There’s no one “type” of transfer student at NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Some are in their teens; others, well into their 20s or older. Most of the time, community colleges such as Rock Valley College, Kishwaukee College, Waubonsee Community College, College of DuPage and Elgin Community College are launching points. But new Huskies also arrive from other four-year universities.
Amid these and other variables, one common trait dominates: a focused academic drive that has grown between high school graduation and arriving in DeKalb.
“Transfer students do have a history of great success at NIU,” said Mark Pietrowski, Director of CEET’s Central Advising Office. “We make sure to set them on the best possible pathway. Part of that is making them aware of all the resources at NIU. In our initial meeting, we emphasize that we are here for them and we want to help them achieve what’s most important to them.”
Last fall, college transfer enrollment grew by 5.3% nationally. Across the U.S., transfer enrollment represents about 13% of all continuing and returning undergraduates, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. At CEET over the past decade, the proportion of students who are transfers has generally ranged between 7% and 10%.
Pietrowski and two of the Central Advising Office’s three other academic advisors, Rachel Lower and Megan Pitner, connect personally on the transfer student front: During their own academic journeys, all earned associate’s degrees.
Last Wednesday, the first wave of 2024-2025 transfer students began flowing into the CEET Academic Advising Center. These new Huskies met with their advisers to review coursework that is transferring in and to establish course recommendations as they prepare for the next semester.
Among the transfers was Kameron Gillen, who received his associate’s degree in engineering science from McHenry County College. He’s starting CEET as a junior in pursuit of a mechanical engineering degree.
Gillen has three older brothers, two of whom are automotive and diesel mechanics, a path that mirrors their father’s career. “I’ve been a mechanic too and I have friends who have studied here,” Gillen said. “They give good reviews about mechanical engineering at NIU.”
Tyler Gibson, a 2023 high school graduate from St. Charles, is transferring to NIU after one year at Elgin Community College. His major will be electrical engineering.
“The past year has given me a lot of time to think and get out of the high school mode that I’d been in,” Gibson said. “In high school, I had a good regimen of wake up, go to classes, but this past year I’ve gained more confidence about the direction I want to go in.”
Other transfer students have more life experiences under their belt. For instance, Zachary Schwartz has served in the military, including an ongoing National Guard commitment, and decided to tap into his military benefits to pursue a college education.
The 26-year-old becomes a Huskie as a junior after receiving his associate’s degree at Elgin Community College. He had initially explored computer science while at ECC but took a variety of engineering classes that piqued his interest in electrical engineering.
“It looked fun,” Schwartz said. “It looked like a challenge.”
For academic advisors like Julia Hoelzer, “fun” and “challenge” also go hand in hand.
“I really enjoy working with transfer students,” Hoelzer said. “They come in with academic credits and we look at their new degree programs like a puzzle. As an advisor, we like to help them solve the puzzle of it all. How can we help them make the most of their time here? Is there a way for a student to get a degree in two years, for example, rather than three?”
The transfer orientation last week was the first of four occurring over the next month. To learn more about the ins and outs of transferring to CEET, among a wide range of other topics, visit the Central Advising Office online.
