Within the past few years there has been an increase of transfer students applying to Vanderbilt University, as well as being admitted. Students believe that Vanderbilt has lowered their standards for transfer students and is making it easier to get it accepted compared to other top twenty universities.
According to Douglas Christiansen, the vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions, with the construction of The Commons, are a finite number of beds available for all first-year students. The cap is set to 1,600 incoming freshmen; this reduced the number of freshmen by about 40 to 60 students. As the number of freshmen will now be a set amount, in order to balance out the total number of undergraduate students at about 6,800, there is an increase in availability for transfer students to be accepted.
Christiansen said he believes that there is a stereotype about transfers, but he claims it is not true. Applying to Vanderbilt as a transfer student “is not a backdoor, they are just as committed as everyone else,” he said.
In 2009, 760 students applied, while 236 were enrolled, making it the largest transfer class in the university’s history. Of the 236 transfer students, 82 percent were among the first four semesters of their college career. The majority of these students had applied to Vanderbilt previously but decided to go elsewhere, said Christiansen.
“(They are) superb students with experience elsewhere, but bring geographic, ethnic and social diversity (to Vanderbilt),” said Christiansen. “They are held to the same threshold.”
“I wanted Vanderbilt freshman year, but things did not work out to come here first,” said sophomore Miranda Diebel, a transfer student from Union University in Jackson, Tenn.
Diebel said she had only felt discriminated against that way once or twice, and that it doesn’t bother her when people refer to her as a transfer.
“I'm here now competing with them on the same level, and I have the benefit of having a year in a completely different environment under my belt,” said Diebel. “I don't mind telling people I'm a transfer student; I'm proud of being one. I knew I wanted Vandy, and though I didn't get in freshman year, I tried even harder to get in as a transfer.”
“The most challenging part was restarting basically,” said Andrew Gentile, a transfer from Ithaca College. “The first month or so you kind of feel like a freshman again, trying to meet as many people as you can to make friends, but after that you get in the swing of things, and it’s fine.”
Gentile also said he felt orientation was useful and a smart idea for any new student to attend.
“Most (transfer students) have been through college orientations at their previous schools, so they usually attend the sessions which interest them the most or provide specific information about life at Vanderbilt,” said Kendra Warden, co-chair of the Connect to Vanderbilt transfer student orientation.
Warden believes the orientation was a success.
“Many transfers want to become full members of the Vanderbilt community as soon as possible and no longer be identified as transfers,” she said. “We consider that a success.”
Since transfer students do not live in The Commons, “a component may have been lost, but their transfer orientation helps for that transition process,” said Christiansen.
“I live in Kissam Quad, and it’s alright,” said Gentile. “It gets a bad reputation, and it’s partially deserved. It is not the most social place to be a new student, but I made it work.”
“The freshman definitely have a good deal living in The Commons,” he said.
