DePaul, Roosevelt draw transfers with instant acceptance letters

Chi-Town Daily News:

The interminably long wait between applying to a new school and getting accepted is something of a rite of passage for many transfer students.

But a growing number of schools, including at least two in the Chicago area, have found ways to cut down that wait and sometimes get rid of it completely.

In recent years, DePaul University and Roosevelt University have created fast-track open houses that let prospective students drop off all their transcripts, forms and recommendations at once and get a yes or no answer on the spot.

“We wanted to give an opportunity for transfer students to have a smoother transition and take away a little bit of the fear of applying,” says Pamela Lee, who helps oversee transfer student admissions at DePaul.

Last month alone, DePaul had 300 students come to eight events in the city the suburbs. And about 78 percent of those get admitted, Lee says. DePaul's program is in its third year.