Transfer Students

Each year, women who started their college careers elsewhere transfer to Hollins for the education that will lead them toward the future they want. Please complete our Information Request form, and we will send you more information about transferring to Hollins.

Admission Requirements
Hollins University seeks well-rounded women whose records show consistent achievement and who demonstrate the capacity for a rigorous liberal arts and sciences education. The university is interested in enrolling students that not only show that they are capable of performing well in academic settings, but also take interest in extracurricular activities and volunteer or work-related experiences.
   In order to be considered eligible for admission, the applicant must complete the application for admission in its entirety. A student transferring to Hollins should have a GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale on all of her college level work. The admissions office highly recommends its applicants visit the campus and interview with an admissions counselor.
   To schedule a campus visit and an interview, please call the admissions office at 1-800-456-9595.

Application Process
Hollins accepts transfer applicants for fall or spring semester on rolling admissions.  As soon as your application is completed, it will be reviewed by the admissions committee.
     In addition to the application for admission, transfer students are required to submit:

• Official transcripts from every high school and college they have attended
• A letter of recommendation from an academic advisor or college professor

An official copy of the transfer student's SAT or ACT score report may be requested by an admissions counselor.
     An application for admission may be obtained by contacting Stacey Hill by e-mail or filling out our information request form or you may apply online.

Transferring Credits
A student will receive credit for those courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university that are comparable to Hollins courses and in which she has earned at least a "C" grade. The Hollins registrar evaluates each transcript on an individual basis and prospective students will receive a "Transfer Credit Evaluation." The registrar in consultation with the faculty determines transfer courses that meet Hollins' general education requirements. Transfer students are required to submit an academic catalog or copies of the course descriptions from all colleges attended.
    If you are currently pursuing an associate's degree at one of Virginia's community colleges, you may want to refer to the Community College Transfer Module for a listing of the classes you make take at your school that will satisfy the entire general education requirements at Hollins. Completion of this module is equal to 41 semester credits at a VCCS institution. Hollins also has a transfer guide listing all of the transferrable credits from the Virginia community college system accepted by Hollins.
    Hollins has formal articulation agreements with various colleges in the Virginia community college system. For more information, contact Stacey Hill.
    In order to obtain a bachelor's degree from Hollins University, a transfer student is required to complete at least two full years (64 credit hours) at Hollins.
   Please have all transcripts and course descriptions sent to:
   Hollins University
   Office of Admissions
   P. O. Box 9707
   Roanoke, VA 24020

Financial Aid
At Hollins, we know that the cost of their education is high on most students’ list of important considerations. To help make a Hollins education affordable, transfer students have access to many scholarships, achievement awards, need-based assistance, and federal grants and loans.
     For example, the following merit and achievement awards are available to transfer students:

• Academic Excellence Scholarships, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 each year.
• Outstanding Achievement Awards, up to $10,000 each year.

To those students who currently live in Virginia, we offer Virginia Awards, up to $13,200 each year, including Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants.
     We also offer various kinds of need-based assistance, including hundreds of endowed scholarships and campus employment opportunities. There are also federal grant and loan programs for which you may be eligible, along with a variety of finance plans.
     To determine your eligibility for need-based assistance, please send us your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) information. If you have already submitted a FAFSA form to your previous institution, you can have the Department of Education send Hollins a copy by calling 1-800-433-3243 and giving them Hollins’ ID number: 003715.

Advanced Placement
Hollins automatically grants four credits for a score of four or five on the College Board Advanced Placement Test.

Policy on Dual Enrollment
A student who is concurrently enrolled in high school and an accredited college or university will receive Hollins credit if all of the following conditions are met:

1. Hollins offers a comparable course
2. The college or university course is recorded on an official college transcript;
3. The student earns at least a C in the course.

International Baccalaureate
Hollins awards college credit to students who have received an International Baccalaureate diploma with a score of 30 or higher and have no score less than four in any one of the six examination groups.

Safety, inspiration, and an internship are the qualities that Lisa O’Quinn '07, photography major, found at Hollins when she transferred here as a junior in 2005. Armed with an associate’s degree and seeking a college that offered a large variety of photography courses, Lisa realized during a Hollins tour that this was the place for her. “I like that the teachers try to meet the individual student’s needs and learning styles,’’ she said. And Lisa treasures the fact that there is trust between students on the campus. “The traditions really make Hollins what it is,’’ she said. Since her transfer, Lisa has taken full advantage of the offerings of Hollins. She has been photo editor of the Hollins Columns, and has served on the yearbook staff, and had a two-month summer internship with Marie Claire magazine in New York City. She has been accepted into the master's program at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Rebekuh Powers ’08 will never forget her Hollins campus tour, during which she walked into Associate Professor of Communications Chris Richter’s class, and he knew her name. What’s more, she said, Richter recognized her later that day. “This is something that never happened at my other school,’’ said the art studio major. Two of the other major draws that lured Rebekuh to Hollins were the small size of the classes and the new Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center. Hollins offered her so many opportunities, from sitting on Hollins panels and working in the provost’s office to learning how to play field hockey and becoming involved with the Student Government Association. At her old school, she said, “I was one of 27,000. I was no one.” Rebekuh learned to embrace the Hollins traditions, which create a strong emotional tie that is both “refreshing and heartwarming.” She learned how to make friends by becoming involved in activities and being open to possibilities. And she learned why alumnae tear up when they remember their days at Hollins. “I want the entire world to know how special Hollins is.”

Anu Ahuja's ’07 dream has come true, although some days, she said, it's hard to believe that she's actually on the Hollins campus. Anu has found what she sought in a small, private, all-women's liberal arts school where the professors love teaching, and her classes make her think. “My professors challenge me beyond my potential,” she said. Although transferring can produce some anxieties, Anu said that living on Hollins’ transfer student hall has helped her fit in. So has being an RA and joining the transfer student group, as well as Voice, Habitat for Humanity, and Big Brother/Big Sister. “I am involved in many activities that I was not involved in when I was at my previous school. Plus, I live on campus, and when I was at Montgomery College, a community college, they did not have housing on campus,” said Anu. Even before she arrived on campus, Anu was familiar with Hollins. “My transfer counselor got me hooked,” she said. “[My goal] was to come to Hollins University.”

Orientation
Hollins University holds a transfer student orientation two times a year (fall and spring). Orientation is typically held a few days before the student's first day of class. During orientation, students meet with their faculty advisor and register for classes. Special activities, informative meetings, and social events help new students get acquainted with Hollins traditions and the campus's resources. It is an excellent opportunity for new students to meet other Hollins students, faculty members, and staff before the semester begins.

Scholarship Opportunities
A $5000 scholarship opportunity is available for students who transfer to Hollins from a two-year college and who are members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. This award is renewable annually to students who maintain a 3.25 GPA at Hollins University.
     Transfer students with a combined college GPA of 3.25 and 15 transferable credit hours are eligible to receive awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 per year. Hollins determines the award amount by creating an index that shows how each student’s academic performance compares to other applicants.

Housing
Living on campus is a great way to get to know the Hollins community and the many opportunities that are available to its students. Campus housing is guaranteed and most students live in single or double rooms in a variety of residence halls, each with its own atmosphere.

Housing Policy
Hollins students are required to live in campus housing. Some exceptions include Horizon, graduate, undergraduate students who are 23 years or older, undergraduate students with spouses and/or children, and undergraduate students who live with their parents and/or guardians in the Roanoke Valley area.