Work in progress: Transfer students in engineering: A qualitative study of pathways and persistence

Our paper presents preliminary results of interviews of 28 transfer students in engineering at two institutions and is part of a larger mixed-methods study on engineering transfer students. The two institutions differ on a key dimension: one has many formal articulation agreements and the other does not. We discuss the reasons students begin their studies at the sending institution and describe their experiences with the applications and admissions process at the receiving institution. We describe the “culture shock” students experience when adjusting to the academic requirements and social culture of the new institution; we also highlight the transfer student capital and strategies students use to adjust to the receiving institution.