1. What are the advantages of changing from undergraduate to major?
Low threshold. As long as the university has completed 30 effective credits, most schools do not need SAT, which saves a lot of time and energy.
You can transfer some credits to reduce the cost of studying abroad. Compared with American undergraduate freshmen, undergraduate transfer only needs to complete the remaining credits in the United States, saving part of the cost of studying abroad.
American undergraduate education has advantages in applying for graduate students. American graduate schools recognize local education more, and it is easier to apply for American graduate students and scholarships after completing their undergraduate studies in the United States.
The deadline for transfer application is late. The application for undergraduate transfer in the United States is one night and two months later, so there is enough time to prepare for the application planning of prestigious schools.
Second, what information do you need for undergraduate transfer?
In most universities, transfer admission has two very important factors: GPA (865 865,438+0%) and language achievement (75%). Others include selected courses, documents, letters of recommendation and activities.
Standardized examination (SAT &；; ACT)
Every school has different requirements for standardized tests. For the top 30 universities, most transfer applicants must submit SAT scores like freshmen. Of course, there are many schools that stipulate that you can be exempted from taking the SAT after completing more than 30/45 credits. Please check the school website for specific requirements. Only a few schools are required to take the SAT II exam. If students have ACT scores, they can replace SAT scores. Special reminder: UC system schools do not require SAT 1 and SAT2.
Language achievement
Generally speaking, students who have lived in the United States for two years or more do not need TOEFL language scores. If the school needs it, most of it is just a reference. The specific situation should be determined according to the transcript information of American university students. If you have no experience in studying abroad, TOEFL scores will be different according to the requirements of the school. Generally, the top 30 universities require TOEFL 100 or above and IELTS score of 7 or above. Other colleges and universities can score about 85 points. If students have no language scores, they can apply for "double admission" universities in the United States and conduct language course training first.
College grades-GPA
School performance is undoubtedly the highlight of transfer application. Sophomore students applying for transfer basically only look at the university GPA, because it directly reflects the students' ability. Only if the GPA is high enough can universities believe that you are qualified for university-level courses. Freshman applications will also refer to the GPA of high schools.
Better American universities generally use GPA 3.0 or above as the standard value for transfer, and GPA 3.5 or above is more secure for transfer to the top 50 schools. If you want to transfer directly to a competitive undergraduate major, your GPA score is higher.
It is suggested that students who don't know what their GPA score is now should register an account in WES official website, and convert the average score on the report card into what the GPA in the United States is, so as to be aware of it.
The scores of students admitted to several popular transfer schools are as follows:
The average score of Georgetown University is 3.83.
Emory University's average is greater than 3.5.
University of California, Berkeley 3.65-3.94
UCLA 3.63-3.93
The University of Southern California averages 3.7.
The University of Virginia averages 3.5.
It is relatively easy for students of California Community College to switch to UC system. Except UCB/ UCLA/UC San Diego, all other campuses have Social University Transfer Docking Agreement (TAG). Generally, there are schools that can guarantee the admission of 3.3+ GPA students.
High school report card
When transferring, students are generally required to send high school transcripts, especially freshmen, and basically value some GPA of your high school.
high school diploma
The high school diploma needs to be translated into Chinese and English, with the school seal certificate. Put it in the envelope with the report card and put a stamp on the seal.
University curriculum description
In the transfer application, it is very important to provide the course description of Huada, and a detailed course description can even play a decisive role at a critical moment. It can not only let admissions officers know the specific content and professional level of the courses students have studied, but also be a favorable tool for transferring more credits.
American colleges and universities have a perfect credit transfer mechanism, and the admission notice will tell students how many credits they can finally transfer. In addition, there will be teachers responsible for further communication with students on credit issues. If the major matches, there will be more transfer credits, and the application is relatively difficult. Among them, science majors in matching majors can transfer more credits than liberal arts majors, Chinese and English majors may only transfer one-third to one-half, and science majors can transfer two-thirds. Although it is better to apply for science majors, it is more difficult to apply for popular business and engineering majors in the United States.
Because of the transfer of credits, the quality of course description is directly related to how many credits can be transferred. Pay attention to skills in the description of some courses and try to match American courses, which will transfer more credits. Students often do their homework in the description of the course to avoid losing themselves because of this problem.
activity
There are not many activities, and lectures, internships, research, clubs and voluntary activities are all great choices. Similar to the first two points, the activities need to be closely related to your major, and the admissions officer will pay more attention to the activities you participated in during your college years.
Standardized score
Most schools say that if the transferable credit reaches 30 credits, there is no need to submit SAT/ACT scores, but some top schools will require transfer students to submit SAT/ACT scores, especially Ivy League schools, such as Yale University, which explicitly require applicants to submit SAT/ACT scores. For international students, TOEFL/IELTS scores are required (unless you have obtained a full degree in the United States). However, the role of standardization in transfer application is limited. If GPA is affected by standardization, it is penny wise and pound foolish.
Recommendation letters
Letters of recommendation need to establish a good relationship with university teachers/professors as early as possible. You can let the professor know about you by doing scientific research or being a teaching assistant (TA), and start communicating with the professor about the recommendation letter at least one month before the application deadline.
document
In terms of instruments, it is also suggested to focus on intentional specialty and planning.
On August 20 18, CA will launch a new transfer application system. General application system transfer master document requires students to explain the reasons for transfer and life goals:
"Please provide a statement explaining the reason for your transfer and the goal you hope to achieve." (250-650 words)
In addition, different schools and colleges will have their own additional documents.
Third, the undergraduate transfer application time
1. application deadline
Undergraduate transfer time is more flexible than admission, which can be divided into three types: spring transfer, autumn transfer and rolling continuous enrollment. Transfer in spring, the deadline is generally June 10 and June 1 10, and some schools are closed in August and September. Generally, the autumn transfer is mostly in February and March. Rolling's school has no strict deadline and is relatively flexible, first come, first served. No matter which semester you choose, you should make a decision as early as possible and make full use of the opportunity.
2. Time planning and deadline
The deadline for applying for transfer students is generally later than that for freshmen. Time cut-off is mainly divided into UC system and non-UC system:
(1)UC system has an early deadline, and generally ends at 1 1;
(2) Non-UC systems are usually in February and March. There are also a few schools that enroll students from April to June. The deadline for spring is generally September-165438+ 10, and more concentrated in 65438+ 10.
In the application planning, it is best to confirm the willingness to transfer to the application stage 3-6 months in advance. In the meantime, if you need to improve your language scores or retake the SAT, you will have enough preparation time. At the same time, you can also prepare other corresponding materials, such as issuing transcripts and certificates to the former high school, and even taking some courses that can transfer credits in the current university.
Four, undergraduate transfer questions to answer
Can transfer students apply for scholarships?
Don't think that scholarships will only be given to students who apply regularly. No matter where students come from and how they are admitted, the chances of getting scholarships are equal. Different schools have different sources and forms of scholarships. You can carefully study the official website when you apply for transfer.
When is the best time to apply for transfer?
Theoretically speaking, the application for transfer should be made sooner rather than later. But for students of all periods and academic years, there are opportunities to transfer. Choosing the end of freshman transfer is suitable for students who are well prepared. After the sophomore year, the school has the widest choice. Some credits will be lost after the transfer of junior year, but there is still room for operation. Most colleges and universities only admit to transferring credits for two years at most. This means that if you choose to transfer, it will take at least two years to complete your studies in the later undergraduate life. If you choose to transfer after graduation, you can only consider transferring to a second degree. Transfer will certainly waste students a certain amount of time, normally at least half a year, more likely one to one and a half years. It depends on both you and the school. Generally speaking, it takes 2.5 -3.5 years for transfer students to finish their undergraduate studies in new schools.
Will the current level of the school affect the transfer?
The background of the school will really affect the application result. If you have a good background, your college grades will be high in gold and your application will be more advantageous. In the process of applying for studying in the United States, the biggest competitors are students studying in the United States, who have obvious advantages, and this advantage is still expanding, which is why many transfer students in recent years are students who have studied in the United States before, and the application results are very good. However, this does not mean that students in domestic universities have no chance to apply to good schools through good planning and promotion of activity background, just need more adequate preparation.
Is the diploma obtained after the transfer of undergraduate courses in the United States the same as that obtained after normal admission?
As long as you graduate smoothly, there is no difference between the two.