As a high school senior, Ai My Thai enrolled at Green River College in Washington, spent three years at the community college and obtained her high school diploma and two associate degrees in science and engineering. The Vietnamese student then transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology.
International students may consider transferring schools for reasons ranging from costs to not yet being prepared for a four-year university, or a school not being a good fit.
Thai, who graduated in December 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, says her educational path in the U.S. gave her “more time to get used to the culture, how U.S. school works and how to communicate in English.”
Before considering any transfer options, experts suggest international students take English proficiency tests, such as the TOEFL, and any required college admissions exams. Students should check with the institution they are planning to transfer to regarding specific requirements.
Here are three transfer options for international students to consider:
— Transferring from a university in the home country.
— Transferring from a U.S. two-year community college.
— Transferring from a U.S. four-year university to another U.S. school.
Transferring From a University in the Home Country
Prospective international students may feel more comfortable first taking courses at a school in their home country and then transferring to a U.S. college or university.
“If you plan to transfer from a university in your home country to a U.S. university, it’s important to start the process early because you will likely need to obtain an evaluation of the classes you have taken back home,” says Christina Khan, director of UCF Global at the University of Central Florida.
[READ: American Education System: What International College Students Should Know.]
Khan says the course evaluations can take several weeks, so it’s important to start early to avoid missing admissions deadlines. And she says due to differences in academic systems, “some credits may or may not transfer to your new school in the U.S. and your GPA may be calculated differently.”
Experts recommend applying months in advance to ensure students have enough time to meet application requirements and to also be aware that deadlines may be different than the ones for first-year applicants. They suggest that international students contact individual universities to which they plan to apply for their transfer policy.
Transferring From a U.S. Two-Year Community College
Prospective international students who are not yet ready for a four-year university or need time to work on their GPA can consider starting at a U.S. community college and then transferring to a university, typically to begin their junior year.
“Students seeking an education from a U.S. university are well served to start at a community college,” says Heidi Russell-Kalkofen, who is a counselor at Montgomery College in Maryland and previously worked as the school’s international student coordinator.
She says going to a community college first is a strategic move that can help preserve funds, give students a better initial classroom experience and solidify relationships with a community. Community colleges also “specialize in helping new immigrants transition to life and work in the U.S.,” she says.
Experts advise students to take classes that transfer and regularly meet with their counselor to help them stay on track with meeting transfer requirements.
A community college can provide access to more competitive four-year institutions as a third-year transfer student.
[READ: What to Know About Transferring From a Community College]
Russell-Kalkofen says when students transfer from a community college, they have already proven themselves in U.S. higher education. “In Maryland, for example, most institutions do not require any standardized test scores from a student who completed an associate degree from a Maryland community college,” she says.
Thai says this aspect of transferring from a community college was appealing to her. “Georgia Tech did not require an SAT score and essays from transfer applicants,” she says.
Students attending a community college take the same general education classes required as part of a bachelor’s degree but at a lower cost than at a four-year institution. For example, tuition and fees for international students at Shoreline Community College in Washington cost 50% to 70% less, on average, than those at public and private universities, per the school website.
“Open admissions policies, strong English programs and attractive transfer agreements make the American bachelor’s degree suddenly attainable by way of the U.S. community college for many more international students,” says Stacy Bustillos, associate director of international student services and outreach at Northern Virginia Community College .
For spring 2023, NOVA enrolled approximately 700 F-1 students from 104 countries across the school’s six campuses. Many of those students will likely go on to a four-year university.
For example, the University of California, Irvine admitted 1,121 international transfer students for fall 2023, based on preliminary numbers provided by the University of California Office of the President.
Once the concept of community college is understood, usually by word of mouth through friends and family already in the U.S., Bustillos says international students who thought an American education was out of reach “are quickly emboldened to take the opportunity through the alternative path that a community college offers.”
While most community colleges in the U.S. do not offer financial aid or scholarships to international students, some schools like Clark University in Massachusetts, the University of Houston in Texas and Fordham University in New York offer scholarships for international transfer students.
Transferring From a U.S. Four-Year University to Another U.S. School
International students who find that the U.S. school they chose to attend isn’t quite what they expected have the option to transfer to another U.S. university that’s a better fit.
“It’s important to understand that there are two transfer processes: the academic transfer, which includes admission and an evaluation of which credits will transfer to your new school, and the immigration transfer of your Student and Exchange Visitor Information System record to your new school,” Khan says. The U.S. government uses SEVIS to maintain information on international students.
Khan says the academic transfer has to happen first. Once a student is admitted to the new school, he or she can request the current school to transfer the SEVIS record so the new school can issue an I-20, a form that certifies the student is eligible for F-1 academic student or M-1 vocational student status.
“International students typically work with the international student services office to complete their immigration transfer,” Khan says, particularly with the designated school official, or DSO, who helps them maintain their legal status to study in the U.S.
[READ: 4 Questions to Ask the International Student Office]
The transfer release date is the date the student’s SEVIS record is electronically released to the new school. “It is important for international students to carefully choose their requested SEVIS release date and work with their designated school official if they are unsure which date to select. If transferring in the middle of a semester, students have to continue attending classes at the transfer-out school until the SEVIS release date,” Khan says.
She says students continue to maintain legal immigration status during the transfer process and should make sure to follow instructions from their DSO at the transfer-in school for the timely issuance of their I-20.
As someone who took the path of transferring from a U.S. community college to a four-year school, Thai feels she made the right choice. She graduated from Georgia Tech’s online Master of Science in Analytics program in May 2023 and works as a data scientist at a California-based aviation company.
The transfer option, she says, “put me ahead of others in terms of time and gave me more exposure to different fields.”
More from U.S. News
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Getting a U.S. Student Visa: What International Students Should Know
How International Students Can Transfer to a U.S. University originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/15/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
