Campus Engagement Tip: Give a Sneak Peek at the Transfer Experience

meangreenfaninno · July 30

The University of North Texas invites prospective transfer students to experience a day in the life of a student, helping them feel confident and comfortable on campus.

Starting college can be a scary transition for many students, including transfers. To help ease student anxieties and encourage transfer students to plug in to campus, the University of North Texas created Eagle for a Day.

The event invites prospective transfers to meet with campus stakeholders and incentivizes them to commit with waivers for application and orientation fees.

“I think any student today wants to know what it’s like to be on campus, whether they’re looking for pictures or videos of what it’s like to be on the campus—actually physically being here helps change a lot of students’ perspectives of what it’s like on our campus,” explains Stephanie Brown, executive director of orientation and transition programs. “If we’re able to give them that information, give them that feeling even before they go through the orientation process, I think it helps solidify their decision to transfer.”

Leaving the nest: Eagle for a Day is an all-day event, from around 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted each fall and spring term. Throughout the day, students who are interested in applying to transfer interact with various campus stakeholders, including staff from the transfer center, financial aid, advising and admissions, as well as other students who have successfully transferred to UNT.

One special activity is a mock lecture in which Eagles sit in on a large lecture-style class, hosted by a transfer-supportive faculty member, and participate like typical UNT students. Transfers can also hear from the UNT transfer ambassadors firsthand during the event, providing a peer perspective on life at the university.

The event concludes with an opportunity for students to apply to UNT at an application station.

Birds of a feather: UNT also hosts a preview day and an orientation experience for students interested in a campus visit or resources in general, but Eagle for a Day is different because it’s a small cohort experience in which participants live as a UNT student for eight hours or so, Brown explains.

Link to full article:https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/college-experience/2024/07/30/look-behind-curtain-college-transfer-students