Not All First-Year Students at UK Are Freshmen

When most people think about first-year college students, they probably picture seventeen or eighteen year-olds, fresh off their high school graduation. When you look at the UK campus, however, you will see plenty of first-year students who are not freshmen.

Two years ago, Ashlee Harris, now a UK senior, was a first-year UK student who transferred from Madisonville Community College.

"I was nervous about making so many transitions in my life all at the same time," said Harris.

Once she started working and taking classes in her hometown, she realized that her dream was to attend UK.  So she began looking into the admissions process for transfer students and ended up traveling to Lexington for the first time to tour campus and meet with an adviser about the transfer process.

"When I came to campus for advising, I was able to come in on a day with other people who were thinking of transferring to UK, too," said Harris. "I sat down with an adviser and she helped me understand the scheduling process and helped me pick my classes. She ended up being my lifeline all the way through my pre-major classes."

The UK Office of Undergraduate Admission has counselors who are solely devoted to helping transfer students through this entire process.

"Prospective transfer students are encouraged to call us to set up an appointment with a transfer counselor to help them with the application process, a visit to campus, as well as the registration process," said Prim Wathen, director of transfer recruitment at UK.  "We are proud to offer that one-on-one attention for students thinking about transferring."

Once on campus, Ashlee says the transition went smoothly. All 36 of the hours she completed at Madisonville Community College transferred to UK.

But the seamless transition wasn't just about academics. After arriving in Lexington, Ashlee immediately felt at home on her new campus, despite the fact that other students her age had already been at UK for a year.

"The first thing I did was move into a dorm and get a job on campus, and this was how I started to meet people," said Harris. "Once you see what all UK has to offer, you will find your place."

Ashlee understands first-hand the importance of being involved on campus from the start.

"I wasn't involved in anything at my community college because all I did was go to class and work when I lived at home," said Harris. "Each semester at UK, I became involved in more and more activities including an on-campus job, a campus ministry, the Student Activities Board, Dance Blue, Student Development Council, and University Leadership Summit."

Harris does not think she would have taken advantage of such opportunities if it wasn't for transferring to UK.

"There is a place for everyone at UK because even if we don't have a student organization that you want to be involved in, you can start your own," said Harris. "There is always something to do on campus!"

There is one other piece of advice Harris has for students thinking about transferring to UK. "Look into scholarships now," she said. "I did not look into that until after I arrived here, and ever since I transferred and got into my major, I have received a number of scholarships that have allowed me to meet some amazing people and travel to a number of different places."

For transfer students wishing to start their UK career in the fall of 2009, there are a number of competitive scholarship opportunities offered only to transfer students.

"The Trustees Scholarship, which has a deadline of May 15, is a very competitive scholarship which is only offered for the fall semester," said Wathen. "Visit www.uky.edu/AcademicScholarships/transfer.htm to find out more about this and other scholarships."

In addition to thinking about scholarships, prospective transfer students should also become familiar with important deadlines for the admission process.

First, if potential transfer students want to start classes at UK in the spring, they need to act quickly because December 1 is the deadline for enrolling for the spring 2009 semester.

"We will need their application, application fee, high school transcript, an official transcript from each institution they've attended, as well as their official ACT and/or SAT scores if they are transferring with 23 or fewer hours of college credit," said Wathen. "We will need each piece of the application into our office so that we can determine the student's admission status."

The deadline for fall 2009 enrollment is August 1. Students thinking about starting next fall should heed a key piece of advice. "The sooner you apply for the fall semester, the earlier you can register for your classes because you will be placed in an advising conference earlier in the summer." Wathen said.

For Ashlee Harris, that decision to apply to UK will always stand out as a defining moment in her life.

"It was the best decision I have ever made," Harris said. "Being away at college is a totally different experience, one that everyone should give a chance."

"A major part of your education will come from the experience of being independent, and I have to say UK is where I found my confidence in myself both as a student and as an individual," said Harris.

For more information about the transfer process, contact Prim Wathen at (859) 257- 7265 or primwathen@uky.edu.