A seamless transition

Transitioning to Mount Mercy University from Kirkwood Community College was easy for Kelsey Kreuder ‘25, thanks to the support of professors and her new community.

While attending high school in Bondurant, Kelsey completed a few college classes from Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) before graduating and moving to the Cedar Rapids area to attend Kirkwood Community College.

Because she had only been in the area for two years, she wanted to continue her education locally after graduating from Kirkwood so she wouldn’t have to make a big move again.

Kelsey was unsure of her options, so she turned to a trusted professor at Kirkwood to help her learn more about the surrounding universities. That professor pointed her in Mount Mercy’s direction and connected her with Dr. April Dirks for an unofficial meeting to visit campus and learn more about what the Hill had to offer.

When visiting campus, Kelsey loved the tight-knit community and the welcoming atmosphere for visiting students. She also liked the prospect of attending Mount Mercy and receiving financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—plus the guaranteed scholarships for being a part of Phi Theta Kappa at Kirkwood, her GPA, and just for simply visiting and transferring.

“Mount Mercy was one of the only colleges where I had a visit, and they sat down with me personally to talk about my options for programs, scholarships, and on-campus and off-campus living,” Kelsey said.

All of these factors drove Kelsey to decide that Mount Mercy was the place for her, so she started the process of transferring her DMACC classes and her Associate of Arts degree from Kirkwood to Mount Mercy. This process was extremely easy for Kelsey, primarily because of the provided support.

“It was really nice being able to sit down with my advisor and plan out my full first year,” Kelsey recalled. “Having someone that could help lay out what classes were still required and when I would take them gave me some peace of mind coming into Mount Mercy.”

Kelsey felt that attending a community college before a university was not a waste of time, thanks to the seamless transfer process between Kirkwood and Mount Mercy, where all her credits transferred smoothly without needing to retake courses or accumulate unnecessary free electives.

“At Mount Mercy, my credits transferred in for major courses rather than a ton of electives, which was really nice because that probably wouldn’t have happened if I had chosen a different college,” Kelsey stated.

When starting classes, Kelsey realized that the assistance she received from Dr. Dirks didn’t end once the transfer process was completed. Instead, the support from Dr. Dirks and other professors continued throughout her classes.

“All the professors I’ve had are super open and welcoming,” Kelsey explained. “They make an effort to know their students on a personal level by learning about what they do outside of class and how busy their schedules are outside of school. They truly pay attention to small details, which makes me feel supported.”

Kelsey advises students to consider transferring to Mount Mercy because of the community, support, and simple credit transfer from Kirkwood, DMACC, and other community colleges.

“The transfer process was easy, and I felt like I could find support no matter what I needed help with. It really eased my anxiety surrounding the whole process because everyone was super helpful and welcoming.”