Smooth and Seamless Transfer to Cleveland State University

In this episode of Transfer Take 5, host Alyssa Swafford discusses the transfer process with Kayla Dennis and Thomas Ryan from Cleveland State University. They explore various aspects of transferring, including support services, affordability, institutional fit, and resources for first-generation students. The conversation highlights the importance of seamless credit transfer, available scholarships, and the supportive environment at CSU for students transitioning from Tri-C. Thomas shares his personal experiences as a transfer student, emphasizing the value of academic advising and the TRIO program's support for first-generation students. The episode concludes with advice for prospective students on making informed decisions during their transfer journey.

• Cleveland State is a top transfer destination for Tri-C students.
• Support services are crucial for a smooth transfer process.
• Affordability and scholarships are key considerations for transfer students.
• Institutional fit is important for student satisfaction.
• First-generation students have unique challenges and resources available.
• Academic advising plays a significant role in student success.
• Utilizing available resources can ease the transition to a four-year university.
• Building relationships with advisors enhances the college experience.
• Asking questions is essential for navigating the transfer process.
• Researching programs helps students make informed decisions.

Transcript

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Welcome to Transfer Take 5, where we explore five aspects of transfer each episode. I'm Melissa Swafford, your host and director of the Transfer Centers at Tricy. And today I am joined by Kayla Dennis and Thomas Ryan from Cleveland State. So why don't we start, why don't you guys introduce yourself, but thank you for being here. Yes, of course. Thank you for having us. My name is Kayla Dennis. I am the Transfer Recruitment Specialist in the Undergraduate Office of Admissions at Cleveland State.

I'm here to answer any questions that you may have about transferring to CSU as your admissions counselor. And Tri C is your student population, right? that is correct. You specialize for our students. We have the right person here today. Yes, correct. And Thomas? And I'm Thomas Ryan. I'm actually a current student at Cleveland State University. I'm an undergraduate psychology major and neuroscience minor, and I am currently

projected to graduate in May of 2025. And I'm a previous Tri-C graduate, so transferred from Tri-C to CSU. Awesome. So we are very lucky to be joined by a Tri-C alumni who's soon to be an alumni of Cleveland State as well. So great. listeners, may realize this already, but Cleveland State is the number one transfer destination for Tri-C students. So we're going to dive into five different aspects that often come up in this transfer planning process.

We are going start both start with talking about support for transfer that Cleveland states have. So we've been a longtime partner, Tri-C and CSU. So what can students expect? What can a Tri-C student expect from CSU and help in the transfer planning process?

Yes, so I would say from a staff perspective, and of course I'd like Thomas to elaborate this on a student perspective, but definitely a diverse population, which I think a lot of students are looking for. They want to be able to get to know a number of different students, not just Tri-C students, but just other students from other avenues of life.

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I also think they want something that's very engaged, that's very hands-on, to where they'll be able to get experience as soon as they get to the university, because they really want to hit the ground running and making sure that they're studying things that they're passionate about. So making sure that they have opportunities for internships, just to get involved, see what campus offers them, both socially and academically, just to make sure that they're having the best experience possible. That's awesome.

The transfer services that are provide both yourself, the advising, kind of what does that look like for a student while they're preparing? Yes, so students are really looking to make sure that their credits transfer over as seamlessly as possible and just to make sure they have that support throughout the entire transfer process. So we do allow students to do kind of what we consider is a pre-advising before meeting with their academic advisor to schedule their classes.

So making sure that the student is meeting with one of our advisors in our office to evaluate their credits, let them know exactly how they would transfer over based on the degree that they're looking for. If a student is unsure about what degree they're looking for, they also can receive advice about based off of what they plan to do when they graduate, if they have a career in mind already. So just making sure that they have that support and that their credits transfer over, because we of course don't want them taking any classes that go. Yeah.

Thomas, can you talk about what your experience was, the advising specifically? Yeah, absolutely. I think the main word I would think of was smooth. I think seamless, like Kayla said. My advisor from Tri-C and my advisor from CSU actually knew each other, so it was a very easy process when they were able to communicate. So was like having that additional line of communication open was super smooth. And then the process of the credit evaluation and then projecting how my journey would continue on at CSU was very simple as well.

just because there is like those pathways that they are like lined out from trying to see the CSU. So it makes it kind of like a smooth transition. It was like very easy to understand as well. I felt like I was going to be confused, but I wasn't, which was a very pleasant surprise. Well, that's good. So like advising is a really important part and the pathways between the two institutions. And that kind of leads us to the second part, like making sure your transfer, your credits transfer kind of leads into the second one, which is affordability. And so, Kayla, what has CSU been doing to make sure that

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but it is affordable for transfer students. Yes. So actually, we just introduced some new scholarships for our transfer students, which I am very excited about. I'm excited about those too. Yes. Yes. So we now offer yearly scholarships. Before, we were just only offering them for certain semesters. But students can be eligible for the fall, spring, and summer semester scholarships. They start at a 3.0 GPA and award above based off of your GPA. And they can be up to $2,500.

Students can also maintain those scholarships throughout their two years as long as they meet the requirements, which is 12 credits or more, which is a full-time student, and a 2.0 cumulative GPA. So we offer a number of different transfer scholarships for students based off of their GPA, as well as we do have college-specific scholarships that students can also be eligible for depending on what they're majoring in. So a number of different ways that students can receive aid as well as, you know.

on top of their FAFSA and things like that go. That's awesome. And how about tuition? Students are coming from Tracy, which they're used to. For a community college, we are the lowest tuition in the state. How about in terms of a four-year, where does CSU fall? We are currently listed as one of the lowest tuition rates in Ohio for transfer students. So our tuition is around a little bit more than $12,000 a year.

But there are a number of different payment plans that students can go on if that works better for them. But we are considered one of the lowest universities in Ohio, so very exciting. We try to keep it affordable. Yeah. And that paired with those pathways that are simple and smooth list definitely keeps everything affordable. So Thomas, I just wanted to kind of switch gears a little bit and ask institutional fit, making sure that the institution or the school that you're going to is right for you.

And a lot of students miss this part of the conversation. They show up and say, I'm going to X. And then they're just like, why? Well, because it's right there, or it's the only thing I know, or those type of things. But you had shared some things about why you both picked Tri-C as well as CSU. So why don't you start at why you started at Tri-C? Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the main factors that led me to Tri-C was affordability, being very conscious of value versus how much you're paying for it.

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I think Tri-C definitely matches that expectation in my mind. I was always really happy with the amount of value that I got for my tuition. There's also the aspect of it being kind of like a stepping stone to continue on to a further university. When I started in higher education, I wasn't completely set on what I wanted to do. I was thinking about computer science or business, which is very different to what I'm doing now, psychology. So when I was at Tri-C, I actually took

an introductory psychology course. And that was the thing that kind of made it like click in my head. And it sparked like my interest in psychology. And I realized like, this is where I want to be. So having that like exploratory like stepping stone was like a very good, I think, aspect of my journey for me. So then like the value in the stepping stone and then like moving on to CSU is always kind like a logical next step in my mind. Having that like.

affordability continue on, like the value I know is a big factor in my decision. And then I also have been like a Cleveland native for my entire life. So CSU is always like very involved in the community and very like present around me. So I think it was like all of those combined kind of made it like a logical next step, like progression from step to step for me in my journey. That's awesome. And so it was purposeful and, you know, kind of value affordability and location were kind of the things driving that.

Let's talk a little bit. So we talked about pre-admission advising and how that works. But once you're at CSU, talk about your experiences with academic advising and registration and what that looks like for student. I was very pleasantly surprised with the advising experience at CSU. There's a very ease of access kind of feeling to it where you don't feel like you have to like.

jump through hoops to get an advising appointment or anything like that. It's very easy to talk to your advisor. And there's also like the aspect of, feel like there's like a professional working relationship I've had with my advisors where it doesn't feel like I'm just talking to someone about like these like various like academic things. It feels like they care about like the journey that I'm on, which is huge. It's very important. So having that built on is like very valuable, I think, and it helps you. But again, I think like the ease of access and the convenience.

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Knowing that at any point you have someone there to ask questions that would know the answers or direct you in the right way to go is very valuable. And I think you mentioned to me that you have a faculty advisor as one of your advisors. Can you talk more about how that relationship works? absolutely. So my faculty advisor mostly focuses on psychology and things like grad school, which are kind of related to psychology. So I have an advisor specifically for more complicated major related questions like that.

And then I also have a general advisor through the TRIO program who focuses more on the general aspects of university life and things like that. So one for each is super helpful as well, for sure. Yeah, so you have both sides supported overall. Well, and you mentioned TRIO. I know you had shared with me that you are a first-generation college student. And so for listeners, just to give you a sense, a first-generation student is a student whose parents are guardians

have not completed a college degree. And so at Tri-C, we have about 68 % of our students are first gen. So it's not a surprise. But I think that is a unique experience. And so you mentioned TRIO. Can you talk a little bit more about the TRIO program at CSU and how it supported you as a first gen student? of course. So my experience with the TRIO program has been extremely positive. They've helped me in a number of ways.

Mostly with that aspect of I wasn't really sure how college life would be going in because I haven't had that like family experience to like build off of. So they've helped me adjust in a number of ways. I had the opportunity to take like a career course one semester that helped me a little bit. There's also like extracurriculars like trips and meetings and things like that. I went to a meeting covering like the FAFSA and how to fill that out and everything. So it's like very like helpful like practical information all the times to you that you can apply.

So having that extra support and then the advising as well is super helpful because they know to tailor it to a different experience than what someone going to university might have just because you have that first generation experience. Awesome. And you had mentioned before that you went on a trip with TRIO. Why don't you tell us about that? So last spring break this past semester, I actually had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC with the TRIO program, which was super neat. It was super interesting. It was kind of like an educational but also fun, adventurous journey.

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It was definitely super nice. I believe it was for three or four days. So it was kind of like an extensive trip. But yeah, we got to see a lot of DC. And it was like cool. And it was kind of like a community bonding sense of experience as well. And what advice would you give a first generation student who's at Tri-C and they're planning for transfer, they want to get their bachelor's degree? What advice would you give them? I would definitely say that utilizing like all the resources at your disposal is always like a

good first step. wasn't aware of a lot of the resources I had access to. So I think having that knowledge or even like reaching out to like inquire about what resources you have access to is like a super good step. And then I think like relying on the people that are there to help you, like the staff members is always good as well. Cause I think that was the main thing that helped me like ease through the transition process.

Awesome. Kayla, kind of from your perspective, the students you meet with, because I know you meet a lot with a lot of our Tri-C's students. How do you feel that CSU, what does to support our first gen students? I definitely feel like we are kind of their home away from home, but without being too forward.

We want to make sure that students feel comfortable coming to us with any questions that they may have. If they need additional support, we are there to provide that for them. We definitely make sure that they are ready to go. We don't kind of like stop holding their hand until they are admitted into their courses and that they're fully going. We want to make sure that they are able to do the best that they can and make sure that we're setting them up for success. We don't want to just throw them to the wolves, essentially.

So making sure that they have that support all the way through, especially for any students that may be coming from like the greater Cleveland area who don't have, know, whether it be like they need housing necessities, food necessities, just making sure that they have that support so that they're able to be successful. And as we finish up today, would

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each of you share one other piece of advice or something we haven't covered that you would like prospective TRIC students to know about for transferring to CSU. I would definitely say ask questions. And I know that sounds silly because, of course, ask questions. But I promise you, if there is something that you don't know, there's going to be someone there to support you. Definitely make sure that you take the reins on your academics because

At the end of the day, it's your experience, and we want to make sure that you have the best experience. So if there's anything you don't know, if you want additional opportunities for like internships, jobs, things like that, ask for them, advocate for yourself, and make sure that you are doing what you can to be successful as possible. Awesome. And Thomas? I think.

I would say maybe playing to your strengths or matching your experience to your wants or desires is always important. I think doing that extra bit of research to go deeper into the programs or the schools or institutions that you're looking at is always super helpful as well, because then you know what to expect going in or to compare different ones. That's awesome. And just as we finish, Thomas, what's the post-graduation plans after May 2025?

So far, I believe I'm entering the workforce for a little bit, for a period, just to get some work experience, to fill out my resume, to kind of like bolster it a little bit. And then I'm hoping to return for grad school for something related to psychology, although I'm not exactly sure what program to use. So hopefully that gap helps me narrow it down as well. Yeah, that grad school search is kind of like a transfer search. you know.

Use your resources and figure that out. So, well, thank you both for joining us for Transfer Take 5. It's been great and learning from you and hearing all of the experiences. Yes. Thank you for having Thank you very much. Yeah.