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Re: transfer students



One thing to watch out for when comparing the GPAs of transfers versus
native students is whether the GPA transfers, and therefore if we are
comparing apples to apples. Typically the GPA does not transfer if the
student is a true transfer. Typically the GPA does transfer if the student
is migrating from one campus to another campus within the same system.

First I will explain that more clearly, then I will describe what kinds of
problems it causes.

* * * Clarification * * *

Suppose a student attends Ohio State University, Lima Campus, for two years
and then goes to another place. The student would have some number of
credit hours and would have some GPA for the initial work at OSU-Lima.

If that student "transfers" to OSU-Columbus then both the credit hours and
the GPA continue because OSU-Lima and OSU-Columbus are the same school. In
this case the student is not technically a transfer student.

If that student transfers to Bluffton College then the credit hours transfer
and count toward graduation, but the GPA calculation starts over. That is,
the GPA reported by Bluffton College is only figured on credits earned at
Bluffton College. Simply stated, Bluffton College cannot report a GPA on
work that was not completed at Bluffton College. I can't say this is 100%
true for all institutions, but I think it is by far the way it is done.

* * * Problems * * *

(1) Suppose two students go to different schools and each takes a couple
years to get his "feet on the ground." Each does mediocre work in the first
couple years and each earns a GPA of 2.0

Then one "transfers" to the school where the other is, and for the last two
years both students actually go to class, actually study, actually turn in
work, and each gets 4.0 for the last two years of school.

If both schools are in the same system (e.g. both Ohio State) then both
students graduate with roughly a 3.0 GPA. But if the schools are not in the
same system, then the transfer student graduates with a 4.0 GPA and may earn
honors or distinction, and the native student graduates with a 3.0 GPA.

It is not uncommon for students to have lower GPAs for the first two years
than the last two years. Therefore, true transfer students have a
significant advantage to improve their GPA that native students do not have.
We must take this into consideration when we judge how well transfer
students have faired against native students.

At Bluffton College we especially struggle with honors, scholarships, etc.
On one hand it seems unfair to ignore the transfer student's prior GPA. On
the other hand it is not proper to count it because those grades were not
earned at Bluffton College.

(2) This can go the other way around. Suppose a transfer student has a 3.0
GPA at the first institution. Suppose she gets homesick, has trouble
adjusting to the new place, or was not prepared well enough at the first
place. Whatever the cause, she does not do well during the first term at
the new institution and she earns a GPA of 1.5 for the first semester.

As a first semester junior with only a 1.5 GPA she is eligible for probation
because her GPA is not high enough for junior status. Yet she had a 3.0 at
the former school. Not only is she immediately in academic trouble, she now
has little chance of graduating with a very high GPA because the first
semester at the new school was a disaster. Had she "transferred" within the
same system her overall GPA would be more like 2.7 at the end of the 1.5-GPA
semester. She still needs to get her act together, but she is not in grade
trouble yet.

* * * Summary * * *

These are just a couple examples of what can happen when we start comparing
GPAs of transfer students. The bottom line is... be very careful you are
comparing apples to apples if you start comparing GPAs of transfer students
against native students.


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817