I’m starting my first-year at one of the top 5 UK universities this fall. I’m thinking about applying for transfer to a US university or liberal arts college. I heard you’ll need a good reason and mine is that I prefer the US system where it’s possible to major and minor in more areas than one. Is that any good as a reason to put in my essays? What are my chances of getting admitted?
Also would I be able to start as a freshman? I’m willing to pay tuition and more than happy to throw away all my credits and start over, especially with liberal arts colleges. I’d like to take the time to settle into the American culture and education system.
I am neither a UK nor US citizen. I have an IB diploma. I know it’s too late to change my mind about focusing my college application solely on the UK. So I’m just looking into my chances of making a transfer next year. Appreciate any help/advice. Thanks.
If you start at any university, then you would be a transfer student when later applying to universities in the US.
Did you apply to schools in the US? If so what happened? If not, then is this based on a late change in plans or a recent greater understanding of what is involved in a university education?
Have you thought about taking a gap year?
What is your total budget for all of this through getting your bachelor’s degree?
Considering the cost of a US education is important: do your parents have 200.000£ for your education?
If so, there are universities in the US that’ll allow you to apply as a freshman if you enrolled part time and have fewer than X credits attempted (and all attempted are passed). In fact there are even universities right now that’ll let you apply for Fall 2020.
If they don’t, most US universities do t fifer aid to transfers so you’re out of luck if you start anywhere.
You can also contact Scottish universities and see if they have a place in your chosen subject: in Scotland, you’ll often have 1-2 mandatory subjects and 1-2 entirely up to you.
(just realized I probably should quote this sorry)
Hi thanks! No I did not apply to any school in the US and yes, this is precisely a change of mind on the kind of university education I want.
Unfortunately I am already on a gap year so I would have to start university this fall doing a course I do not particularly enjoy
Financial issues are the least of my problems at the moment I would say.
Any suggestions on how/if I should go about making a transfer? Thanks I appreciate it.
@MYOS1634 Hi thanks for the reply. I don’t mind starting sophomore and yes my parents can afford it. I’m really trying to aim for some top 50 unis in the US. so, I’m just trying to figure out what my chances are of getting in…?
I should say that I’m really trying to aim for some top 50 universities in the US. I don’t mind starting sophomore really I’m just trying to figure out what my chances are of getting in…
Ok.
Well, your chances are widely different depending on whether you’re aiming for UF, UWash, Penn State… or for the likes of Williams/Amherst/Ivy+!!
Also, in terms of flexibility+ ease of transfer, as I said, Scottish universities would likely wok well.
I should say that I’m really trying to aim for some top 50 universities in the US. I don’t mind starting sophomore really I’m just trying to figure out what my chances are of getting in…
any information will be appreciated. thanks!
@MYOS1634 Thanks. Actually I’m more worried about essays than test scores. I have few extracurriculars and not a very compelling reason to transfer. I doubt those admission officers would take “i don’t like what i’m studying and want to try out something else” for an answer.
The obvious question is whether to start in the UK intending to transfer, or take another gap year.
Generally speaking the chances of getting accepted to a “top 50” university in the US as a freshman are usually higher than the chances of getting accepted as a transfer student. However, the number of international transfer students that come to the US is small enough to make it hard to say how possible it is other than “possible but tough”.
One thing that has occurred to me is that the Canadian education system is quite similar to the US system except for two big differences: The price of university is generally lower; and, Admissions is more predictable and more based on academics. One option then would be to start in the UK and apply to transfer to both some top 50 universities in the US and also a few of the top Canadian universities (Toronto, McGill, UBC). Then you can see where you get in.
Nobody can tell you your chances of getting I to US colleges without your test scores and GPA. Those will matter more than your essays. If you aren’t in range for acceptance your essays won’t matter.
To give you an idea, if you take the top 35-40 National Universities and the top 20 National Colleges, here are those ranked 29-40 according to USNWR
Georgia Tech, Tufts, UNC CH, URochester, UCSB, UF, UCI, Boston College, UCSD, UCD, Boston University, Case Western Reserve, William&Mary, Brandeis, Northeastern, Tulane and the top 15-20 national colleges (which are roughly as hard to get into as UC’s, URochester, or UNC CH) Grinnell, Hamilton, Vassar, Colgate, Davidson, Wesleyan, Bates. All are considered elite and extremely selective, even more so for transfers than for freshmen since few freshmen transfer out.
For those, as a freshman, your odds as an international are probably half of the regular acceptance rate. So, as a transfer, perhaps half of your odds as a freshman?
So, about 5% for Bates, Hamilton, Tulane. A bit more at Northeastern, W&M, Brandeis, BU. 10% at most.
I’m assuming you scored in the top 10% for your country in secondary school examinations (which I infer from your being admitted to a top British university).
^ For most of those schools, it’s easier to get in as a freshman than transfer but not all.
However, as @MYOS1634 said, there’s a big difference in selectivity between the most elite private unis and LACs (almost all of whom range from small to tiny by UK standards and are tough to get in to as they just don’t have many slots or students leaving) and some much bigger less selective ones (many of whom take in a decent number of transfers). What do you mean by “top 50”? The top 50 Research U’s + the top 50 LACs as ranked by USNews? Something else?
BTW, if you have already taken a gap year, Columbia GS is a possibility, though you may still need a compelling story.
Also, I would say that odds at BU and (especially) NEU are a lot higher than 10% (NEU take in International full-pay transfers who barely can speak English as they provide money but don’t impact NEU’s rankings as the stats US News look at are based only on fall-entering freshmen).
“I doubt those admission officers would take “i don’t like what i’m studying and want to try out something else” for an answer.”
That would actually be one of the more compelling reasons for a transfer.
BTW, with a top IB score and a year of UK uni, you’re almost guaranteed to get advanced standing (so starting as a sophomore). But that also means that many of the classes in your remaining 3 years will be in the major you choose (though you would still have time to choose).
IMO, your chances of getting in to some “top 50” American college (by which I mean an American school that can claim to be ranked in the top 50 on some USNews ranking) are good if you can be full-pay, though they may not be as prestigious worldwide as the UK uni you will be going to.
I say that because a top IB score makes GPA irrelevant (and SAT/ACT scores somewhat irrelevant too).
