This year's crop of incoming students includes 180 transfer students from Virginia's 23 community colleges representing an increase of over 20 percent from last year.
Three factors contributed to the strong representation of community college transfers ,said Dean of Admissions John Blackburn: active recruiting, coupling AccessUVA with Virginia's community colleges this year and the positive press received from the agreement signed between the University and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) in March.
Under the agreement, students will be eligible for automatic transfer admission to the University if they receive an associate degree from one of the 23 community colleges in Virginia within a two-year period, earn a minimum of 54 transferable credit hours, earn at least a 3.4 grade point average and earn no grade lower than a C in any class. In two courses, English 111 and 112, student must earn no lower than a B. While the agreement was approved by University President John T. Casteen, III in March and went into effect immediately thereafter, its impact will not affect the University's admissions policies until next year, Blackburn said.
VCCS spokesperson Susan Hayden added that it is also very important for students planning to take advantage of the program to speak with their counselors about the agreement to make sure they are on the right track for automatic admission.
"I would imagine, hopefully, in the next few years ... that community college students become familiar with [the agreement] and plan accordingly," said University Transfer Dean of Admissions Gregory W. Roberts.
The University hopes to increase the number of transfers from VCCS to around 300 by the year 2010.
Some have expressed concernsabout whether or not these students will be able to adjust to the rigorous academic environment at the University, but Blackburn explained transfer students usually graduate at the same rate as fourth-year students.
"Their work ethic is very strong, and I think that is because a lot of them have been in the work force. Transfers highly value education, not that our first-year students don't too, [but] they come in with a different perspective," Blackburn said.
Roberts said the average GPA of incoming transfer students from VCCS this year was 3.7, and in the past the graduation rate and average GPA once transfers arrive at the University is almost identical to students who started their first year.
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