“One cluster. Period. Not fair,” Suzie Specker, a sophomore who transferred from Bryn Mawr College, said of the fact that she is only able to transfer enough credits for one cluster.

The College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Architecture require students to complete at least eight units in each of four subject areas—Language & the Arts, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Textual & Historical Studies. At least six of the units completed in an area must come from a cluster, a group of courses focusing on a specific theme or subject.

Students who transfer to the University are subject to varying degrees of exemption from completing certain clusters based on how many years of school they’ve completed, according to Warren Davis, assistant dean of transfer students.

“In general, students who enter with one previous year of college work are exempted from one cluster. students who enter with two or more years of previous college work may be exempted from two clusters,” Davis said.

Specker received more than 40 elective credits toward graduation, but the actual number of graduation requirements she was exempted from totaled to six credits of the Language & the Arts cluster.

“We have done as much work as regular Wash. U. students while attending a different college or university. We are behind. My science classes don’t count toward the natural science requirement,” Specker said. “I worked so hard in my chemistry class, and it counts toward nothing.”

But with additional paperwork or a visit to the students’ major departmental office, students may be exempt from taking Writing 1 and certain other prerequisite classes.

“The departments have complete authority over how much if any credit to apply toward the major requirements,” Davis said.

Sophomore Nick May, a transfer student from St. Louis University, was not so lucky.

“Transfer credits may count toward major and cluster, but I didn’t get any prerequisites out,” he said.

Transfer students, however, are aware that many other universities and colleges across the nation are also strict about transferring credits. Despite the difficulty with transfer credits, they agree that their transition process into the University has been very smooth.
“Dean Warren Davis is fantabulous. I heard mostly good things about advisers,” sophomore Grady Jung, a transfer from Columbia University, said.

Davis noted that all four-year advisers are familiar with common transfer questions and issues.

The transfer student orientation, which happens concurrently with freshman orientation, helps students get accustomed to the traditions of the University, the essentials of living on campus and the academic policies, including how to plan for the cluster and graduation requirements.

Transfers are placed with designated transfer student associates, who according to Specker, are “totally honest and forthright in answering questions. They treat you as a regular student.”

Through the summer orientation called Transformation, transfer students have the opportunity to get accustomed to the campus before move-in day. They are also given the chance to partake in pre-Orientation programs.

Transfers have several options regarding on-campus housing. Jung, who was aware of the transfer BLOC in the Village, decided to live on the South 40.

“It helped me integrate faster into the Wash. U. community,” Jung said.

But others have complained that by the end of the orientation weekend, transfer students socialize only with other transfer students.

Sophomore Eric Pinard-Janisch attributes the small friendship pool of transfer students to the fact that transfer students often room together. But Pinard-Janisch said he did not limit his friendship to only transfer students.

Specker, like Pinard-Janisch, has found a good social life here.

“Although it varies from person to person, the rumor [that transfers only meet transfers] doesn’t speak for all of us. My best friends—we did not meet at transfer orientation,” Specker said.