Tufts' Medford-Somerville campus is completely devoid of new transfer students this semester.
The transfer program at Tufts is not guaranteed each semester, and while last spring saw the enrollment of 45 transfer students, a lack of space on campus this year prohibited the admission of any newcomers.
"There are multiple factors that determine the transfer process," Director of International and Transfer Admissions Leon Braswell said.
This year's large first-year class size played a crucial factor in the lack of transfer admissions. There are 1,367 students in the class of 2009, approximately 100 more students than in the class of 2008.
This increase may seem insignificant, but it means 100 more students living in the dormitories, eating in the dining halls, and registering for classes.
"Numbers affect the quality of the Tufts experience," Braswell said.
The decision regarding openings for transfer students is determined after an examination of available space and statistics about the composition of the campus. The number of students traveling abroad and the current retention rate also factor into decisions regarding transfer admissions.
Tufts' increasing retention rate and increasingly competitive applicant pool relies less on transfer students than those of many other schools, Braswell said.
"With nine out of 10 students continuing through graduation, little space is left for additions to the student body," Braswell said, adding that the retention rate "puts a squeeze on enrolling students at a midpoint time of the year."
Braswell said he does not expect this factor to change in the near future.
Each semester, after assessing various factors affecting Tufts' full-time enrollment (FTE), administrators conclude whether space is available for incoming students.
For the spring transfer program, the decision is made by early November. If Tufts has no space for mid-year transfers, applicants may defer their applications until the following fall.
Fall semester transfer applications are more common, averaging 600 each semester. The University typically receives only 125 to 150 applications in the spring. Forty transfer students joined the Tufts campus this past fall.
Transfers arrive at Tufts for various reasons. "I wanted to come when I was applying as a senior in high school, but I was waitlisted," said Emily Dugoni, a sophomore and fall 2005 transfer from Bucknell University.
Dugoni said that the transition process is difficult, but that Tufts divided the incoming students into groups according to their majors, helping them to meet students more easily.
Transfer orientation programs dwindled after that, she said.
"It's difficult, because you have...a big dinner with the freshman, [but] the transfers are such a small group, [and] you only have one dinner together as a group," she said. "You don't really have a lot of transfer student events."
As an exception to the blocked transfer program, Tufts has accepted additional students this semester in a program called Resumed Education for Adult Learners (REAL).
The program caters to local residents interested in taking classes at Tufts, and its students generally transfer to Tufts from community colleges.
