Transferring to Corban

One of the benefits of attending a private college with small class sizes is that faculty become more than simply professors. You’ve probably heard this sentiment from other colleges as well, but what does it really mean?

Faculty members help you get a job.

This is real. When you develop relationships with your advisor and other faculty members, they become very important parts of your job search. Yes, faculty members spend most of their time teaching, but they also stay connected in their fields and are your biggest advocates in the workforce.

Corban’s faculty frequently communicate with influencers in the job market so when you are ready to graduate, they can point you in the right direction. I’m speaking from experience! My advisor gave me two phone numbers to call, and after I called the first one, I had an internship set up for my undergraduate work. When I was ready to graduate, my advisor was once again my advocate, and I had a job immediately after graduation.

Faculty members keep in touch.

A mentor of mine once told me that it was wise for me to have a career mentor, a spiritual mentor, and a family mentor. At Corban, you may find two or three of those in one faculty member! I know of many faculty members who are masters at career mentorship and who also do pre-marital counseling or Bible studies with recent graduates. My advisor from Corban still checks in on me when we run into each other, and I’ve been out of college for 10 years!

Faculty members are real people.

The last key to how faculty members can help you after graduation is that they have been in your shoes. At Corban, the faculty have put in years of work or service in their areas of study. Practically, they have been college graduates looking for jobs and vividly remember that experience.

When you understand the community and the culture of learning at Corban, you’ll realize you will not have to face the world alone. Ultimately, your advisor is a follower of Christ who has spent years in the same field you want to go into. Your advisor is dedicated to training and educating you on how to master that experience.

To meet with a faculty member and learn more, set up a campus visit!

I have worked in Admissions for almost 10 years and have been working with transfer students for almost five years. The most important question is, “How will my credits transfer?”

You need to know how those credits you’ve earned will transfer and that all you went through to get them – late night cram sessions, and running from work to college and back to work – was not a waste of time. At Corban, you will get concrete answers!

Here’s how you know if your credits will transfer to Corban. Can you say yes to these three statements?

– My credits are from an accredited university or college.

– My credits are from “100” or “freshman” level courses or higher.

– I earned a “C-“ or better.

If you can answer “yes” to all three, then rejoice! Your credits will transfer to Corban!

As you know though, that isn’t the end of the story. The next question is, “How long will it take me to finish my degree?” This question is much more difficult but not impossible to answer.

If we receive an official transcript from you, it’s amazing what we can do with it! If you send me a screenshot of your classes, I can give you a pretty good idea, but the official transcript is where it’s at. Once we have that transcript, we can get it evaluated within 48 hours. That is a crazy fast turnaround!

If you know what you want to study, then we can plug your evaluation into the degree and give you a very good idea of how long it will take you to finish. In fact, we can even connect with an advisor in that discipline and get their feedback.

The worst thing for a transfer student is a “surprise” when it comes to credit transferring. We try to limit surprises to birthdays and such. This also means it’s very important to connect with me, Jordan, as soon as you can about transferring. Every college has slightly different general education requirements, and you want to make sure as many of your gen. ed. courses as possible will transfer to Corban’s gen. ed. requirements, rather than one more “elective credit.”

No two transfer students are alike. That means that each of you have received different levels of care on the “advising” side of college. You may just have finished an all-you-can-eat buffet with your advisor one hour ago. Or you may know for a fact that you have an advisor, but you’ve never actually seen him or her.

At Corban, we do things a little different. You can expect to get exactly what you need from your advisor at Corban.

Corban’s academic advisors have an “open door” policy. It’s true! All advisors are expected to be available for students. Some advisors will share their cell phone number and encourage you to text with questions. Some will prefer weekly face-to-face conversations. Other advisors will serve as the gatekeeper to getting you into the right classes for graduation. Some will be all of those things.

At Corban, your advisor is there to advise and help you every step of the way to graduation.

I want to tell you a story. I, Jordan, am a graduate of Corban University (“Go Warriors!”), and I was not excited to meet with my advisor. I thought it was a formality that I didn’t really need. But then, I started to get really confused in one of my main classes for my degree. “Not to worry,” I thought. “I just need to spend more time studying.” Well I studied….hard. Still, I wasn’t getting anywhere!

Sheepishly, I decided to seek help and knocked on my professor’s door. He pushed his things aside and asked how he could help. As I was talking…the water works began. It was so humbling! But my professor stopped me, prayed with me, encouraged me, and then explained the processes I was hung up on.

Your advisor at Corban is not just there to get you to graduation. Although that is ultimately very important, your advisor at Corban is going to understand your faith, push you to advance, and walk alongside you.

Did you know at Corban, your academic advisor schedules your first semester at the college to ensure you’re in the right classes? None of this “lone wolf” business that gets so many transfers into courses they do not need. Your advisor will see what you need and get you into the right classes.

When new students deposit and confirm their enrollment at Corban, they are assigned an academic advisor who schedules their classes. Transfer students will not need to worry about registering. Also, advisors prefer that when you are on campus, the two of you meet in person to talk about your educational goals, life goals, and all facets of getting you to the finish line.

Corban’s advisors make it very difficult to not succeed in college or after graduation.

Reach out with any questions or comments here:

Jordan Lindsey | Director of Admissions
jlindsey@corban.edu | 503.375.7156 (PH) | 971.599.1028 (TEXT)

Living in the dorms is one of the best ways to get connected on campus and participate in the full college experience. But we know not every transfer student wants or can afford to live in the dorms. Before you become envious of those who have family conveniently in the city of Salem, let’s talk about your housing options.

Dorm Life

I legitimately have never come across anyone who lived in the dorms that didn’t talk about it with a sense of wonder and nostalgia. Why is that? It’s because there is something very unique, encouraging, challenging, and cool that happens when you live with your best friends, friends, acquaintances, and even those you can only handle in one-minute increments. Living in a community of believers also intensifies all those emotions and feelings.

Before you dismiss dorm life for “freshman” or “students whose parents are probably paying for their tuition,” take a good look at what you need to succeed. Yes, dorm life can be “expensive,” but what you gain is not searching for an apartment, not searching for a roommate, not paying every month, not paying all of your utilities, never wondering what you’re going to eat, and not having to commute to school.

There is some convenience and affordability that exists with dorm life, along with the unique and undeniable bonding that happens in the dorms. For some, living in the dorms eliminates the right amount of stress needed to focus on their studies. Is that you?

Apartments Near By or Rooms to Rent

Perhaps you’re in a situation where the dorms just aren’t the best option for you. Where do you turn? So glad you hypothetically asked! First, I recommend taking a look online at apartment complexes closest to campus. Here are three right around the corner from Corban:

• Saddle Club Apartments
• Triple Crown Apartments
• The Reserve at Hawks Ridge

Call for the latest rates, but most will be around $1,000 monthly. You can split that cost with roommates to make it more affordable. There are about 15 apartment complexes within 10 miles of campus, so there should be some good options out there. Or check out the Corban Housing Board, where you could even find a roommate.

Wherever you decide to live, make sure it will be a location that will support you in your studies rather than hinder you.

Reach out with any questions or comments here:

Jordan Lindsey | Director of Admissions
jlindsey@corban.edu | 503.375.7156 (PH) | 971.599.1028 (TEXT)

Many universities have community service opportunities or requirements while in college. Does Corban have any of these community service expectations? The answer is, “You bet!”

Now, the argument can be made that as a Christian, serving others should come second nature. However, that’s in our personal lives, but for educational credit and experience, Corban students are also required to do some service.

It’s called “REACH” credit. See what we did there? It’s called “REACH” because you’re “reaching others” or “reaching into others’ lives.” On a serious note, the “REACH” program affirms the mission of Corban (to educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ) and integrates the idea of faith–learning–service. Jesus is our guide in everything, and Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

REACH credit focuses on five key areas of service:

• Education/Literacy
• Hunger/Housing
• Dignity/Justice
• Creation Care
• Mentoring/Coaching

Now that we’ve established the “why” behind Corban’s program, let’s dive into the time commitment and expectations in practical terms.

Most Common Ways to Serve

The top three ways to serve are:

• Help at a local church
• Community service
• Mission trips

How many REACH projects need to be completed by graduation?

For transfer students, the number of projects is prorated based on how many credits you are transferring in at the time of enrollment at Corban.

• 0-29 semester credits: 4 projects
• 30-59 semester credits: 3 projects
• 60-89 semester credits: 2 projects
• 90+ semester credits: 1 project

Each project is considered complete after 40 hours of service. It’s best to really get plugged into some service opportunities that might be a good fit for you – even if they don’t have a connection to your degree. Just serve!

When I was a student, I ended up doing church service and walking dogs…yet, I never became a professional dog walker. It was something to do that sounded fun, and I got to share Jesus and the joy inside with those at the Humane Society. It’s awesome!