Transfer student compares his experience

My time at Pacific University has been short, but it has already been such a great experience.

Having spent the first part of my years of college at a different school, I can really tell the difference between the first institution I attended and Pacific. I feel that because Pacific is a smaller school, there’s more care and interaction between people.

I transferred from Portland Community College after earning my associates degree.

When I applied here, I thought it would be weeks before I would hear back from anyone. I came to discover that Pacific University doesn’t run this way when I got a call a few days later telling me I had been accepted. The staff at the admissions office was there for me every step of the way, helping me get everything set up to be a new student.

When it came time to apply for financial aid, I was surprised at how fast everything was processed. When I applied for financial aid in the past for another school, it took so long to hear back from them, and it was very frustrating. At Pacific I know that if I need something important taken care of, someone will be there to help me out. It’s good to know that I won’t get lost in the shuffle. I don’t feel like I’m just another student here.

In addition, it was helpful to have an adviser assigned specifically for me when I was deciding what classes to take. We were able to sit down and really lay out a detailed plan on what classes I would be taking the next two years. I was so used to having to fight a large line of students to talk to an adviser, so this was a welcomed change.

Another thing that was helpful was being able to talk to different people during orientation and hearing different perspectives on how to be a successful student. It’s also nice to be given a mentor at the transfer student orientation and it’s nice to have someone check in and see how I’m doing.

Everyone at the university has done a great job making my transition from schools as smooth as possible and I’m happy to be at a university where the people care so much about the students.