By Adama Turay
Every year the luckiest freshmen arrive at the University of Maryland with full scholarships and move into the most-coveted air-conditioned new dorms.
But those perks are not as accessible to students who are coming from other colleges.
UMD transfer students face challenges including fewer scholarship opportunities and fewer on-campus housing options while they try to make friends and adapt to a new environment.
Remi Jungreis, an undecided sophomore transferred from Towson University in spring 2021 because of the university’s large Jewish community.
“I wanted to be around people who have the same values as I do,” she said.
For Jungreis, who also looked for in-state tuition and Greek life, the transfer process was easy. She was able to make friends quickly, and she did not struggle to get on-campus housing. Jungreis said the course UNIV 106 was helpful. UNIV 106 is designed to assist students in making a successful transition to UMD.
One of the challenges Jungreis faced when she transferred to UMD was that she was not accepted to her intended major, nursing. She did not meet the gateway requirements, but is working on them now so that she can get admitted to the Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, she said.
The pandemic has limited Jungreis’ socialization with her peers. She has not been able to meet with a lot of other students.
Jungreis said she was not eligible for some scholarships because she is a transfer student, but she hopes to get others.
Michael Ajibade, an information science major and a graduating senior, transferred to UMD in spring 2018. .He said he chose UMD because it’s a top university with many top 10 programs.
“The university provided a spotlight and bravado that neighboring universities didn’t,” Ajibade said.
Ajibade said he has wanted to attend UMD since he relocated to the U.S. from Nigeria.
He transferred from Prince George’s Community College, where he was a computer science major. Apart from his struggle to get scholarships, Ajibade’s transfer experience was smooth, he said.
“Being a transfer student at UMD was pretty cool. Coming in with an educational experience makes it easier to fit in,” Ajibade said.
Ajibade said he found the Student Organization Resource Center helpful. He spent time there after classes to do assignments and hang out with classmates.
Unlike other students, the pandemic has not limited Ajibade’s learning experience because he loves taking online classes, he said.
“The comfort and flexibility that comes with online classes are very underrated. I prefer online classes,” Ajibade said.
Regina Akinwale, a senior economics and criminology and criminal justice major, said she transferred to UMD in fall 2019 because the university has an excellent criminology program and is close to Washington.
Akinwale said she loved the free campus tours and that they helped her a lot during her transfer process.
Akinwale had difficulty securing scholarships, but her on-campus housing experience was fine, she said.
Klya Lovelace Johnson, a senior kinesiology major, said she transferred to UMD from Prince George’s Community College in fall 2019 because she thought it was her best option for studying Kinesiology.
Unlike Jungreis and Ajibade, Johnson received a full scholarship when she transferred to UMD.
“The financial aid was great. I didn’t have to pay a thing out of pocket,” she said.
Free campus tours helped Johnson a lot during her transfer process. She was able to navigate through the campus easily, she said.
The pandemic has limited Johnson’s campus experience as she could not socialize as much as she wanted to, she said. Johnson said she has been disappointed and is weighing her options for the future.
“I only experienced a semester worth of campus life,” she said. “The pandemic made school manageable but really depressing. I graduate this semester, and I’m completely thinking about doing undergrad again.”
Featured image: Towson transfer Remi Jungreis said she chose UMD for its strong Jewish community, Greek life and in-state tuition. Photo courtesy Remi Jungreis.