Is extreme winter on the East coast bothering you and hampering your studies? Well, if these are your problems then we have come up with a solution that you are going to love in this blog. Not only can you change your location but can also change your course of degree of your choice in the second or third year of college. Not to mention the very famous president Barack Obama also took a transferring option from Occidental college to Columbia University when he was a junior.
UC-Los Angeles (UCLA) and UC-Berkeley (UCB) each accepted 3167 and 2187 transfer students respectively, according to US News & World Report’s National Universities List published by Washington Post. Over 1000 transfer students were admitted to Southern California and Michigan-Ann Arbor, respectively. State universities admitted a greater number of transfer students.
Despite not having been specified, it is a well-known fact that every year a large number of international students transfer, either from a non-US institution to a US one. Transferring credits from one college or university to another is the most important aspect of the transfer process in each of the aforementioned situations.
Transfer within the US
Many students choose to pursue their undergraduate education in the US every year. A variety of factors lead students to seek transfers during their studies.
Due to their average academics and low standardized test scores, they often have to compromise on either the program of study or the ranking of universities. During their freshman year, as their performance increases, they aim to complete their remaining years at universities with a higher ranking or that offer a major of their choice. Despite being accepted into prestigious universities, some students struggle to fit in with a specific institution’s culture. In addition, some of them do not adapt to geographical conditions like climate and location.
The decision to transfer is also influenced by finances – whether it is a scholarship offered by another university or financial constraints.
When the decision to transfer has been made, the next step is to establish effective communication with university officials, develop effective ways of presenting one’s profile, and formulate a statement of intent to transfer.
Transfer from non-US to US colleges
You may transfer from a non-US college to a US college for several reasons. This is largely due to the liberal arts system of education in the US, which allows for the study of a wide range of subjects that are totally unrelated, as opposed to only studying one or two in other countries. Transferring credits requires the student to ensure that the credits secured at one university are accepted at the other, as the grading system varies from country to country. Each university handles such cases on a case-by-case basis and at its discretion.
As a result, unlike some countries, the US requires standardized test scores, so students must take and submit either the SAT or ACT test, as well as other requirements specified by the university.
Gap Year Student
Many students worldwide struggle with the problem of applying for admissions late when their timeline gets over for the given year. This makes them unmotivated to study in US colleges since they find that their year has already gone to waste. Instead of waiting for another year students can apply as ‘Gap’ year to pursue their undergraduate program. This means that students apply as ‘freshman’ as they apply for the Fall intake in the coming year.
Therefore, in the intervening months, the student needs to work on strengthening different aspects of his or her profile and application. In addition to the regular application documents, the student also needs to write a statement explaining the reasons behind dropping a year and demonstrating how he or she has utilized the time in hand.
Conclusion
The blog concludes that transferring cases is not easy therefore requires good guidance from experts that can suggest when and where to apply. While state universities accept transfer students in large numbers, top-ranked and niche private universities are very selective with acceptance rates as low as 1%. It is necessary for students to identify their strengths and portray the same in their transfer applications and statements in the best possible and most powerful manner.