<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>I am thinking about transferring to another college for my sophomore year, but I encountered one problem. I don't know if I'm considered a normal US transfer applicant or an international transfer applicant. I studied in a US high school for 3 years and college for a year. A F-1 visa student, neither a US citizen nor a permanent resident. Most college websites don't explain this well and I'm really confused. Can anyone help me out?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot;)</p>
<p>There’s no universally agreed-upon definition of “domestic” vs “international” students. It depends on the context and whichever definition the individual institution prefers. You’ll have to read each admissions website carefully and see which requirements apply to you.</p>
<p>Luckily the general application process is normally the same for all students. The only difference will be in the supporting documents required: colleges may or may not want to have a TOEFL score from you if you identify as a non-native speaker; you won’t be filing FAFSA because of your non-immigrant status; you won’t need supplements for foreign schools since you were educated in the US; etc.</p>
<p>To complement b@r!um’s always wise words, I’ll add that as an international student, you may not be eligible for transfer financial aid (international transfers rarely get aid because aid for transfers is more restricted than for non-visa applicants) so you should check that out if that’s a concern.</p>
<p>When I read through the sites, they require all international transfer students to turn in the secondary and post secondary transcripts for admission evaluation, while they are only for enrollment purpose for domestic transfer students. I got really bad grades when I was in high school and I want a fresh start. So I really want to know which category I actually belong to.</p>
<p>Are you saying that domestic transfer applicants don’t need to submit transcripts with their initial application, but only after they’ve been accepted? I’ve never heard of such a policy before and it strikes me as rather unlikely… </p>
<p>That being said, if it does make such a huge difference and the college website does not explain the terms “domestic” and “international”, you should go ahead and ask them. We can’t tell you anything definitive about an anonymous college’s admission process. The college can.</p>