The Office of Admission has received 1,461 transfer applications so far for the 2010 fall term, about a 5 percent increase from last year's total, said Dean of Admission Jim Miller '73. This reflects the 20 percent increase in first-year applications for the class of 2014.
Complementing the rise in applications, 50 more transfer applicants will be accepted, bringing next year's total transfer class to 170, according to a Feb. 11 Herald article. The increase is intended to grow the University's revenue.
Financial aid available for transfer applicants will also double from $400,000 to $800,000, a change recommended by the University Resources Committee and approved by the Corporation at its February meeting, said Director of Financial Aid Jim Tilton.
The increase in qualified transfer applicants caused the push for a larger transfer class and more available aid, Tilton said.
"We have a really deep, enriched pool of applicants," he said. "There are some really talented students that we need to consider."
The increase in available aid will give the Office of Admission "more flexibility" to consider qualified students who would have previously been denied for financial reasons, Miller said. Transfer applications are considered on a need-aware basis that factors in a student's ability to pay.
The steady increase in transfer applicants over the last three years seems to indicate a trend, Miller said. He added that while the number of transfer acceptances and amount of available financial aid is not set for next year, there will be an increase if more is necessary.
The overall increase in applications is due to greater interest in Brown, Tilton said.
"I think people are seeking quality," Miller said, "and they perceive us as being that."
The Office of Admission, which is still reviewing first-year applications, has not started to assess transfer applicants, according to Miller. Transfer admissions decisions will be announced in May.
Tilton said he was pleased to see more qualified transfers joining the Brown community.
"Transfer students really do add a lot to the campus experience," he said.
