The number of transfer students entering Miami University in the fall of 2008 increased by 12.5 percent from fall of 2007.
According to Jen Poletti, senior associate director of the office of admission, 270 transfer students started at Miami's Oxford campus this fall, compared to 240 in 2007.
"That includes a lot more international transfer students than in years past, which is pretty exciting," Poletti said.
Poletti said she thinks the number of transfers will continue to grow in the future.
"We hope that we continue to see increases in transfer students," Poletti said.
According to Poletti, one reason for this jump is the increase of enrollment at community colleges and their choice of Miami to finish their degrees. This trend is something Miami wants to build on.
"It's just another form of recruitment," Poletti said. "There are students who need to get their bachelor's degree and continue their education somewhere."
One place Miami looks to recruit is Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society at two-year colleges.
Poletti said the university still uses the traditional recruitment means such as pamphlets, but getting names through Phi Theta Kappa is a newer recruitment tool implemented in the last two years.
According to Poletti, Miami also receives a lot of transfer students from other four-year institutions who are not happy at their schools.
"They come to Miami because they hear how great the education is here (and) they know people who are having a wonderful experience here and they want to be a part of that," Poletti said.
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According to Poletti, a majority of transfer students from other four-year institutions come from other schools in Ohio.
Poletti said there could be a lot of reasons for students to transfer, including family, financial and program issues.
Junior Ashley Johns transferred to Miami from Indiana University at the beginning of her sophomore year to be closer to home and her family.
"During my freshman year at (Indiana), I came to visit here a lot and I just fell in love with the school and the campus and everything about Miami," Johns said.
Senior Mike Rosa also transferred to Miami after his first year at the University of Cincinnati.
Rosa said Cincinnati was not working out for him academically.
"The environment wasn't good," Rosa said.
Rosa said he came to Miami for the more prestigious academics and the beautiful campus.
According to Poletti, transfer students tend to have positive opinions of Miami. Several have even been quoted in recent recruitment publications by Miami for prospective students because of their ability to compare Miami to other schools.
"(Transfer students) kind of make us all realize how great this institution is because the students have seen a different side at a different institution," Poletti said.
According to Poletti, the application to Miami for transfer students is basically the same as the first-year application. The only difference is that transfer students must also submit their college transcripts.
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