Transfer Essay, Research Paper

Procedures for Transferring to a University

in the United States

There are several steps that a prospective international student should follow in order to transfer to study at a university in the United States. These steps that are outlined below will normally take about one year to complete, particularly if application is also being made for scholarship support. If the student has financial support and a very strong academic record, this time may be shortened considerably depending upon the openings available for admission to the university that the student wishes to apply.

?Identify several universities of interest that have the desired academic program. At least two or three universities should be considered since not all universities have openings in the desired program. Information on Texas public universities can be accessed through the TIEC web site at *www.tiec.org*. This site also contains a link to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that has an inventory of all academic programs available at all public universities in the State of Texas.

?Study the detailed Entrance Requirements for the university and the program of your choice. Different universities and different programs have different entrance requirements. Please note the deadline dates. Applications from international students typically need to be submitted earlier than for U.S. students. Deadline dates for the Fall 2000 Semester have long passed. Immediate action is required to obtain admission for the Spring Semester in 2001.

?Study the detailed Graduation Requirements for the university and the program of your choice. Different universities and different programs have different graduation requirements. Compare your transcript with the degree requirements to see if you will need to take additional courses that were not included in the curriculum at AUB. The university admissions office and the department to which you apply will make the ?official? determination of which courses in your AUB transcript will be accepted for transfer credit toward your degree at the U.S. university.

Please note that most universities require that a student spend at least one year in residence study at the university campus in order to graduate with a degree from that university.

Note also that the laws in the State of Texas require all students, including international students, who attend a public university in the State of Texas to complete specified courses in U.S. and Texas history and government.

Most universities require the student to take the following actions to apply for admission:

?Complete the Application Form for admission. For most universities, an application form is available from the university web site, and some applications may be completed and submitted on-line.

?Pay the Application Fee. The fee is typically about $50 to $100, but is different for each university. The application fee must be paid in U.S. dollars in the form of a cashier’s check, money order or bank wire before an application will be considered.

?Send Official Transcripts of all academic work completed at ALL universities attended by the student. These transcripts should be sent to the universities to which the student applies. A transcript for courses completed at the American University in Baku is available from TIEC. Upon request TIEC will send the AUB transcript to universities as requested. If required, TIEC will also verify the authenticity of the transcript and will also send information about the program of study and courses taken by the student.

?Take the TOEFL Test and have the score sent to all universities to which the student is applying.

?Take any other Entrance Tests required by the university and program of interest. The SAT, or equivalent test, may be required if the student has completed only 30 credit hours or less of academic work. If a student has completed more than this amount, the test is usually not required. Check the requirement at each university.

Please note that the laws in the State of Texas require all students, including international students, who attend a public university in the State of Texas to take the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test. This examination can be taken upon arrival in Texas. It is a test of skills in reading, writing, and mathematics that is normally taken by high school seniors prior to entering a public university in Texas.

?Provide a Guarantee of Financial Support. U.S. Immigration laws require that evidence of funds available for both educational and living expenses must be provided before the university will issue the immigration documents needed to obtain a visa to study in the U.S.

?Apply for Scholarship. The availability of scholarships varies from campus to campus, and the application procedures are all different. The student should contact the university department or program director at the university of interest to learn how to apply for a scholarship. Scholarship application must be made many months in advance of admission.

Given the unusual circumstances of the current students at AUB, TIEC is available to assist AUB students with inquiries to public universities in Texas and to clarify admissions procedures and requirements in Texas. The person to contact at TIEC is:

Ms. Sharon Pate, *[email protected]*

Phone: (512) 477-9283; Fax: (512) 322-9079

Please note that the time difference is nine (9) hours between Baku and Austin, Texas. If you do submit an application to a university in Texas, please inform Ms. Pate by e-mail.