by Lisa Proulx
Increase in admitted GBCC students climbs to over 85%
PORTSMOUTH –According to a University of New Hampshire Application Summary Report, Great Bay Community College is once again the largest feeder for transfer students to the University of New Hampshire from both 2 and 4-year institutions. The report also cites Great Bay as having the largest number of transfer applications to the state’s flagship institution out of all of the Community College System of New Hampshire colleges.
This number represents the highest number of applicants from GBCC to UNH in the Community College’s 45-year history. Perhaps the most significant however is the growing increase in admitted GBCC students from those who applied. According to the report, GBCC had an impressive admit rate of 85.14%; up from 78.87 in 2016.
According to Robert McGann, Director of Admissions, University of New Hampshire, Transfer students represent approximately 20% of UNH students each year (or about 750 students).
According to Deanna Friedman, Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Great Bay Community College, students were admitted into all of the university’s college divisions, including the College of Engineering and Physical Science (CEPS), College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA), Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, College of Liberal Arts (COLA) and College of Health and Human Services (HHS). Our students are well-prepared for all the academic expectations of these varied and demanding curriculums.
“Great Bay’s spectacular admit rate is due to a number of factors” said Friedman, “including strong articulation agreements that let students know from day one at GBCC what they need to accomplish to be admitted to the college of their choice at UNH.” She also credits the logistics of the NH Dual Admission program, which allows for seamless transition from an associate degree at GBCC and the other Community College System of NH institution to the University. “GBCC also has a very strong model of professional and faculty advising” Friedman continued. “In this shared model every advisor is aware of the requirements for UNH admission and counsels students from the beginning on admission requirements.”
In addition to advising, collaborations with S.T.E.M. have also resulted in an increase number of applicants and acceptances. “The partnerships between Great Bay and the University of New Hampshire have been strengthened and developed and made to flourish,” said Leslie Barber, former chair of the Department of Life Science and Chemistry. “In addition to research opportunities, our collaborations have produced strong transfer pathways for students and opportunities for faculty partnership between institutions. These robust partnerships enhance the reputation of the community college system and distinguish us as a place for science education.”
The Community College System of New Hampshire participates in a half-dozen grant programs with UNH, including the New Hampshire Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, which directs biomedical research dollars to the state. “In the past few years, about 30 community college students have taken advantage of the program, most of them from Great Bay,” Barber said. “Another dozen students have conducted research through the N.H. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.”
“Being able to do laboratory research at a two-year community college elevates the reputation of the school and its ability to attract students who are serious about a career in science” Barber said. “Because of the seamless transfer pathway that exists between Great Bay and UNH, students can take two years of science classes at Great Bay and transfer to UNH as third-year juniors with research experience on their academic resume.”
According to McGann, the average GPA of transferred and enrolled students from GBCC is a 3.42 and the average number of transferred credits is just over 43. “Considering the volume of activity we share between the two institutions” said MCGann, “those are both very impressive averages. Those (students) who choose to continue their educations at UNH are welcome additions to our classrooms as these students are well-prepared for the academic demands of the university community.”
Great Bay Community College is a comprehensive postsecondary institution offering quality academic and professional and technical education in support of workforce development and lifelong learning. Great Bay Community College is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire, a public system of higher education consisting of seven colleges in Berlin, Claremont, Laconia, Concord, Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth. The colleges offer Associate degrees and career training in technical, professional and general fields, including transfer pathways to baccalaureate degrees. The college’s second campus, the Advanced Technology & Academic Center is open in Rochester offering academic courses and a degree program in Advanced Composites Manufacturing. For more information on Great Bay Community College, visit www.greatbay.edu.