I have a great dilemma and problem that I cannot find an answer for. I hope you will be so kind to help me. I am international student from Europe.
Last year, I applied to U.S. colleges, mostly got rejected. I want to reaplly this year again, but I am going to start studying acting in Drama University in my country in the end of September 2017. If I want to apply to U.S. Colleges this year for Class of 2022, can I apply as a first year student or only transfer?
By the time I am gonna submit my applicaton (November 2017 for EA or December for RD 2017) I will be in my University only for 2-3 months. Do I have to apply then as a transfer? If I am enrolled in college, but it’s only couple months?
If I am applying as a transfer, can I still apply for Early Actions and other Scholarships that deadlines for are in November?
You cannot apply as a first year student if you’re in college at the time of the application. Even if you’ve only been in college for a few months, you will still be considered a transfer student by the American colleges you’re applying to.
Early Action is USUALLY for first year applicants, because the number of accepted transfer students somewhat depends on how many first year students enroll. But this can vary by school, so you need to check with each university.
Many scholarships are for first year students only. You need to check carefully if they apply to transfer students.
Bottom line: if you’re serious about studying in America, and you need financial aid, it’s best you don’t start college in your home country. It will limit your options in the US.
I applied to 15 colleges. I did everything I could to make my application great. I had the best GPA in my school, good essays, ECs. I devoted all my time to make application for U.S. colleges.
Unfortunately, I need a lot of financial need, because my parents do not earn a lot of money. Some people told me that probably this was the reason why I got rejected by so many colleges- because my parents’ tax return showed that I need almost a full ride.
I’m sure your applications were very good. But the competition is so tough – tens of thousands of international students apply every year – and yes, needing a lot of financial aid puts you at a huge disadvantage. If you were denied from most schools last year, you need to try different strategies this year - targeting lesser known schools in parts of the country less popular with international students, such as the central or southern states.