Foreign student seeking transfer

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello. I'm an high-school student currently seeking to transfer to a US college. I will study my first year in my home country, but, as I said, I'd like to move out and study abroad. Help to decide which is the best university for me to go to would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Grades:
High-school: 98/100 (From one of the country's top high-schools, I have always been the top student there)
TOEFL: 103 (Reading 30, Listening 29, Speaking 20, Writing 24)
SAT Physics: 760
SAT Math II: 730
SAT 1990, Reading 660, Math 750, Writing 580
I'm not taking the tests again, probably. They're way too expensive for me, so I'd have to get a SAT fee waiver and I'm not sure that's possible.
I also have the DELF A2 (French), but I have been studying the language for about three years. My mother tongue is Spanish.</p>

<p>I practice sport, but I'm not that much into it. Just enough to be in shape. I like drawing, and my stuff is passable. I also enjoy baking, and my stuff is way more than passable (this is pretty much what I do as a stress-reliever). I am a member of the debate club in my high-school (and a good addition to the team), but I'm not sure this will matter for my transfer.
The highest honor I have is a silver medal in the Mathematical Olympiad of my country (boohoo). I was a member of the FIRST robotics team for a year, but I didn't enjoy it at all, so it probably won't go into my resume. I have worked full time for a month --and I still work on Saturdays-- as a designer, accountant and manufacturer at a metallurgic company. As I will have to move to attend college next semester, I will keep working to sustain myself, since I'll pretty much be on my own.
I also enjoy reading about a variety of topics, like psychology, astronomy and, mostly, scientific breakthroughs.
My essays tend to be on the "humorous" (or silly?) side. They're pretty easy to read, though, and for me that is what matters.</p>

<p>I will be attending the best university in the country, which, admittedly, does not rank <em>that</em> high in the World Best Universities (not even top 100). But it's the best I got.
I will study biomedical engineering. I also like biotechnology and the biologic approach to nanotechnology. If I cannot transfer, then I'd love to continue my studies over there, as a post-graduate student. I will absolutely need financial aid and housing, though I'm willing to work full time during my stay. The college I most liked is MIT, but really, as long as they're a reasonably ranking college it will be fine.
Thanks for your time.</p>

2

<p>IF YOU NEED FINANCIAL AID, do NOT apply as a transfer. There’s basically NO financial aid for international transfers.
Take a “gap year”.
You already have your TOEFL and SAT scores: why not apply now?
There’s still time to apply to a few colleges in the US - Cornell has a deadline on 1/9, Columbia 1/6, and TONS of top colleges 1/15.</p>

3

<p>As MYOS1634 wrote above, if you need financial aid do not apply as a transfer. Either apply now for admissions, or take a gap year and apply next year.</p>

<p>There also is nothing wrong with completing your undergraduate degree in your home country, and then applying here for post-graduate studies. A Ph.D. in science, math or engineering would almost certainly be fully funded.</p>

4

<p>Thank you very much for your responses.</p>

<p>MYOS1634: I cannot apply this year. You see, I really wanted to start my next semester in the US, and I took all the pertinent tests and prepared my essays, asked my teachers for recommendation letters about a month before the school year finished… but I didn’t get them. I haven’t got them, nearly two months later, and I have even gone to the school several times (at least six after the semester ended, some teachers still had to attend, including the ones I asked) to ask for them. I can’t really complain to my teachers, though-- giving me recommendation letters is not part of their job description.
The colleges I most liked were MIT (I’m, like, so unique/sarcasm) and Chicago, and their deadlines have already passed.
About the “gap year”, yeah, I can’t do that. My parents would prefer to have me studying anything, even if I don’t like it. They made my brother study engineering, and he’s now in Medicine. Would it be possible to study something and then apply at a college for something else? </p>

<p>Happymomof1: Yep, a PhD over there is basically plan B. I wanted to ask because I wasn’t really sure how to build my college career. Since applying as a transfer would be impossible because of my financial situation, then I guess I will go with it.
I was thinking that, if I had to complete my undergraduate studies here, I would do a double-major in biomedical engineering and pharmacobiological chemistry. Instead of PBQ, I would have very much preferred either nanotechnology or biotechnology, but they’re all in different cities and it’s impossible to study two of them (unless I’m willing to spend 4 hours in a car and half of my salary daily in gas). I’m not sure if my two choices are related that much, but biomedical engineering barely has 3 subjects per semester, and I would feel like I were losing my time if I only studied that. It was either 4 years for one major or at most six years for two, and the semester costs like twenty cents of a dollar, so…</p>

<p>Do you think I have a chance at MIT? I’m not a very talented science student, and I have just recently discovered I like biology and engineering. What could I do to improve my chances of getting admitted as a post-graduate student? I intend to spend a good portion of my time studying and, if possible, at the university labs. Also, I will try to excel at competitions, if there are any. Right now I’m taking science online courses. So, say, if the academic aspect is “covered” (is it?), what else should I do?</p>

<p>Again, thank you both for your time.</p>

5

<p>The deadline applies to YOU, not your teachers; so you could have applied, gotten your applications uploaded on time, and then your teachers would have had about 2 more weeks to get things done.
There’s still time for you at many schools. Get your work uploaded and “invite” your teachers through the commonapp. Although it’s not part of their job description, their not doing it in 2 months is pushing it. Have you explained you can’t apply without that information and they’d make you lose oodles of scholarship money?
The deadlines for MIT and CalTech have passed, but I believe many of the other “tech” schools are still in play. Check out Olin, for instance (I don’t know whether their deadline has been pushed to Jan 6 or not).</p>

<p>However, if you choose to do your undergrad in your country, you would need to be the best in your program, whatever program you choose. You don’t need to double major - if you want to do nanotechnology you could do that, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re the best in it, pursue research opportunities, get involved in competitions, etc. In addition, it helps to distinguish yourself among all the “techie” applicants to the top schools, if you show you also took something “non-techie”, such as ancient history, philosophy, psychology… (and got good grades, of course). It doesn’t help directly for your actual admission but it shows your intellectual curiosity so it helps indirectly (all other things being equal, ie., you are the best in your STEM program, have research/internship experience, etc.)</p>

6

<p>Tostador -</p>

<p>It is likely that many of the professors at your university earned their Ph.D.s in the US. Once you are settled into your classes, find out where your professors studied. If you prove to be a talented student, they will be able to advise you on good places to go to for your Ph.D. They have professional colleagues and old grad school buddies now working at good universities all around the world.</p>

7

<p>MYOS1634: Wait, what? Not my deadline? I’m really stupid, aren’t I. <em>sigh</em> Way to start a Sunday.
They’ve already been invited to the CommonApp. And I have told them I need the letters to apply.
I will check out other schools as you mentioned, thanks.</p>

<p>I am planning on taking other classes. Next semester I’ll move from a tiny place you can barely call a city, to one of the biggest metropolis in the world, and I intend to find any sort of classes I can: self-defense, drawing, handicrafts, psychology and baking are among the list (aside from being things I really enjoy). Nobody can tell I’m really excited to move there, I bet. </p>

<p>Happymomof1: You’re right, I will do that. Who knows best than a person that has already gone through that?</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your responses.</p>

8

<p>Often, teachers will need you to sit with them and go through the process with them. Email your teachers to make an appointment, at their convenience, so you can help them fill out the forms.</p>

9

<p>I sat with my Humanities (World History) teacher and explained the process to her and told her how to make her account, since she doesn’t speak English very well. She told me she’d ask for help from an English teacher. She made her account while I was in her office, and I explained how to submit it. In the common app, her recommendation is marked as “Started (date)”. I don’t think I can help her fill the forms concerning my evaluation as a student though, that’d be dishonest.
About the other one, it’s my fault she hasn’t submitted anything. I explained her the process but I guess she may have not understood it, since I did not show her how to do it. Most of the high-schoolers will go to national universities, and my teachers must not be familiar with the requirements and such.</p>

<p>Tomorrow my classes start so I will get to see them. I still will need recommendation letters for a national private university (short story is that my parents want me to apply there so I will), which will not mind if they’re in English–they even accepted my SAT scores instead of a similar exam but in Spanish. I will ask them then. Thanks for the help!</p>

10

<p>Many international students do end up helping their teachers with the letters of recommendation. It really is OK to do that, provided you make certain that the teachers understand why you have translated something the way you did, and that they approve the final versions.</p>