What Should I Do? (International Transfer Dilemma)

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hi. I'm a Korean student studying in the Philippines. My school is not important. Btw, you can call me David. :)</p>

<p>I just finished my first year in a college, and I want to transfer to a college in the US. As you know, most internationals are eligible for fall 2013, so I'll have to wait until September to work on my applications. Here is my dilemma.</p>

<p>I do not have ANY SAT I and subject test scores, or TOEFL score. I plan to take all of them this year (this is understandable btw, since at my age I would be a 12th year student in the States). The thing is, my second year starts in June, and as far as I know, most schools require just one year of education in another institution for transfer, meaning taking second year in my college would probably be a waste of money and time, when I have to prepare for many tests and essays.</p>

<p>Mind you, I have the grades I want and professors to ask recommendations from. The reason why I didn't prepare for transfer last year was, well frankly, I got interested in this whole transfer thing just a few months ago. Still, I'm young and I find myself pretty capable for at least the top 25% schools in US, so I'm pretty confident about this idea of stopping my current school.</p>

<p>But still, I'm not really sure about some aspects. First, would I have more chances if I finished two years instead of one? Please note that most schools will not acknowledge the courses I took in the Philippines, so credit acquirement is pretty meaningless. Second, would I be a less credible transfer applicant if I took a year off? This is in terms of the credibility of my recommendation letters and my own academic ability. But also note that my SAT test dates will be pretty recent ones, so I won't be completely outdated.</p>

<p>Please just leave your opinions, whoever you are and whatever you do. But just be sure to read everything before you do so. The ultimate question is, should I take a year off to save money and time, and concentrate on my tests? Thank you for your time guys! :D</p>

2

<p>You are confused. MOST places will require you to apply as a transfer if you have finished one year of college. SOME will require you to apply as a transfer if you have finished just one college class after high school.</p>

<p>MOST will let you apply as a transfer even if you have almost finished your first degree. SOME will not accept transfer applications if you have finished more than two years of college.</p>

<p>MOST will accept two years worth of credits so you only need to be at the new college for two years. SOME will accept three years of credits so you only need to be there for one year.</p>

<p>Each place sets its own policy, so you have to read the websites carefully.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I know it’s not the same for every college, and that’s not what I’m asking. What I’m asking here is if I should continue my studies in college or call it a year off to study for other stuffs like SAT and gain more ECs.</p>

4

<p>You need to know if those things are important for the colleges that you are applying to. Many places don’t care at all about ECs. Many don’t require the SAT if you are a transfer. Many don’t require the SAT if you are international and/or you take the TOEFL.</p>

<p>You also need to know how much your family can pay each year. There is a big difference between being able to pay USD 70,000 each year and being only able to pay USD 25,000.</p>

<p>Lastly, you need a solid plan for what you will do if you don’t get accepted anywhere. Will you stay at your current university? Will you stay in that country but at a different university? Think that through too.</p>

5

<p>Well fine. To get you guys an idea, these are the ones I’m applying to:</p>

<p>MIT
Dartmouth
HKUST
NUS
Williams
Berea</p>

<p>The list may or may not increase, and that is roughly in the order of my preference. I’m not gonna reveal my stats since I’m not asking if I would get in those schools anyway. Please read the OP.</p>

6

<p>IMHO, you should finish your ug and apply any of those listed schools as graduate student.</p>

<p>to answer your question:
First, would I have more chances if I finished two years instead of one? </p>

<p>yes, in most cases. and for the univ. in the US, after 2 years of college most of them do not require sat, not sure those on your list.</p>

<p>Please note that most schools will not acknowledge the courses I took in the Philippines, so credit acquirement is pretty meaningless. </p>

<p>Again, if you get an UG degree in Phil. and apply for graduate school, your UG degree will be recognized. Why any one want spend 6 years to get an UG degree?</p>

<p>Second, would I be a less credible transfer applicant if I took a year off?</p>

<p>No</p>

7

<p>I guess wanting to get a Bachelor in a better school is sort of a personal preference. Since I finished my secondary education at 16, I guess it doesn’t hurt to spend some time to get a better looking bachelor’s degree. But then thanks for the suggestion I’ll keep that in mind too.</p>