Sixteen new students are joining the college this semester. They are among the 20% of spring transfer applicants who were accepted, according to Senior Director of Admissions Zachary Miller.

The size of this year’s mid-year transfer class, which includes eight men and eight women from nine states and Scotland, is consistent with the size of most spring transfer classes, ranging between 15 and 25 students in the past few years, Miller said.

“Many of them have experiences at other colleges and are looking for something different,” he said. “Hillsdale’s principled stance and mission are unique among most colleges and universities today. I think as students who share those principles look at Hillsdale, they see a school at which they can be challenged, grow, and receive an excellent classical liberal arts education.”

Miller said the size of each year’s spring transfer class is dictated by the size of the current student body, the number of December graduates, and room availability in residence halls.

Five of the 16 new students are freshmen who took a gap semester and are not transferring from another university —  a higher number than in previous years, according to Associate Director of Admissions Ben Strickland ’16. 

“They will bring knowledge and experience of life outside of Hillsdale College to the student body, which I think is always good,” Strickland said. “You never know how good you have it until you experience somewhere else.”

Strickland said the class comes from a variety of educational backgrounds, including Catholic schools and state universities.

Freshman Andrew Irvine, a transfer student from Scotland, took a gap semester in the fall after graduating high school last summer. Irvine, who will play on the golf team, said he decided to come to Hillsdale because of the strong academics, small student-to-professor ratio, and the golf program.

“In Scotland, university sport is not something that is given a lot of funding and support, whereas in the U.S., athletes are given the chance to thrive and improve in a very competitive environment,” Irvine said. “I was drawn to the fact that Hillsdale offered both excellent academics and a great golf program.”

Irvine said his visit to Hillsdale in October assured him that he had chosen the right college.

“I found the lectures that I attended on my visit very interesting. I could really tell how much the professors enjoyed teaching their subjects,” Irvine said. “This is something that I have not experienced in high school, so seeing this in my visit has made me very excited to learn at Hillsdale.”

Strickland said the timeline for spring transfer students is accelerated compared to those entering in the fall, as most spring transfers apply in November, decide by December, and start classes in January. But the application evaluation process is no different, according to Miller.

“We are looking for great fit students who desire what Hillsdale offers, will contribute to our campus community, and can excel as students,” Miller said. “Those who enter in the spring tend to be transfers, or other non-traditional students, but they add immense value to the campus.”

While several of this semester’s transfer students are athletes like Irvine, Strickland said the reasons to transfer vary.

“The general themes are Hillsdale’s love of learning, liberal arts curriculum, focus on personal development, culture of respect and integrity, high academic and intellectual culture, excellent music programs, and emphasis on spiritual growth and encouragement,” Strickland said.

Irvine said he is excited to get started not only with the golf team, but with the academics that drew him to Hillsdale.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to have small class sizes with professors who are extremely knowledgeable and truly love what they teach,” Irvine said.