<p>Hello!
I currently live in Albania, and i am a freshman in Medical School. Around here, the undergrad/grad school doesn't exist, and the school is 6 years.
Because of the weakness of the system, i am trying to get into a good school in America. I am thinking about Cornell. i also should say that i want to enter their undergrad college, not the medical school.
Today, i emailed their help desk, inquiring whether i was to be considered a transfer, or a freshman, but i did not provide with the details of how Medical school works in Albania. i think she must have though i was 22.
If i am considered a transfer, shouldn't that mean i would be transfered into a medical school? on the other hand, if i am considered a transfer even though i am in medical school, that would mean that out of the 8 classes i take at the moment, two would be actually convertible. I don't think i could convert Bioethics, for example.
So my question is: given my situation, and the way things work around here, what am i considered? Freshman or Transfer?
And if i wanted, even as a transfer, to apply as a freshman, would that be possible?</p>
<p>1) You are probably a transfer applicant. However, some colleges and universities will let you apply as a freshman if you have fewer than a year of credits at the university level. Each institution sets its own policy, so you have to read the websites carefully. You might be a transfer at some institutions on your list but not at others.</p>
<p>2) Since your program is a 6 year medical school, the first two years are roughly equivalent to the first two years of a combined BS/MD program in the US. In other words, those two years are generally considered to be undergraduate course level. So, yes you can transfer from a foreign 6 year med program into a US undergraduate program.</p>
<p>3) You don’t get to decide which courses transfer for credit or placement. The college or university that you transfer to decides that. They will probably request that you have your transcript professionally evaluated (one company that does this is [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/) ) so that they can determine which courses you have taken are equivalent to courses at that institution.</p>
<p>You will find the answers to many of your questions at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) After you read through that information, you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center in Albania [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - EducationUSA Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Tirana]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Tirana) They are expert at helping students like you find good places to study in the USA.</p>
<p>If you click on “Discussion Home” in the upper-left of this screen, and then scroll down, you can find the International Student Forum and the Transfer Forum. You will find useful information there as well.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>HI happymomof1 and thanks for the first answer. i had a follow up though. if i wanted to start it all from the beginning, would i be able to? Is there any kind of restriction? Is there any kind of disadvantage? I would think that the fact that i am relinquishing the med school for an american college would be good, but i really have no idea.</p>
<p>You have to ask the specific colleges your second question, again they have their own policies. Most colleges will not let you apply as a freshmen if you’ve completed even a term in college.</p>
<p>The bigger question is do you still plan to go to med school? Where? It’s very hard if not impossible for internationals to get into American med schools.</p>
<p>i am gonna try to get into a medical school in america, certainly, but, at the moment, i think that an education in america, for whatever subject, is better that a medical school in albania. but i saw that transfer, international students have a lower rate of acceptance, so i want to try out as a freshman. plus, i don’t really trust the Albanian education.</p>
<p>OK, but a school like Cornell is very expensive and then you’ll pay for 4 years of very expensive med school If you can get in. You’re looking at probably over $350,000 US dollars and 7 more years of school before you’re a doctor. Think it through carefully. Especially the part about US med schools taking few internationals.</p>
<p>yeah, i know about all that… i have though about Cornell, and i can pay for it, but i’m afraid med school is too much. however, i’ll cross that bridge when i get to it.
for the moment, i am concerned about getting into cornell.</p>
<p>Colleges vary as far as who they consider a fr or a transfer applicant. For instance, GWU considers you a transfer if you have taken 1 post-HS college course, while Yale lets you apply as a fr if you have not completed a full year of college. You need to go to the college website of each individual college and read their definition of a transfer, for instance, Cornell says:</p>
<p>[Cornell</a> University Undergraduate Admissions Office - HOW TO APPLY](<a href=“http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/transfer/]Cornell”>http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/transfer/)</p>
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<p>If you want to be a doctor, you are better off completing medical school in Albania, no matter how awful it seems to be to you right now. After that, if you want to pursue advanced medical studies in the US, you can do so. For information on that topic, see [ECFMG</a> | Medical School Accreditation Requirement for ECFMG Certification](<a href=“http://www.ecfmg.org/accreditation/index.html]ECFMG”>http://www.ecfmg.org/accreditation/index.html)</p>
<p>You need to talk with your parents or whoever it is who will be paying for your education. Cornell will cost you more than USD 50,000 each year for four years. Perhaps your family has an extra USD 200,000 in the bank and is happy to let you have it for your undergraduate education. Perhaps they don’t. Until you know how much money your family is able and willing to pay, you really can’t take this process any further.</p>