If you have already done some undergraduate coursework, you may be considered a transfer student, and this can change application requirements for study in the US.
Transfer students have a slightly different application process, especially with standardized test requirements and deadlines. Some colleges and universities may only take transfer undergraduate or graduate applicants for the fall term, while others let transfer students start in spring or even summer.
The classes you have already taken may count toward your bachelor’s degree requirements. These are called transfer credits. Transfer programs at US colleges and universities are designed for students who have not taken more than two years of study and, at many colleges, no more than two years of course credit can be applied toward fulfilling degree requirements.
How Is the Academic Year Set Up in the USA?
Semesters, Trimesters, Quarters
In the American education system, the academic year typically begins in August or September. Depending on the university, the academic year may be divided into quarters, trimesters, or semesters, and will run until May or June. For colleges that follow semesters, the fall term runs from late August or early September to mid-December, and the spring semester runs from January through May.
When to Apply
For new international undergraduate students considering US colleges and universities, applications are generally accepted as early as a year before the academic term you wish to join. For example, if you want to start at the University of Illinois at Chicago in late August 2021, you could have applied for admission as early as September 2020.
While many selective universities in the USA have regular admissions application deadlines in January or February, some colleges also offer early decision or early action deadlines in November. These earlier deadlines give students the chance to get a decision as far in advance as possible, although it often requires a commitment to enroll if admitted. Other colleges have rolling admissions policies and will accept applications throughout the year for the next academic term (or year).
Typically, early decision or early action applicants find out if they are accepted within a month of the submission deadline. For January or February application deadlines, students will learn if they are admitted in March or early April. International students who apply to rolling admissions colleges, like many of the Shorelight partner universities, generally find out as early as a few days to three to four weeks.
How to Enroll
After admission, you will be told what your next steps are to accept an offer from a college or university. Many American universities will set a deadline date for admitted students to send in their deposit (the amount varies by college) to hold their place for the next academic year.
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