awards more than 500 scholarships each year to reward incoming students for their academic, athletic and creative achievement and demonstrated leadership skills, according to bsu.edu.

In addition to scholarships, the office of admissions also offers transfer students the opportunity to enroll in the Connect Program and Fast Track Program.

The Connect Program, offered by Ball State in collaboration with Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University, allows Indiana residents who are not admissible to Ball State out of high school the opportunity to earn college credit while working toward admission, according to bsu.edu. You can only enroll in the Connect Program if you have been offered the opportunity but do not have to be enrolled in the program to transfer to Ball State.

The Fast Track Program is also a collaboration with Ivy Tech. It allows Indiana residents who fall slightly short of Ball State admission criteria but have a sound academic background to attend Ivy Tech for one semester. After completing 15 transferable credit hours (with a minimum 3.0 GPA), students can transfer to Ball State for the following spring semester, according to bsu.edu. The program is only available at eight selected Ivy Tech locations: Anderson, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Marion, Muncie and Richmond.

Scherck started as the transfer coordinator in May and said since then, he has been impressed with the university in assisting and assuring that transfer students have success here.

“I have been blown away by the support and willingness of various parts of campus that have been willing to assist me in helping our potential transfer students,” Sherck said. “They are a great group of individuals and have helped me and our admissions office learn and answer student’s questions.”

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