Hi everyone, I know similar questions have been posted before, but not quite the same. I’m from Asia and have done some work at my local university (~1 semester’s work, enrolled 1y), however, I absolutely hate it here. I want to apply to unis in the USA but I know it would be detrimental to apply as a transfer student at the universities of my choice. I received no grades in my time at my local university and have no bad GPA to hide. How safe is it to omit the fact that I am no freshman? Is an ocean enough to keep my secrets safe? I know the consequences there are but if the chances of it getting out are small enough I want to risk it. I do not appear on any google search or have ever been on academic probation.
Why do you have no grades? Did you withdraw? Was the withdrawal recorded and done the proper way? If so, I don’t think it counts, because it’s as if you didn’t attend. But if you simply left and didn’t get grades due to the way colleges there record markings, I think you are possibly in trouble if you aren’t honest. Were you simply expelled? Or did you complete the courses and there’s some loophole at your old college that means you have no grades? Lots of unknowns here.
Your choice to take a risk should have a back up plan. If you are discovered, what will you do? I would be honest, frankly. The lack of GPA might work in your favor.
Thanks very much for your answer! They do not give out grades for a lot of classes although there are exams (pass/fail), which contributed to my wanting to leave. I am no longer enrolled there as well. But as I said, I was not expelled, didn’t fail any classes etc. I just do not like the environment. If I am discovered, I understand the consequences because the only option I’d have would be playing dumb but I don’t believe for a moment that would save me. Thus I would just leave and go back home to study but I would like to know how easy/difficult it would be for it to get out if the odds are against me I would not want to waste my time.
You need to disclose that you were enrolled in another university regardless of the grading system. You can be expelled, lose your visa, and even have your diploma invalidated for not being truthful if discovered down the road.
So you just didn’t take the exams? Does that mean you didn’t pass the classes? If you got your transcript, would it show that you didn’t pass the classes? Or would it just be blank next to the classes you took? That seems unlikely.
I think you are kidding yourself, quite frankly. The college didn’t expunge your record. You didn’t take the exams and so you didn’t pass. And what will your application say about what you did for the time you were in college. Are you going to pretend you weren’t in college? If you say you were working, they will want that information too. Saying you did nothing during that time won’t look good. Your app is going to come under some scrutiny if you are applying internationally as a gap year student.
Really, I think you haven’t thought this through. Maybe you say you now understand that are mature enough to pursue your education and you are looking for a second chance. Your application is going to list your home country, and your high school info. What happens when they contact your high school, and speak to someone who says “of course, I remember her. She went to XYZ university?”
Just be honest. There will be colleges that are happy to take your money.
Thank you for your answer. As I said in my post, I am aware of the consequences but I am willing to take the risk if it were almost impossible for it to become known, hence me asking how probable it is/how could it become known.
Thanks for taking time to respond Lindagaf! I did take the exams and passed them but they are not graded other than pass/fail. Why do you think I would lie about that? And yes the plan would be to play pretend since nobody knows I enrolled there.
Academic integrity is a thing in the US. It’s taken very seriously.
I can’t imagine any credible poster on this board will tell you to lie.
Letter grades or p/f don’t matter. You were a matriculated college student. Period. You will need to sign off that your application is truthful.
Apply as a transfer.
If you have a low number of credits/units from this University, then you may be able to apply as a Freshman at some colleges in the US. You need to do some research on the credit limits for each college before you become a Transfer.
Definitely do no lie about attending the Asian University. As stated above, Academic integrity is very important.
There is a National College Clearinghouse here in the USA that would prevent a student from being able to do that domestically. They DO work with SOME international colleges. You don’t know which ones, and they don’t necessarily disclose names of all their clients.
So, yes, there is a risk they could find out that way too, in addition to through your high school, etc. Not only will you be kicked out of the university, your visa will be revoked (possibly forever), the semester’s costs you must pay in advance will be forfeited… money spent with no degree or credits to even show for it. As an attendee of a US college, that WOULD be reported to the clearinghouse.
As others have mentioned, there are some US colleges where a semester at another university is not enough to make you ineligible for freshman status. You will need to do deeper research.
You sign off when you apply that everything in your application is truthful. Be honest. If you get in through dishonestly, you cost an honest person a spot. Karma won’t like that much.
How is it that you have you no grades, but you did take exams, which you claim you passed? Pass is a grade. So why would you a.) not want a college to know you passed the class? and b.) if you have no grades, what’s the problem with providing transcripts and being honest? Something is very fishy here.
You say this: They do not give out grades for a lot of classes although there are exams (pass/fail), which contributed to my wanting to leave.
That also makes no sense. If you passed, there is no reason to hide anything. If you took exams, you have a grade. If you didn’t complete the classes, maybe you have an incomplete, which is perhaps what you want to hide.
Be prepared to give an explanation on why you want to transfer. I think there is a high chance you will be discovered if you choose to lie about this information. As I said, plenty of colleges will be happy to take your money.
The sorts of colleges and universities in the US that are extremely difficult for transfer admissions are also extremely difficult for freshman admissions, and also are the places that are most likely to expell you or cancel your degree if they find that you lied on an application. So don’t leave this information out of your application. It is fine if you don’t have grades. The international admissions offices at colleges and universities here are well aware of how different universities around the world are organized, and will be able to evaluate your records and experience at that foreign university appropriately.