Chances are that when you meet someone on campus, they have not gone to NIU all four years.

Nearly 85 percent of NIU graduates have at least one semester of transfer credit on their transcript, said Missy Gillis, NIU’s transfer center coordinator.

Transfer students “comprise approximately 44 percent of NIU’s undergraduate student enrollment,” Gillis said. “A majority of NIU’s students transfer to us from Illinois Public Community Colleges.”

Why students choose two-year colleges as opposed to all four years at a university differs from student to student.

“Reasons vary from staying close to home for a few more years, to being undecided on a major, to family and other personal reasons,” Gillis said.

Michael Pakaski, transfer student and NIU alumnus, said “Community college gave me a chance to continue working where I worked during high school to save up money.”

Pakaski said an advantage for attending a two-year college first was finding out that he was more mature in his decision making, and about his education, than he would have been otherwise.

Martin Montoya, junior physical therapy major, said his primary reason for attending a community college was the cost.

“I couldn’t afford to go to a four-year [university],” he said.

Montoya also said community college allowed him to decide on a major and explore more classes.

“The students that we meet with in the Transfer Center most often mention financial reasons,” Gillis said.

This year, 2,157 students transferred to NIU; compared to 2007 when 2,164 students transferred. To help transfer students get acclimated to university life, NIU offers UNIV 201: The Transfer

Experience.

“This is a 12-week, one credit hour course designed exclusively for transfer students,” Gillis said.

NIU also offers a special “Transfer House” in the Stevenson Residence Hall.

David LaBanc, director of Residential Facilities, said “transfer students can stay in any dorm they would like, however, floors three and four in Stevenson C are reserved specifically for transfer students.”

LaBanc also said of the students that transferred to NIU this fall, 642 are staying in the residence halls. That is up from 608 last year.