Two transfer students share their stories
by Stephanie Tse ’21
Unfamiliar surroundings, new faces, different classes — transferring to a new college can be intimidating. It’s not uncommon for transfer students to take some extra time to get settled. With over 3,300 enrolled transfer students, Binghamton University dedicates itself to making sure students like Sophia Esposito ’23 and Charles Silliman ’20, MBA ’21, have a seamless transition by providing them with the resources needed to succeed.
Esposito is a sophomore majoring in English and a minor in education. Since transferring to Binghamton she has become very involved on campus. Currently, she is the secretary of the Binghamton Transfer Student Association (BTSA).
“Jenae Norris, senior associate director of recruitment, guided me and advocated for
me throughout my entire transfer process and also encouraged me to join BTSA which
led to me holding a position on the executive board,” Esposito recalled.
Being elected to the executive board allowed me to give back to the club that helped me to meet peers with similar experiences; I wanted to be able to help students the same way that I was helped.
"BTSA provides resources, events and a welcoming environment to help transfer students adjust to Binghamton, become familiar with campus and meet new students. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, they have included newer programming.”
“We try to put together virtual events such as Netflix parties and game nights,” Esposito explained.
Transfer student Charles Silliman was also impressed at the support Binghamton provided to transfer students.
“They have a whole organization built around supporting transfer students and getting them up to speed, making sure they know where to find resources, and that they always have someone to speak to,” says Silliman.
Silliman is also a member of Tau Sigma, a national honor society for transfer students at Binghamton.
Through Silliman’s journey as a transfer, he has encountered many people who have
helped him throughout college.
"The staff, professors, administration... everybody here is very open to engaging with students. The professors are interested in making sure that the students are learning their class material and take the time to be available for questions outside of class.”
“Even the Dean of the School of Management has taken the time to help me cultivate my thoughts on what is next for me academically and professionally,” said Silliman.
Transferring credits
Binghamton University works with students to make sure they are able to transfer their credits from previous institutions.
“I had a really great experience with transferring my credits. There were some business-specific classes that didn’t match specifically with School of Management classes, but the school still recognized my work and provided me with non-management elective credit. The school really does want to recognize as much of your prior work as they can,” said Silliman.
