<p>I'd just like to ask information you may know about this.</p>
<p>So I was wondering, here in the Philippines, high school education is for only 4 years (not until very recently, K-12 has been pursued in the congress, and has just been operational this year) and so I finished high school within four years, batch 2011.</p>
<p>US universities that I read (specifically H, Oxf, Stan) didn't specify much what you should have taken and what you should have as you apply, except that they are keen for the SAT tests and essays and such.</p>
<p>My question goes within the situation that what if (since high school is only 4 years here) I have taken up 1 or 2 years of college here in my country and then I realize and decide that I'd try to apply for US colleges, like H, and I would then decide to take the SAT, and prepare my high school credentials. (insights:my age while I am in my 1-2 years in college here is a high school senior in US; if I pursue my H application and get through and through, I may not finish my undergrad here).</p>
<p>I'm not sure about this so I need your opinion to clear this out, but from what I am thinking, I am still allowed, since I am in an undergrad here, and will apply for a US college as an undergrad degree as well while not yet fnishing any ungrad here in the Philippines. Because I do not fall into any other category of admission: not to a second undergraduate nor to a graduate degree admission nor am I thinking of using the transfer program, I'd like to apply as a, and for a, plain undergradute course.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>Thank you for your contributing information!</p>
<p>hello. high school is also 4 years in the United States. also, age does not matter too much. whether you are 17 years old and in college, or 19 years old and still in high school, that will not do much for you. it’s the fact whether you have already graduated from high school or not, that matters. if you have already graduated from high school and currently in college, you can still apply for Harvard but it may be a transfer. You should ask this directly by calling the Harvard admissions office what you need to do. It will be much easier for you to talk to a Harvard staff member rather than anyone here. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Since you have some college, you must apply as a transfer. Being a transfer student and an international at the same time puts you in the worse situation, unfortunately. Terrible rate of admission for any transfer student. Terrible rate of admission for internationals. You’re both. Unless you’re singly the most interesting Filipino applicant in years, your chances are close to nil.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies. So I am rambling on the facts, and what if I choose not to have my college years credited, that is, I’d really want to start fresh and anew, that would be the way to apply as freshman, right?</p>
<p>And also, as I was reading the guidelines:</p>
<p>By the anticipated date of matriculation, applicants must have satisfactorily completed a minimum of one continuous academic year in a degree program at one college, and not more than two academic years of full-time college study.</p>
<p>Students who have completed more than two years of college study with transferable credit, and those who have earned a bachelor’s degree, are not eligible to transfer to Harvard College. Students may not choose to relinquish academic credits, or a degree, in order to apply for transfer admission.</p>
<p>***My academic years in college are not full time, last year I was at one college (that is for 2 semesters) and this semester I transferred to another. (1 year-2 semesters) To summarize, I did 1 year at one college and then I transferred this semester. But anyways, if I plan to go to H, I’d really like to start anew.</p>
<p>So what do you think? Can I apply as freshman?</p>
<p>I don’t see where H says anything about “continuous” year of college. You’ve taken a good share of college classes. You’re not eligible to apply as an incoming freshman.</p>
<p>It’s not about being “credited” but the actual fact of whether or not you have enrolled in college. That’s Harvard’s concern about applying as an incoming freshman or as a transfer. You can’t just opt out of your history. It is what it is.</p>
<p>Thank you again for the replies. I thought I lost my hope, but not. The process is still like freshmen, so I that puts a smile in my face! Except for the very rigid acceptance rate. Lol.</p>
<p>Anyways, what is this requirement, the “The University’s Official Report”
Is this like, my grades?</p>
<p>It is not uncommon for some countries to label the equivalent of upperclassmen years of high school (in the US) as ‘college’ years. It is very important to know how many years you have studied since 1st grade, without skipping any grades to determine whether you are considered a high school graduate or not by admissions.</p>
<p>After daycare, nursery and kinder :D, I went to grade 1 at 6 years old, then I finished until grade 6 (grades 1 to 6 to summarize) afterwards is high-school (4 years).I was 15 years old when I was in 4th year [senior] high school.</p>
<p>[insights:in the Philippines, after your preschool you have grades 1 to 6, afterwards is 1st-4th year high school]</p>
<p>High school in your country is the equivalent of GCE/ O’ Levels etc in Britain, the equivalent of ~10th grade in the USA. Two years beyond that will give you equivalency to an American high school diploma or someone with A Levels under the British system. So you will be considered a freshman applicant after you complete two years of ‘college’ in your country. since Admissions deals with issues such as these all the time, it will not be a big issue for them.</p>
<p>Thank you for shedding what you know. It gives more hope, but it also yields the question:</p>
<p>Is this how H sees this? I mean the case is not whether freshmen or transfer application process will be the one that I will use, { (assuming you are explaining it accurately, both will require me the same records: grade records from my high school and supposed A level equivalent[if considered as freshmen]; and grade records from my high school and college credits[if considered undertaking undergraduate already) } BUT, which process to use to appropriately apply and not violate anything.</p>
<p>Thank you for shedding light as I really do not have ideas on this because of the difference in the education hierarchy.</p>
<p>Don’t believe perazziman and some others. I’ve contacted schools themselves as I was in a very similar situation as yours. Here’s the absolute truth backed by replies from the schools:</p>
<p>US: If you are enrolled in college as full-time, regardless of your high school background, you can ONLY apply as transfer. You cannot just drop your undergraduate years in your country. This goes for pretty much all the top-20 colleges I’ve researched. Don’t send your application as freshman.</p>
<p>UK, Canada: You need two years of college in the Philippines to enter a UK/Canadian university. Don’t count too much on Oxbridge; these schools get applications from top IB/A-Level/AP students and they will look much better than a Philippine applicant with complicated academic backgrounds. Just aim for grad schools.</p>
<p>I’m not sure with Canadian standards but I’m pretty sure it’s more lenient than top UK universities.</p>
<p>Again, no matter what your reason is, if you have enrolled in a college AFTER high school graduation, your only option is to transfer. If you have any doubts, PM me your email and I’ll forward you the replies I got from all the schools I inquired.</p>
<p>If you may, I would like a copy of the replies of all the schools you inquired in my email, for future reference. It sucks that I cannot pm you yet, nonetheless, you can email it here: kyubiness[at]yahoo[dot]com ; I’ll try to remove this information here as soon as you affirmed you have copied my contact . Thank you!</p>
<p>Indeed, my academic background would be complicated, and I do not know what’s with these IB/A-Level that I will face in the aim of being admitted.</p>
<p>What is your case that is like mine?Mind if you share your story? And indeed I’d like to aim for graduate schools as well. Suggestions on how and what should I focus currently? And how I should act on this if there is still that much of rigidity in graduate school?</p>
<p>IB, A-Level, and AP are basically college preparatory high school curriculum. Very rigorous, though it varies among schools, and internationally recognized. You can basically get into Oxbridge with just top IB/A-Level grades and good interview. These are very expensive too. (usually around 20k-30k per year if I’m not mistaken)</p>
<p>While I’m sure Melody10511 is correct, applicants should always call Harvard Admissions and speak directly with an Admissions Officer. The phone number is 617-495-1551. You can speak with someone from 9am-5pm EST Monday-Friday. Harvard’s staff is very friendly and helpful. The person that answers the phone is usually a student, so tell them you are calling long distance and need to speak with an Admissions Officer.</p>