EMU Today

YPSILANTI – With more commmunity college agreements than any other university in Michigan, Eastern Michigan University knows a thing or two about how to ensure a smooth transfer process and an academically successful outcome for students who transfer to the University. Just listen to the stories below for examples: 

During her time at Washtenaw Community College, Monica Bente figured out what her next academic and professional step would be—studying to be a paralegal, a burgeoning field, given factors such as the technological changes in the legal profession.

She says she’s happy with where she landed next, having transferred to the paralegal program at Eastern Michigan University.

“I came here because I had heard from my friends who graduated from there that it was a very good school and very affordable,” says Bente, who’s beginning her second year at Eastern. “I looked at different universities in Michigan, and liked the clinical experience and working at the court that was offered here. That was very attractive to me.

“It was also very close by, and (Eastern is) very open to everybody. The culture of the school was one of the highlights.”

Bente also noted the good relationship Eastern enjoys with WCC in terms of helping transfer students into their preferred academic path of study.

“I was told this was the place to go …” she says. “That you won’t have any trouble with your credits.”

Bente also says she appreciates the paralegal program. “The instructors really care for us to succeed,” she says. “They don’t just teach the material, but tell you what the challenges will be in the profession. We’re not studying with our head in the clouds. The program is a challenge and serious. And you know (in your paralegal work) that you’re making a difference.”

An excellent connection with WCC

Sherrie Graichen, 50, is a non-traditional student who also transferred from WCC. She’s studying social work at Eastern, and plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in that area.

“My kids were grown up and out of the house, and I’ve always wanted a college degree,” she says now. “Just because you’re older shouldn’t hinder me from following my dream. It’s never too late to do what you want to do.”

Graichen earned a Regents scholarship, paying her about $6,000 over four semesters. She says WCC and EMU were a terrific tandem in facilitating her educational path.  

“I feel like Washtenaw really prepared me for Eastern,” she says. “It’s a great idea to do a lot of your credits at a community college level. Because of the good relationship EMU has with Washtenaw, and the articulation (transfer) agreement between the schools, my transition was seamless and easy.”

Eastern currently has 149 transfer agreements with 24 schools, the most in the state of Michigan. The University's agreements include schools in Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Missouri.

Eastern is very comfortable and the instructors have been quite knowledgeable, Graichen says.

“There’s a lot of diversity on campus, and it’s clear everybody feels welcome,” she says, recalling a welcome-back gathering her department held this month. “That matters to me, because I’m a non-traditional student.”

Student notes low cost for transfers

Students planning to transfer to Eastern also are noting the appeal of a strong academic path. Sydney Lawson, a top student at Oakland Community College, will note her intention to transfer to Eastern this week during her speech at the inauguration of the school’s new chancellor, Peter Provenzano.

“Half of all students that come to OCC transfer, and I’ll be one of them in just under a year,” Lawson said, noting that she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health care administration. “And as a result of the many articulation agreements the College has with its four year partners (such as Eastern), I will complete three years of my four-year degree at the lowest in-district rate in the entire State of Michigan.

“Before any additional financial aid or scholarships, the estimated cost of my associate degree from OCC and my degree from Eastern Michigan University will be not much more than $10,000, but I’m almost certain to have the cost further reduced by financial aid and at least one more scholarship.”

Helpful advisors and easy transfer of credits

Another transfer student, Kerry Ryan, spent several years at Illinois Valley Community College before transferring to Eastern, a process she says worked out extremely well in terms of cost, academics and career prospects.

She’s a student in Eastern’s Arts and Entertainment Management Program, with an eye toward working for non-profit organizations. Ryan says she chose Eastern because other schools she looked at in her home state of Illinois didn’t have the program nor location she sought.

After a year on campus, she says the Eastern experience has fulfilled her hopes and expectations.

“It was a really smooth transition,” Ryan says. “My advisors were really helpful and my credits transferred easily. My program is amazing. Also, the fact I don’t have to pay out of state-tuition is a big selling point.”

Ryan says she also loves the feel of the campus.

“I like the (arts) community and the fact there’s an actual big, attractive campus to be on,” she says, noting that other programs she checked similar to EMU’s are located in dense urban settings. “There’s a real sense of school here. In my program, we all know each other, and we just bond.”

Learn more at EMU Transfer Open House

Please visit the link to register now and learn more about Eastern Michigan's Transfer Open House, to be held from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28 in the EMU Student Center, located at 900 Oakwood Street, Ypsilanti MI 48197.

During the Open House, students can:

• Explore the University’s 200+ majors and programs.
• Meet with admissions and academic advisors.
• Learn about financial aid and scholarships.
• Tour Eastern historic and attractive beautiful campus
• Apply for free (a $35 savings).

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 19,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.