Managed by EMM’s Community College Partnerships team in conjunction with Adult and Transfer Admission, DAPP is designed to assist transfer students in successfully moving toward degree completion without losing any time or credits. Program participants map out courses, receive guidance from a DePaul admission counselor and attend special events and workshops designed to ensure a smooth transition—all while working on courses at their respective community college.
Twenty students became the first DAPP participants to graduate this past summer, marking a significant milestone for the program and its partners. “It is very important to our community college partners to see that DePaul values the education students receive with them and that they are successful after transferring,” said Lois Bishop, director of Community College Partnerships.
Future is bright for DAPP
While the first graduating cohort is a relatively small number, the pipeline is expanding rapidly. There are currently 232 students—who joined DAPP while at their community college—now enrolled at DePaul as of fall 2015. At the community college level, 501 students are currently participating in DAPP. More than half, 52 percent of those at the community college level, or 263 students, have indicated they intend to enroll at DePaul in fall 2016, which would be the largest entering class of DAPP students by a wide margin since the program’s full implementation in the spring of 2012.
DAPP’s success is driven by DePaul’s ongoing partnerships with local community colleges and the university’s commitment to transfer student success. “Community colleges have confidence that when their DAPP students transfer, they’re going to have the best advising and transfer experience at DePaul,” said Bishop.
The program currently has partnerships with the seven City Colleges of Chicago and 11 suburban community colleges. DAPP students at the city colleges comprise 29 percent of the program’s participants (those currently taking courses at their respective community college) with Harold Washington College (67 students), Wilbur Wright College (33), and Truman College (17) being the top three feeder schools. The program’s top five feeder schools, outside of the City Colleges, are Harper College (66 students), College of DuPage (65), Oakton Community College (47), Moraine Valley Community College (46), and College of Lake County (36).