An April month not so long ago (okay it was 27 years ago), I was trying to decide what college I would attend.  I was blessed with several options. Ultimately, Princeton felt like home. I found the thought of writing a thesis invigorating and was excited that I would be able to engage with professors from a variety of academic backgrounds. The director of the African-American Studies at the time, Cornel West, even took time out of his busy day to have a conversation with me. Even then, when Princeton still included loans as a part of its financial aid package, my offer was the strongest I received, and I knew my family would not have to worry about affording college.  While many things have changed about Princeton (like no loans) since my decision to attend, I chose to return to the University to work in the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity to advance Princeton’s broad commitment to expand access and success for first-generation, low-to-moderate income (FLI) students at highly-selective colleges.

When I was a student at Princeton, I participated in a two-week summer program, Freshman Summer Orientation Program (FSOP) directed to students who may have been the first in their family to attend college.  Since returning to campus, I have the opportunity to collaborate with the Programs for Access and Inclusion (PAI). PAI offers several programs connecting FLI students with each other and with resources on campus to thrive.  As I reflect on my own challenges transitioning to college, it is a source of pride knowing that first-year and transfer students are able to benefit from the ongoing community they find through PAI programming. Some students may find community through their participation in the revamped and extended version of my beloved FSOP – Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) or the four year leadership program, Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP). 

I was drawn back to Princeton because of its commitment to service and providing students opportunities to be engaged in the vital work of demystifying selective college admission. In my role at Princeton, I have the opportunity to partner with a number of amazing programs such as Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) and Matriculate. As a Matriculate Advising Fellow, Princeton undergraduates provide online mentoring and coaching to high achieving FLI high school students to support their consideration of highly selective colleges and universities.  This partnership aligns with Princeton’s informal motto, "Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity."

During this “temporary abnormal,” as Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber '83 refers to this current state of affairs, try to enjoy exploring your college options. You will meet new people and learn about programs, activities and pathways that you may have never considered before. I encourage students to evaluate how a school fits your academic, extracurricular and other interests. I also encourage you to evaluate graduation rates, out-of-pocket expenses; and outcome data for colleges you are considering. Twenty-seven years ago, I chose Princeton as my home. I hope to see you on campus as a fellow Princetonian.

Editor's Note: Dr. Keith Shaw, director of transfer, veteran and non-traditional student programs and Alex Bustin '08 , senior associate dean and director of transfer and military/veteran admission work together on Princeton's reinstated transfer program. Hear from them about their roles and their experience establishing and growing this program.

How has reinstating the transfer program impacted the Princeton community? 

Keith: Alex and I are very proud of the students in our young transfer program and we are excited to welcome a new crew of Princetonians. In building this program, it was so exciting to use transfer admission as an access and inclusion initiative, and you can see that in the students we’ve enrolled.

Through Alex’s stewardship of transfer admission, it’s been humbling to see and hear the stories of so many fantastic candidates from all over the world with such a range of backgrounds and experiences. The transfer program has helped us to see a rise in our student veteran population and they’ve been quick to form a tight community and become a visible presence on campus. We’re also thrilled with our community-college scholars – many of whom arrived on campus with inspiring academic achievements already under their belts, such as the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. 

We’ve had the opportunity to meet and understand the perspectives of students who have attended various colleges or have had non-traditional trajectories. Our students have worked in various industries or in the military, giving us just a glimpse of what kind of impact they can have in enriching the student body once they get to campus.

Are there any misconceptions regarding the transfer program? 

Alex: A common concern we usually hear from prospective students relates back to their academic history. Since reinstating the transfer program, we’ve seen a wide range of applicants. Some who have always done well academically throughout high school and college and others who didn’t hit their stride until much later – maybe even after multiple attempts at college. We recognize that different students reach their academic prime at different times for any number of reasons. You absolutely can be a competitive applicant for our transfer program if you have a strong record over the most recent semesters. We’re admitting our students and community members for who they are now and not necessarily who they used to be.

What has been one of the most rewarding parts of reinstating the transfer program? 

Keith: My favorite job responsibility has been teaching the incoming cohort of transfer students in their customized writing seminar each fall, where they cultivate the intellectual practices of emerging scholars. Just as important, this writing seminar enables our students to build a  community of their own. As their instructor I have the opportunity to watch a classics major from a local community college refine a thesis statement with a Navy intelligence analyst, or a Marine special ops veteran spar over the finer points of Orwell with the Miami-Dade Jack Kent Cooke Scholar. This provides a window into what makes the program so special. Our transfer students’ varied, informed and mature viewpoints are in high demand on campus. As we look forward to their academic and professional successes, we’re excited and curious about what Princeton will learn from them.

How has Princeton helped non-traditional students transition to campus? 

Alex: Helping to make Princeton a comfortable home for transfer students with families has been a welcome and ongoing challenge. Several of our transfers moved here with spouses and children and that means a cultural transition for an entire family, not just an individual student. (In their first year, one student even welcomed a newborn into their family on the first day of classes.)  While there’s more to be done, we're grateful for the effort of so many campus offices that have invested to make this transition as smooth as possible for these families including Housing, Financial Aid and the Residential Colleges, who have all been working hard to provide the best possible options. 

We are looking forward to seeing how the transfer program will continue to grow in the coming years and we are excited to welcome the new class of transfer students to the Princeton community. 

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Editor's Note: Since reinstating the transfer program in 2018, the University has welcomed more students who are able to continue to grow the diversity of life experiences on campus. Hear from a few members of Princeton's first transfer class, and how they decided to call Princeton University their home. 

Thomas Johnson '22

Deciding to come to Princeton was a difficult choice. My wife was pregnant with our first child at the time, and I didn’t know if it was going to be a good fit for me and my family. Those doubts quickly faded the more I learned about all the resources available to me on campus. Through speaking with the admission and financial aid staff, I realized the overwhelming support that awaited my family on campus, both educationally and financially. I’ve had the chance to learn from the top minds in my field, some who have literally written the book we use in computer science. Most importantly, I’ve been able to focus on my education while getting the financial assistance needed from Princeton’s generous aid program. I’m glad to be a part of the Princeton community and know that coming here was the right decision.

Daniela Alvarez '21

When I entered Miami Dade College, I knew transferring was my next step. However, I wasn’t exactly sure where I would want to continue my higher education journey. My experiences at community college provided guidance on what I valued in an academic environment and what I was seeking in a transfer institution. For me, community college was like dipping my toes into the shores of academia, and after two years, I felt prepared to dive in fully.

When I began the transfer process, I knew I wanted to transfer to an institution with a strong sense of intellectual rigor and civic engagement embedded into the campus culture. Princeton seemed like a good fit, so I decided to apply. Throughout the application stages, the more I researched the University, the more I fell in love with the opportunities and resources that I would be able to access. During my first semester at Princeton, I quickly learned to value academic resources like the Writing Center, especially as I transitioned into a new style of academic writing that I wasn’t exposed to before. I also think the community that we are building as transfer students here, which I am very excited to see grow, has been one of the best parts of my transfer experience and I am very thankful to be amongst such a wonderful cohort of people and to call them my friends. 

Sam Fendler '21

During my last year in the Marine Corps, I served as a Warfighting Instructor at The Basic School (TBS). TBS is a schoolhouse that supports the training and education of newly commissioned Marine officers, and it is an academically rigorous environment. By being thrown into an environment where I was learning and teaching more about my craft as an infantryman than ever before, I regained a passion for education that was largely extinguished during my high school years. This inspired me to continue my education, and after finishing my enlistment, I enrolled at Penn State University in the fall of 2016 semester. I was extremely nervous to return to the classroom, but I felt that I was prepared for the challenge. As my confidence in the classroom grew, I wanted to continue my pursuit of academic challenge, and that's when I decided to apply to Princeton's newly reestablished transfer program. I wanted to see if I could hack it in the most rigorous academic environment, and it seemed that Princeton was the logical choice of proving ground.

Being from New Jersey, I'd always known about Princeton; however, it seemed unattainable to me. I believe the transfer program represents the value of hard work, and how you can make the seemingly unattainable a reality. For some, high school isn't the best time to showcase our intellectual abilities. After experiencing a tremendous amount of personal growth in the Marine Corps, I was able to succeed at Penn State and show my worth as a scholar. Here at Princeton, I've seen the same amount of hard work that I put in to get here, reflected in my entire transfer cohort. The transfer students are all as intelligent as they are hard-working, and it's been a pleasure to count myself among their ranks. Knowing that this population of non-traditional students will continue to grow over the coming years is very exciting, and I can't wait to welcome the new transfers in the fall.

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