The Talent Blind Spot demonstrates that, each year, more than 50,000 high-achieving, low- and moderate-income community college students do not transfer to a four-year institution. Approximately 15,000 of these students have a 3.7 GPA or higher, which suggests they could succeed at even the most competitive schools. The report also demonstrates that high-graduation-rate colleges and universities—the American Talent Initiative schools—enroll far fewer transfer students than other four-year institutions. The report offers a path forward based on the work of several ATI member institutions that have demonstrated that creating robust community college transfer success is possible through strong, leadership-drive partnerships, early outreach and advising, and dedicated, holistic supports.
The Talent Blind Spot is divided into two parts.
- The Case for Increasing Community College Transfer to High Graduation Rate Institutions
- Understand the community college transfer landscape at high graduation rate colleges with data from the report.
- The Practical Guide to Increasing Community College Transfer to High Graduation Rate Institutions
- Use the “Fundamental Principles” as a strategy audit to assess how your institution compares to others.
- See what is possible by learning from the “Transfer-Friendly Ecosystems” of three exemplary institutions: Smith College, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and the University of California-Los Angeles.
- Read the “Transfer Tactics Repository” to access case studies of institutional practices that respond to specific challenges.