<p>I am a high school senior in the US. I am going through the regular process of college admissions. I have decided where I am applying and have completed some of my apps and started others. I have done decently well in high school, but not as well as I could have. Unfortunately this has left me not very keen on the schools within my reach. While I am applying to some very good schools and have a decent shot at acceptance, I may not get in.</p>
<p>I know I can transfer after a year, but I'm not sure I want to enter a school with that kind of attitude, especially if I don't like the school.</p>
<p>I was considering, if possible, studying abroad for a year then transferring to an American university after the academic year is over. Currently I don't know much about this kind of thing, so I am looking for info and opinions. I'm not sure what I want to study in terms of an undergraduate major, but I want to attend medical school post graduation. I'm not sure how med schools would look at completing prereqs abroad. I am currently taking Spanish at the AP level, but am far from being fluent. The only language I speak fluently is English, so obviously I would have to attend an English medium school. Obviously it would depend on the program, but is studying abroad significantly more expensive than studying at an American university? </p>
<p>I guess another thing I'll have to consider is that transfering to competative schools is harder than being accepted as a freshman. I may be better off taking a gap year if anything at all.</p>
<p>yeah, if you do want to go abroad, take a gap year. The education system is VERY different abroad and in the UK atleast there are no GE's and you start your major right away. It's likely that a lot of courses wouldn't transfer and its much much harder to transfer into a lot of top schools than start as a frosh. I'd say, if you don't get in where you want, take a gap year, do something productive - travel, volunteer, intern, do a research project, take SAT's again, etc and then apply again the year after to your reaches as well as a couple matches and safety's that you'd be content attending.</p>
<p>If I study abroad at a university for a year can I still apply as a freshman? I know some universities don't let you apply as a freshman if you've amassed a certain amount of credits at another institution.</p>
<p>no you have to apply as a transfer. Unless of course, you don't tell them about your year studying abroad in which case they need never know :-) .</p>
<p>you also asked about finances -- just as it is difficult for international students to get financial aid here in the US, it is also very difficult for US students to get financial assistance overseas. There are some scholarships and schools that provide aid -- but the competition is fierce! You are not only competing against US students, but top students from around the world. US financial aid cannot be used overseas (like Pell Grants, etc) and as a US student, you are not entitled to the financial aid provided to citizens of the country where the school is. Attending would be very expensive (you have travel to factor in) and most students who attend school overseas pay the full freight. If finances are an issue -- it probably isn't a good idea.</p>
<p>If you want to take a gap year and study abroad, that is a much better option. There are several programs you can apply to -- just do some Google searches -- and some provide some scholarships and financial aid. you could study in a foreign country, even if you don't know that language, since you are not trying to take classes to meet high school graduation requirements or college general ed requirements.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies, guys! Would taking a gap year to study abroad, work a job, volunteer, etc. help my applications a worthwhile amount if I show growth from it? I obviously don't know if I will be taking a gap year because I may get into a school I like, but if I choose to take one, I hope it will be worthwhile.</p>
<p>whether the gap year helps really depends on what your stats are to begin with and the schools you are applying to. It won't help someone with stats on the lower end when applying to Harvard, but if you have average stats for a school -- study abroad could be the tip to get you admitted. It helps you stand out from the crowd of applicants.</p>