By Walter Ryce

Cal State Monterey Bay wrapped up its first Admitted Transfer Day on Saturday afternoon, April 27. 

It was an opportunity for transfer students to check out the campus in person. They could hear from administrators, tour residence halls and buildings, talk with faculty and academic advisors, ask questions of financial aid counselors, and register for classes if ready. 

The students and their families were invited to start their day by hearing from campus leaders at the Otter Student Union Ballroom. 

“This is the first year the University had a dedicated day specifically for transfer students,” Ben Corpus, vice president of Student Affairs, told one such audience of hundreds. “This day is for you.”

“This place is on the move,” he continued. “We may have a new science building in the near future. Our baseball team [was recently] No. 1 in their conference. We just opened a state-of-the-art esports lounge that has the best gaming system around.”

He then introduced President Vanya Quiñones, saying she is the most student-centered president they would encounter. 

“I’m very honored to welcome the class of 2026,” Quiñones said. “This is a big deal, to decide what university you’re going to, to follow your dream.”

She shared some data points to make the case for CSUMB, including its No. 2 spot in U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings for upward mobility among universities in the West, and its No. 1 position in the CSU system in graduating students on time and removing equity gaps. 

“The reason I’m bragging is we have an amazing institution that will help you move forward financially when you graduate,” she continued “This is accessible to you. You have what it takes. A key thing for you to think about is that our faculty, staff and administrators are mentors to each student.” 

Outside on the grassy quad, Connor Hunter, a transfer student from Visalia, was having lunch from one of the nearby food trucks with his brother and mother. He intends to major in environmental studies. 

“I really love the campus and the area,” he said. “The teachers [here] are helping me like crazy on scheduling – 10 out of 10.”

His mother, Jill, said everyone they’ve encountered had been welcoming and she believes Connor will thrive at CSUMB.

“It’s a relaxed atmosphere. A quiet, peaceful campus,” she said. “We toured a lot of campuses and this one is nice.” 

Faculty members were on hand to talk about their programs, both in presentations and at tented tables at their colleges.

“We want to be part of students becoming the most fully realized versions of themselves,” said Jeff Jones, a music professor at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “The young people I talked to want to use their gifts and passions not just to make themselves and their families better, but to make the world better.” 

Nicholas Velasquez, coming from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, said he had toured CSUMB as a high school senior and wants to major in  psychology. 

“I love Monterey, it’s a great area,” Velasquez said. “And CSUMB is cheaper than other schools. It’s grown a lot in three years.”

His mother, Lisa, said they had visited CSU Northridge and found it to be big and busy, and wanted Nicholas to find the right fit for his personality. 

“When he made his choice [of CSUMB] I exhaled,” she said. She added that he already has his classes, intends to pursue a career working with kids with special needs, and they are happy. 

Serina Moreno, from Reedley College in the Central Valley, first visited CSUMB as a high school senior two years ago, and it is the only university she is considering transferring to. 

“I’m here to learn about student life, the ratio of students to teachers, what help and tutoring is available,” she said about Admitted Transfer Day.  

Her boyfriend, Caleb Garcia, accompanied her.

“I hope [CSUMB] helps her become the person she wants to be…to take her to the next level,” he said. 

Transfer students and their families boarded shuttle buses to tour student housing, ate at the campus dining facilities, and were invited to play in the Rookery game room and the new esports lounge with video game stations. 

It was all designed to give them a full immersion experience to make their decision. And many did. Corpus reported that approximately 900 transfer students registered for the event, 90% showed up, and almost 75% committed to CSUMB. He considered the day a success and attributed it to a dedicated team and campus community. 

Charlie Capriles, of Foothills College in Mountain View, said he appreciated CSUMB’s smaller student-faculty ratio, the intimate size of campus, and that it’s close to his family. He also was impressed by his student housing option of Promentory. 

“It’s great. It’s huge. It’s bigger than my room at home,” he said. 

Charlie’s mother, Kiwi, added, “The love and passion for the university is evident in all the people. The enthusiasm is contagious. It made us excited.”