ERIC Number: EJ1429492
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1542-3077
EISSN: EISSN-2373-0153
Available Date: N/A
The Fading Value of Prestige: A Transfer Student Perspective
Claire Boeck; Vasti Torres; Mollie Bush
Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, v36 n1 p27-49 2024
Transferring to a prestigious university offers the possibility of opening doors to more opportunities and may attract transfer students, yet less is known about transfer students' experiences with prestigious institutions. In our qualitative study at a highly selective institution with transfer students who identified as low income, from a community college, or a Student of Color, we found that students experienced discrimination, competitive environments, and disappointment with their transfer institution. Students responded to such experiences by blaming themselves, fighting back, ignoring the pressure, or taking steps to fit in. Given the stress, stigmatization, and marginalization transfer students faced, we raise questions about the value and costs of prestige, particularly considering the transition experiences of transfer students. We also discuss implications of the findings for advising transfer students.
Descriptors: Transfer Students, Reputation, Social Status, Universities, Student Experience, Low Income Students, Minority Group Students, Student Attitudes, Social Discrimination, Competition, Negative Attitudes, Anxiety, Social Bias, First Generation College Students, Nontraditional Students, Educational Environment, College Students
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. University of South Carolina, 1728 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208. Tel: 803-777-6229; Fax: 803-777-4699; e-mail: fye@sc.edu; Web site: http://sc.edu/fye/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A