<p>Here is the thing: I am a college freshman (this is my first semester) at a local university and have about 38 credit hours (but the number is expected to increase even more throughout the semester) but all of these hours come from AP exams and SAT subject test. By the end of the semester, I will probably have 60 credit hours, but only 13 of those will actually be from college classes while the rest will be from AP exams and SAT II's. </p>
<p>I am not satisfied with my local college (I don't feel challenged, the environment is just not for me, the people are cool but they are not really interested in studying, etc. etc.) so I really want to apply to a top college/university. I have noticed that colleges barely accept transfer students and that they consider transferring those credit hours that come solely from the university (that means that they will not take my AP/SAT II credits).</p>
<p>However, I am not really interested in applying as a transfer student. I really don't mind at all starting all fresh and clean. I initially wanted to take this year as a gap year but my parents wanted me to take college classes for they were not that interested in me pursuing my research plans. So right now, I am worried that these credit hours might affect me and not allow me enroll as a freshmen student in another university (without transferring my current credits). If anybody could help me by stating whether I can apply or not as a first-year applicant, I would be truly thankful.</p>
<p>First, when colleges are counting credits for their definition of a transfer student, they are only looking at post-HS college coursework.</p>
<p>Second, schools vary in the number of credits that will determine who is a transfer and who is a fr applicant. They range from 1 post-HS college course (GWU) to less than a year of post-HS college coursework (Yale) and anywhere in between.</p>
<p>The OP needs to go to the website of all colleges they are interested in and determine how they define fr and transfer applicants. Also note, even if you are able to apply as a fr, you will not exactly be “starting all fresh and clean”, in the sense that whatever you are doing now will always be part of your college record.</p>
<p>The problem you have is that you have already started as a freshman and thus received college credit at the college you are attending for the AP classes you had. As a result you already are considered as having completed those hours at the college level. Whether you can now apply to another college as a freshman applicant or instead must apply as a transfer depends on college and you will have to check with each. Based on my general knowledge of colleges my guess is you will likely be considered a transfer applicant at most colleges.</p>
<p>Well, I have seen the transfer credit policies and they do not transfer credit from AP and subject tests so if you were going to transfer that would leave you with only 13 credit hours to transfer, and I think that it would not be enough to make you eligible to apply as a transfer student (depending on the school policy, of course)</p>
<p>No, as I stated before, colleges only consider post-HS college coursework in their definitions of who is a transfer applicant. I will use as examples the two colleges that I mentioned earlier as they demonstrate the range of definitions for transfer applicants, note that they both ONLY consider colleges courses taken AFTER HS:</p>