Transfer from Germany to the US

Student Lounge International Students
1

Hey Guys,

I got a couple of questions about transferring from an German university to an US college.
Next month I’ll begin my Geology study in Germany but it was always my dream to study in the US.

As you probably know the European Bachelor takes three years of study and we don’t have any “general education requirements” to get our degree. So how is that gonna work because when I transfer I would have already started to concentrate on my major…is that a problem?
My next question is when I should transfer? After one or two years of study? I know that some colleges have a minimum requirement of credits. I was thinking about to transfer after I finish my second year of study. I should have 120 ETCS points resp. 60 American credits by then. So this would be quite similar to the transfer from a CC. It would also reduce the costs. I also know that I’ll probably lose credits.

About my financial situation. For these two years I could bring up approximately 50k $ so I am rely on financial aid. I know that there is little aid for international students especially transfers.

The colleges I’ve to eye are:

USC
UCLA ( presumably litte aid since it’s a state university right? )
U of M ( I’ve heard the geology program is really good but it seems like they give no aid at all )
UCB ( same as UCLA? )
Cornell

And I will give Stanford, Yale and Brown a shot even though it’s almost unreachable.

Any other suggestions where I should apply?

Thanks in advance!

2

Since your bachelor degree would only take 3 years and be free I would suggest to finish the degree in Germany and then go to a graduate program in a chosen concentration in the US.

Can you do a study abroad program with one of these schools during a summer maybe?

3

Certainly I can do a semester abroad but I don’t really know what options do I’ve there. Haven’t looked into that yet.
But I would really like to get the us college experience and I also like the option to work in the us for a year after I graduated…

Does someone has an answer to my questions? Also wasn’t sure if I should post this in the international or transfer forum…

4

@mommdc already answered your first question indirectly, but okay I will do second one.

Basically, thumb rule of Int. Transfer study is: Don’t have money, don’t come.

VERY few schools offer any kind of international transfer financial aid, and for those that offer, it’s safe to say only one person per year due to competition.

Are you saying you can pay 50k per year?

5

The biggest obstacle is money. Everything else can be worked out.

Then you’ll have to revise your college list. The top public universities (UCLA, Michigan, Berkeley) won’t give you any financial aid at all. USC merit scholarships seem to top out at a quarter-tuition scholarship for transfer students, which does not cover your need, so that’s not an option either. Cornell is famously stingy with financial aid for international students, so might as well scratch that too unless you are willing and able to take out significant loans to supplement the gap between your family’s resources and the aid that’s offered to you.

Realistically, if you need financial aid as an international transfer students, your options are:

You’ll have to read the transfer admission requirements of the universities you’re considering. Some universities (particularly public ones) require that transfer students have already completed their general education requirements, which you have obviously not. Other universities are more flexible. If you transfer in with many of your major requirements already completed, you’d spend more of your time in the US catching up on general education requirements.