<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I am from Norway, and going to study in the U.S starting this fall :).</p>
<p>I've been admitted to both Long Island University, New York and Pacific Lutheran University, Washington. So first of all I am trying to decide which one to attend. (Any help?)</p>
<p>Background: </p>
<p>I've completed 1/3 of my degree in Business Administration - Finance, with good grades. But I am most likely going to pursue a career in psychology, the dream/goal is to have a Ph.D in Neuroscience, and to work as a researcher/scientist within neuroscience. </p>
<p>PLU and LIU seems like pretty nice schools, but I would love to attend the best (in academic means) possible university. </p>
<p>Is it hard to transfer from LIU/PLU to e.g something like San Diego State University (SDSU), University of California San Diego (UCSD), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California Berkeley, or some major university in Texas, Florida, or perhaps LSU, NYU?</p>
<p>Anything specific I should make sure to do during my first year at PLU/LIU to increase my chances? </p>
<p>I am forever thankful for any answers or thoughts, everything is welcome! </p>
<p>Might be spelling mistakes here and there, I hope you understand my message though :)</p>
<p>Thanks alot!</p>
<p>Kind regards,
Soon-to-be living in the U.S</p>
<p>Which of these two offer a Neuroscience program, or a strong Biology/Psychology program? What do you know about grad school placement for Neuroscience?</p>
<p>It is a bit more difficult for international students to transfer, but if you do not need financial aid (I expect that you don’t because you haven’t mentioned it), it would not be impossible. Why are the other places on a transfer list at all? Did you not apply this time, or were your applications rejected? If you did not apply, why not? It may make more sense for you to take a year off, do a bit of volunteer work in a neuroscience lab, and re-consider your transfer application list.</p>
<p>Thanks for answer!</p>
<p>As far as I am concerned neither does offer a particular strong psychology program.</p>
<p>Those two schools are the ones I could apply for through an agent, because it’s very hard to apply as an ‘indepenedant’ directly to an American university as a foreigner, that’s why I thought the process of taking one year at an American university would simplify the process. (Because then I can apply with classes recognized by the Universities). </p>
<p>I am not really dependant on financial aid, at least not until the cost exceeds about $40,000 (that’s the Norwegian governments max scholarship for studies in the U.S). </p>
<p>I thought taking one year at a ‘less known’ university, as long as it’s in the American school system, would increase my chances when applying for transfer. But I am just curious about how likely is it that I can transfer from a such university to a ‘better’ university after just one year. </p>
<p>Would my initial university feel ‘offended’ by my transfer request after just one year, or is this common practice? Psychology seems like a broad and common major, so this shouldn’t make it too hard to complete the major even though it’s being chopped up (one year at LIU/PLU, and two years at a different university)?</p>
<p>Thanks for the help for far!</p>
<p>What kind of “agent” were you using? You can apply to ANY college/university here on your own!</p>
<p>If you need help with handling some aspects of the process, you should get in touch with the counselors at the closest advising center of [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://educationusa.state.gov/) There are two in Oslo: [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Norway#.T5rbpav2Y-k]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Norway#.T5rbpav2Y-k)</p>
<p>Really, it is better to take a gap year and apply to a broader list of institutions that do offer the major you want. You will have only one semester of credits (if that) completed when you start the transfer applications. This means that you probably will not have the strongest letters of recommendation. Some of the universities on your possible transfer-to list do accept transfers mid-year. That could allow you to finish a full year of credits before applying for transfer.</p>
<p>The standard advice is to not attend any college or university that you aren’t willing to graduate from. There is always the possibility that you won’t be accepted as a transfer applicant anywhere else.</p>
<p>Lastly, you need to remember that you will have to provide copies of your Norwegian academic records when you apply to transfer from LIU or PLU. Be sure that you have someone who can take care of that for you once you are in the US. You will need those records again when you apply to grad school. Believe me, the fewer colleges and universities you can attend, the better, because each place is one more set of records that you have to keep track of for the rest of your life. I know, I’ve taken classes at seven (yes, 7) and it is a real pain when I need to get copies of all of them for some reason.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>I am using an agent, or to be more specific, a non-profit organization called Study Outside Norway. The reason for using an agent is because we automatically get sophomore status this way, because in Norway we have one more year at high school, so starting freshman in the U.S would be ‘unnecessary’, at least the government thinks so, meaning we do not get scholarship or student loan for freshman year in the U.S.</p>
<p>That’s why it’s crucial to get the sophomore status, and not many universities in the U.S accepts this. That’s why I am trying to make a clever plan to get to the university I want in the most efficient way. </p>
<p>But it seems like I meet some obstacles along the road! So, do you think I should take my undergraduate degree on PLU/LIU and then take my graduate degree and Ph.D at a more recognized university?</p>
<p>It s not at all difficult to apply to US colleges from abroad. Sounds like you were misled by an agency! These are very mediocre schools that opulent be worth taking those kind of loans for. Hy not start in Norway, get good grades and transfer after a year or two.</p>
<p>Do I understand correctly that you are just finishing secondary school, and you would be beginning university studies in Norway if you were to stay there? If so, then why do you indicate that you are part-way to a degree in business and finance? There is a big difference between a university student who is one third of the way through a degree program and who now wants to change fields of study to psychology, and a first time university student who will be able to enroll with advanced standing. </p>
<p>Even if you are able to enroll with advanced standing, you will still need to be very careful with your course selection in order to graduate in only three years. The places you apply to for transfer may not give the same consideration for your schoolwork in Norway, which could mean spending three (not just two) years at the second college/university. You need to find out whether or not your aid package from your home government will cover a additional year.</p>
<p>Even if your advanced standing is respected, transfer students often need an additional semester or two to fulfill graduation requirements at the second university. In order to avoid that, you will need to be very, very certain that the coursework you would take at PLU or LIU will follow the specific requirements of the college/university that you do transfer to. This means that you need to carefully compare the programs at PLU/LIU with the programs at the places that you will apply to so that you can arrange to take the correct courses.</p>
<p>As Waverly suggests, it may be best for you to study in your home country now, and come to the US for graduate school. If you’d like a bit of the US experience while an undergrad, look for universities in Norway that have formal exchange programs with colleges/universities here. You could come for a semester or a year, and you may have better choices for your degree program than PLU or LIU.</p>
<p>I know it’s very confusing, so I’ll try to break it down for you:</p>
<p>I’ve finished high school (13 years) and i’ve taken 1/3 of the bachelor degree in Business Administration - Finance. Through the agent/organization they offer me to start sophomore year at LIU or PLU no matter if I take psychology, finance or any other major. You can look at my year of finance as just ‘extra study’. (I could have started as a sophomore even without the finance education)</p>
<p>I intended to finish my bachelor in Norway, but changed my mind this year. I was an exchange student in 08/09 (taking senior year at american high school) and I’ve lived in Asia for 1/2 year taking additional business courses, so I feel like I don’t want to wait another year to continue my education, as I’m planning to take the Ph.D I got plenty of years ahead of me.</p>
<p>I don’t really mind taking one additional semester, or an additional year, I would even be OK with taking sophomore year at LIU/PLU and then starting again as a sophomore at a better university. I just got to avoid that freshman status, because taking sophomore year twice would cost me like 10% of what it would cost to take freshman year due to good scholarships for everything except freshman year. </p>
<p>As I said, it’s a very confusing situation, I’m just trying to make up my mind what to do. It’s either taking 1 year at PLU/LIU and try to transfer, or taking 3 years at LIU/PLU to finish undergraduate and then take my graduate and doctorate at a better university. 
Thanks again</p>
<p>You would already be a transfer because you have one year of university studies, and would almost certainly enter as a sophomore. How your Nowegian credits transfer would be entirely up to the receiving institution. It is most likely that some of them would count as general education courses. Had you understood that, you might have had better choices.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you email the psychology and biology departments at these two places, and ask about grad school placement for Neuroscience. They should be able to tell you whether any of their graduates have gone to good Ph.D. Programs. If you don’t like what you learn about both of them, do seriously consider changing your program right where you are. It sounds like you should be able to finish there in three years as well.</p>
<p>My daughter attends Pacific Lutheran as a double major in Biology and Environmental Studies. She finds the work challenging and interesting. However, she mentioned something to me last week that made me want to respond to your questions. She said that she knew going into PLU that she would finish there because she would lose too many credits if she transferred to a state school. She will graduate in four years with her double major. As far a LAC, PLU is a great place; the Pacific Northwest offers access to the mountains or ocean within an hour. The campus is small but it’s only an hour to Seattle.</p>