Why Choose Bowling Green State University?

summary

In this conversation, Melissa Swafford, Director of Tri-C Transfer Centers, and Parker Lake, BGSU Admissions Counselor, discuss the various aspects of transferring to Bowling Green State University (BGSU). They highlight BGSU's strong reputation, the appeal of its location, the opportunities available for transfer students, the affordability of education through scholarships, and the personalized experiences offered to prospective students. The discussion emphasizes the supportive environment at BGSU and the value of the education provided.

takeaways

• BGSU is highly regarded, ranked number one in the Midwest.
• Students express high satisfaction and would choose BGSU again.
• The university offers a blend of small-town charm and big-city access.
• There are over 400 student organizations for diverse interests.
• BGSU has a large and active marching band program.
• Affordability is a priority, with numerous scholarships available.
• Transfer students' credits are generally accepted, easing their transition.
• Personalized campus visits can be arranged for prospective students.
• BGSU provides a supportive environment for transfer students.
• The university encourages early scholarship applications for better opportunities.

Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:06)
transfer take five. Today we're going to explore five aspects of transfer to Bowling Green State University. I'm Melissa Swafford, the director of the Tri-C Transfer Centers and I'm joined today by Parker Lake from Bowling Green State University. Welcome. Yeah, so let's just start. Why don't you tell me a little bit about the BGSU and what alumni and students have to say about attending it.

Speaker 1 (00:20)
Thank you, Melissa. It's a pleasure to be here.

Absolutely. I love talking about this. I grew up in the area and so BGSU has been a part of my life for a long time. My mom graduated from there. It's been a huge influence on my life and now professionally as know a transfer advisor I'm so much more aware of the national acclaim really that BGSU has. The Wall Street Journal gathers data on college applicants and they do this big survey across hundreds of universities across the country.

asking graduates what their experience was like, gathering data points. And from those results, BGSU, over the last few years, has been ranked number one in the Midwest and actually number three in the entire country as the university that students say they would choose again, which tells you a little bit about the experience that they're having at BGSU. It's an experience that students trust. They don't regret that investment of time, that effort that they put in nationally.

students are recognizing the value of the education and the experience that they can have at BG. And so, you know, that ranking special because, you know, I could tell you about all these other cool rankings we've got, how cool our buildings are, you know, I think we've got like the ninth library in the world or in the nation or something. I don't know. But, you know, that ranking in specific is important to me because it tells you how our students actually feel about BG.

Speaker 2 (01:54)
It's kind of like showing that they acknowledge the return on investment, that they're investing in their education and going to Bowling Green, and they definitely value what they're coming away with, both as their experience there, as well as what they have when they leave, when they graduate.

Speaker 1 (02:09)
Absolutely.

know, academically they're surviving and they're thriving. They're finding so many opportunities. Internships, co-ops, and our graduates are able to find jobs afterwards, which ultimately is one of the primary purposes of college. So having a fantastic experience while you're studying during those four or five years that you're spending in your undergraduate years and then being able to go and take that and whether you're pursuing a master's degree, going into a pre-professional program or

getting into the workforce, our graduates are finding success with that. They're not regretting that investment, like you said.

Speaker 2 (02:43)
So let's talk a little bit about location. I know, you know, I went to Bowling Green for grad school and we were just talking about Campus Polleyes which is, you know, the best, the greatest pizza stuffed breadsticks in the world. But what is it about Bowling Green, the city or the location of BGSU that is attractive to students?

Speaker 1 (02:52)
The greatest.

Yeah,

I love the area. I mentioned I grew up there. I have had the chance to live in a variety of different places, some big cities, San Francisco for a time. I've had a variety of experiences living in California, Utah, kind of all around the country a little bit. And as I've thought about what makes BG special, and I think the feeling that our students get is we really have that small town feel, right?

We've got all the conveniences of a city. We've got Walmart, we've got Kroger, we've got Meyer, Taco Bell, right? All those restaurants that you want. But we also have these cool small businesses like Campus Polleyes like Beckett's Burger Bar. These places that, you know, once you come and you taste it, you just love them. And there are these, you know, it's just that quintessential small town feel, almost like a Hallmark movie that you're looking for, right? But then at the same time, we also have...

So many big city opportunities, right? We're not that far away from the Cleveland area. We're not far away from Toledo or Detroit or Ann Arbor or Chicago even. So while you're in this small town feel and that's where you're going to be spending most of your time during your studies, you also have the opportunity to go and explore so many cool places around the country during your time at BG, right? That's a cool landing spot to be able to kind of quickly go over and explore all these fantastic, you know,

the art, the history, whatever you're interested in, you've got an easy access point to be able to go and find that. So it's kind of this perfect blend of small town vibes with big city opportunities.

Speaker 2 (04:37)
And so when students, transfer students, come to BG, how, you know, being on campus, you're a transfer student, how do they go about finding their place, having, you know, that sense that they belong?

Speaker 1 (04:51)
Yeah, we've got all kinds of opportunities for our transfer students. We have over 400 different student organizations. We offer 200 different majors and programs that you can study in here at BG. And every single one of those has a, like a club, a student organization to help them professionally. But we also have, you know, I mentioned 200 majors, but 400 programs like that. We also have a lot of fun stuff.

ways for students to get involved, whether you're musically inclined. We've got the second largest marching band in the nation right now, which is another really cool thing, right? We're in this Northwest Ohio. You don't think of us as this big school, but we've got a really awesome marching band and a fantastic program. We have opportunities to get involved with drama, with sports, club sports, intramurals. We've got people who just have silly clubs like watching the squirrels on campus, right? Really, you know, no matter what your interests are, you can find a spot where you belong.

at BGSU and specifically we do have a kind of a transfer club or a group of transfer students who have all come from different backgrounds, some from Tri-C, some from all over the country even. And that organization is a fantastic opportunity to connect with people in a similar situation as other transfer students and be able to connect with them and develop friendships and kind of serve as a landing spot for you while you're getting to know people and getting involved with some of those other groups.

Speaker 2 (06:19)
Yeah, it's great to have that because you know as a transfer student you're coming in and you might not be going through that first year Yeah, but there's still plenty of opportunities to kind of get connected

Speaker 1 (06:30)
There definitely are, you know, I was a transfer student myself and you miss out on so many of those first-year freshman experiences, right? And it's easy to feel like you don't belong at an institution. I definitely felt when I transferred to a different school that I didn't really belong there. I didn't fit in. It took me quite a while to really feel like I was making some friends, getting to know people. And I think BGSU does a really good job of helping people know that even if they're coming in, you know, after the freshman experience.

they're going to have so many opportunities, helps them get involved right away and be able to maximize their experience, right? Because college is supposed to be more than just tests and homework and, you know, obviously the job and everything, that's the important part of it, getting educated so that you can go on and have a successful career. you also want college to be fun and have fun friendships that will last you a lifetime. And BGSU is a great place to find that. That's great.

Speaker 2 (07:25)
So one of the things that's always top of mind for Tri-C students is affordability. And the question we get often is, if I'm going to go to Bowling Green, what kind of scholarships are available? So can you share with us how Bowling Green's making education affordable?

Speaker 1 (07:40)
Yeah, we, you know, as a public institution, we're a lot more affordable than some of the private options you have just for the sake of, you know, being assisted by the government. We've got hundreds of scholarships as well. I've talked a lot today about how BGSU alumni love BGSU. They don't regret their investment of time. And some BGSU alumni have gone on to be very successful and have profound experience. The Thompson family is one that comes to mind.

They are huge donors for BGSU. We have one of the largest privately endowed scholarship funds because they care about education. They want students to be able to succeed. And so many others, right? The Thompson family is just one, have provided hundreds of scholarship opportunities for any student, including our transfers to be eligible for. We've got a few that are

you know, always top of mind for me when I'm talking with our transfer students, just because they're automatic, you're automatically considered for them. You know, we've got opportunities for you to receive up to $2,000 off of your tuition based off of your financial need and your GPA as you're coming in. If for some reason you're coming in out of state, I don't imagine too many tricy students are going to be out of state, but we've got opportunities there to take down some of that out of state cost. But, you know, really it's hard to go into all the details, but we really do have hundreds of opportunities.

So I always encourage our students apply early, right? If you're thinking about coming for the fall of next year, apply early so that way you can fill out that scholarship application. Those are usually due around early or mid February. And so get applied if you know you wanna come to BGSU and apply for as many of those scholarships as you're eligible for. It always depends on what specific program students are interested in and what qualifications they have. But usually our transfer students are able to find at least a little bit of help if not.

a significant portion of that tuition paid for.

Speaker 2 (09:38)
And I know the other thing that keeps transfer affordable is how BG takes tricy degree programs as well as tricy courses. Why you talk a little bit about that?

Speaker 1 (09:50)
Absolutely. You know, we, mentioned I was a transfer student. It's nothing is more heartbreaking than having spent time at an institution and then go into another place and being told, Hey, that work wasn't exactly the way we wanted it to be done. And so we're not going to give you credit for that. And you're like, great. Now I just wasted thousands of dollars and all this, this year of my life on these credits that don't even matter at BGSU. We don't want you to feel that way at all. I have had the privilege of being in this role for

a little bit over six months now and through that process I've been able to help quite a few Tri-C students as they're finishing up their associates or as they're looking at different options, figure out that transition to BGSU and I have rarely if ever seen credits not transfer over. Meaning we value the work that Tri-C students are putting in. We don't want you to have to feel like you're starting over. We can usually find a way to make your credits work for you.

and to help you progress towards your degree and the intended program that you've got. And so our Tri-C students are happy. They don't feel like they have to start over. They're able to take this wonderful experience that they're having here with Stomp and all the other great people here at Tri-C. I love Stomp.

Speaker 2 (11:00)
Freddie should come in. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:03)
Yeah. Yeah. We need to have like a collab for sure. you know, taking this wonderful experience that our students have been able to have at Tri-C and come and let BGSU add to that experience instead of taking something away from it.

Speaker 2 (11:16)
So if Tri-C student is interested in Bowling Green, what would you suggest in terms of a visit or getting to know BG better?

Speaker 1 (11:24)
Yeah, there are so many different opportunities. It always depends. I love to talk to students. That's my role, right? Try see students, at least for the next little bit. I'll be a transfer advisor for you. I want to help you. And whether it's me or somebody else at BGSU, I know that they'll be dedicated in the same way that I am. We want you to have the best experience possible. And so we've got daily visits where you can come and just tour campus. If you're looking to just get a general feel for.

the environment. You can come for one of those. We've got big visit days. Presidents Day is coming up. That's a very common, one of our biggest event days of the year. We've got events called preview days where we also have all of our, you know, we've got exhibitors, we've got people from all over campus who come to showcase what makes BGSU special. We also can do personalized visits. If you want to go see the forensic lab or the marine biology space, right?

Those are sometimes not spaces we're talking about on our typical tours, but we can plan a personalized visit for you. That's something I'm very happy to do. We're eager to make this a wonderful opportunity for you so that you can come and really feel like you're gonna belong here, right? Something I love about BGSU, I've talked about this and alluded to it a little bit, but it's big enough that we've got all these wonderful opportunities. We can have the Marine Biology program. We can have all these great things, but we're also small enough that

students have the opportunity to leverage those opportunities. We can take students on personalized tours. We can give you the one-on-one attention that maybe some other bigger schools wouldn't be able to just because they don't, they're overwhelmed, right? They've got so many students. And so we kind of hit that sweet spot of big enough, but not too big, right? And we're just right for students to be able to have fantastic experiences. And that includes during the college search process, right? We want you to feel like you're an individual that we care about you. So.

I always encourage people to reach out to us. We're pretty easy to find BGSU application or BGSU transfer team. You can find my information or the current transfer team. By all means, we'd be very happy to support you in your transition.

Speaker 2 (13:33)
Well, Parker, thank you so much for joining us for transfer take five and in sharing your experience and your knowledge. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (13:40)
Thank you, it's been a pleasure.