Finishing Strong at Fisher: Celebrating National Transfer Student Week

St. John Fisher University is joining colleges and universities across the nation in celebrating National Transfer Student Week, honoring the resilience and achievements of students who have taken the significant step of transferring to a new academic home.

From October 16 to 22, educational institutions are actively acknowledging the pivotal role that transfer students play in fostering diversity, enriching campus culture, and contributing to the academic fabric of the country.

The National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) enables professionals, educators, and leaders to become transfer advocates — catalysts, liaisons, and supporters — who question existing norms to enhance the transfer student journey. NISTS recognizes the transformative potential of education in fostering understanding, expertise, and abilities necessary to effectively promote change and advance enhancements in the transfer student experience.

Of Fisher’s total undergraduate enrollment of 2,596 students, 348 (13 percent) started at the University as a transfer student. Of those 348, 157 (45 percent) were from a two-year college and 191 (55 percent) were from a four-year college. In fall 2023, Fisher welcomed 107 full-time transfer students (103 transfers, four readmits).

Transfer students say they choose Fisher for the sense of community on campus, the faculty relationships, and the many opportunities to become deeply involved on campus and be more than “just a number.” Fisher is consistently recognized by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) as a “transfer-friendly” campus. In 2023, Fisher was one of 208 colleges and universities included on the list in recognition of the ways the University has supported transfer students.

Sophomore transfer Margert Nawojski said that she chose Fisher because of the strong academics and successful athletics reputation. 

“I knew Fisher had an excellent education program and the cross country and track and field teams were very welcoming. When I visited, Fisher felt very family-oriented, as if I already had a supportive community here, something I didn’t have at my old school,” she said. “There are a lot more resources here at Fisher and I am better supported by my professors. I am seen as an individual, not as another number.”

Emma Massa, a junior nursing student, highly cherishes her education and said that the Fisher nursing program was an ideal match for her.

“I chose to attend St. John Fisher University because the campus had everything that I desired in a college. From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I felt like this school was destined to be my new home,” she said. “The nursing program here at Fisher continues to show the world that we produce some of the best nurses there are, which continues to show that we as students are being taught well and that we are more than our education.”

Fisher offers myriad visit opportunities for students looking to make a switch in their college journey, including Open Houses and Virtual Transfer Information Sessions.

For more information about National Transfer Student Week, visit the NISTS website.