A Conversation with UM-Dearborn Admissions Counselors!
July 6, 2021
Let our counselors be your guide
There’s one resource all transfer students are encouraged to lean on leading up to your transition to University of Michigan-Dearborn and throughout your experience on our campus — (OK, maybe a group of resources to be precise) and that’s our admissions counselors! The counselors are committed to guiding incoming and current students through each stage, from your college search all the way to graduation. Our admissions team knows just how unique the transfer process can be, so they’ve tasked not just one but two admissions counselors with the responsibility of supporting transfer students’ specific needs. Meet Charlotte Brisbois and Niko Kanagawa. Here, Charlotte and Niko share five key facts about the admissions process that every transfer student should know.
1. No, starting your college career at UM-Dearborn is not a failsafe way to transfer to UM-Ann Arbor down the line.
Niko Kanagawa: One myth or misconception that I hear often is that students believe they can start here and transfer to Ann Arbor after a year or two. Yes, we’re related, but we operate in silos. There are specialized programs at UM-Dearborn that allow students to earn their degree at UM-Ann Arbor, but most students would be required to follow the official admissions process to apply for a transfer to the Ann Arbor campus.
2. There is no degree or credit requirement to transfer to UM-Dearborn.
Charlotte Brisbois: One thing that I encounter a lot is transfer students coming in assuming that they have to have completed an associate degree, or a certain amount of credits in order to transfer, which just isn't true for us. If they have fewer than 24 semester hours, we will need to see their high school credentials, but there isn't a minimum amount of credits that we need them to have completed. They don't even have to have finished the Michigan Transfer Agreement in order to be able to transfer.
NK: To build on that, sometimes students will see our transfer guides for our community college partners and assume that they have to complete everything before they transfer over. And while it may be advantageous from a cost-savings perspective to remain at the community college and maximize as much as possible, to Charlotte’s point, they don't have to do that. It really is at their discretion. We always want to let them know what their options are from an objective stance and allow them to decide what best fits their needs.
3. Transferring to a new university is not quite a fresh start.
CB: Every now and then, someone will think that they can come to a new university and “start over” or, “start fresh.” That if they don't want to use the credits they had before, we can just pretend they never happened. Your entire academic record does come with you. That's not to say if you did poorly at another institution there aren’t ways of becoming admissible, because there definitely are.
NK: Another thing is that, completing an associate degree does not mean that it’s going to equate to a true two-plus-two agreement. There are specific articulations that are out there, however if a student completes an associate degree in say, welding for example, that doesn't mean that they can then come in and only have two years remaining on an engineering degree. We do look at how credits are going to stack up against each individual degree requirement.
4. If you’re still in the early stages and just considering transferring from a community college to a new university, start narrowing down your schools of interest as soon as possible.
CB: The way your credits transfer is going to be somewhat different from one school to another. If you know what you want to study and have a couple of schools that you're looking at, be proactive in looking into whether they have transfer guides for your community college. If you’re going from a local community college to a major university, often there is some kind of a pathway or transfer guide that will allow you to start making sure that you are making the most out of your time and money and taking courses that are going to transfer.
NK: The Michigan Transfer Network is a universal resource throughout the state of Michigan. For prospective transfer students who maybe haven't dialed in on a specific institution, it allows them to see how their credits transfer from one institution to another. This at least gives students a starting point to see how credits may transfer in. But Charlotte hits the nail on the head. Students really should have a clear idea, maybe up to three majors that they're intending to pursue, and that definitely helps to better shape and frame the conversation.
5. It’s never too late to consider UM-Dearborn!
CB: One of my favorite things about working with transfer students is that even if the student is looking to come in and they aren't admissible yet, there is usually a path to admissibility. I think some students view getting denied as the end of the road. But there is almost always a path to admissibility and half of the work we do is working with students to follow that path.
NK: It is all about relationships. It's not uncommon for us to have ongoing communication with students — and they may even be five semesters out from transferring! But being able to have some of those periodic check-ins is what we're here for. It's not a one-and-done type of thing. We want to make sure that students are aware that they have the ability to have a face that they trust. Someone that they’ve really interacted with who's going to help walk them through the steps.
If you have questions, our admissions team offers virtual drop-in sessions where you can speak one-on-one with one of our enrollment management staff members and are also available via email at [email protected] or by phone at 313-593-5100.