Correction: Carrie Stockton was given an incorrect title in the third reference to her, which has now been corrected.

Admissions seeks to give prospective transfer students a chance to learn about what Biola has to offer them at Transfer Day on Oct. 5. The transfer admissions team is providing information for students at the event so they know what to expect before coming to Biola. 328 transfer students entered Biola last fall, according to Carrie Stockton, director of academic advising and student retention. Transfer Day is part of Biola’s continuing efforts to recruit transfer students.

“It is a team effort,” Bethany Suhr, admissions events coordinator, said.

The event is organized by a collective team of staff from a myriad of offices including events, admissions, academic advising, registrar and financial aid.

Helping students reach graduation goals

Academic advising will be at this event for the first time, according to Suhr. Admissions will also be present to help students understand how units will transfer, what courses will be accepted and how the 30 Bible units will be a contributing factor, since transfers have to catch up on these
classes.

Many students transfer with an expectation of finishing in two years; however, the admissions team has no guarantee of a graduation time Fitsum Mulat , assistant director of undergraduate admissions,said.

“If students are just wanting a college degree and they just want to do it in two years, maybe this would not be the right fit because it excludes the equipping process in getting the biblical perspective in learning,” Mulat furthur said

Stockton agreed that fitting in the extra units can be a challenge that Biola is working to alleviate.

“I think Biola tries to be as flexible as they can be with curriculum, although that gets tricky because we want to also make sure students have the quality of a Biola education, even though they may do it in a more condensed fashion. So, I think that Biola is learning to become more transfer-friendly,” Stockton said.

Students may require one more semester to complete their education at Biola than they originally intended, explained Stockton. In order for incoming transfers to acclimate to the additional requirements and plan for the next few years at Biola, academic advisors will be available to talk and assist them.

Tools available to transfer students

One program that may be able to help students ease into completing Biola’s requirements is the Bible bridge program, which is available during interterm and summer to help transfers complete their Bible minor requirements. Transfers who utilize this advice and take courses during interterm and summer can allow more room to follow and complete the traditional two-year transfer path, according to Stockton. The eight-week summer courses will allow students to complete six units while saving $1100.

“I think the Bible minor, while an incredible benefit to the Biola experience, sometimes can be something that students have to think creatively about how to complete it in a timely fashion,” Stockton said.

Students may choose Biola because of the positive faculty interaction and looking for them to be mentors who can guide them through their college process, Stockton explained.

“The stories I usually hear are really just about what an amazing community Biola is in terms of the spiritual life of our students. I often hear, too, just about what it means to have an integrated understanding of their course of studies.” She further explained that students want to know what it means to understand their major from a Christian perspective and how to apply it to their field of studies.

Students seek Biblical education

Sophomore Kyle Weir, a Christian ministries major with an emphasis in youth ministries, transferred from Yuba Community College in Woodland, Calif. The Bible minor became a clear and deciding factor that influenced his ultimate decision to come to Biola rather than other Christian schools.

“I have friends that go to Azusa and to other Christian colleges and I just felt like Biola had a better mission and a better atmosphere,” Weir said.