In the fall of 2014, Alejandra Fernandez was a recent high school graduate looking for a good education and a chance to play basketball. She enrolled at a respected private college in Pennsylvania, ready to begin her higher education experience.

As the semester progressed, however, she realized that her athletic expectations "just were not going to work out." Faced with this new reality, she discussed her future with her family and decided to investigate other colleges. Her reasoning -- why pay such a substantial tuition without the academic/athletic combination she wanted?

In her search, she discovered Neumann. "Everyone here made it so easy to transfer," she remembers. "The whole process took only a week."

Just as convincing was the fact that Neumann provided four times the amount of scholarship support than she had been receiving. This aid, coupled with Neumann's affordable tuition, made the financial package very attractive. She decided to make the switch in December.

Then, chaos ensued. She had to say goodbye to her teammates, pack up her dorm room, move into the Neumann residence hall, and select classes for the spring semester -- all during the Christmas holidays.

Despite the hectic nature of the change, Alejandra settled in smoothly. "My professors made the transition easy. They communicated with me regularly and made me feel welcome. And I'm doing better here academically."

She now lives at home and commutes from Oxford. A political science major, Alejandra hopes to attend law school and become a practicing lawyer.

And the on-court experience she wanted is now a reality, too. She's a point guard on the Knights basketball team.