Students who have enrolled at college and attended classes (even if they then withdraw and/or earn no credits) are generally considered to be transfer students. If a student is in that situation, they should follow the colleges’ instructions for transfer applicants.

Hi Kelly - this is a little bit of a difficult question, and most of us IECs would probably use our standard answer, "it depends."  Most colleges would consider a student to be a first-time freshman if they have not been enrolled full-time at another college, either 2-year or 4-year.  Many colleges consider students with fewer than 24 or sometimes 30 credits to be first-time freshmen.  That is to say, it takes at least 24 or sometimes 30 credits (colleges have differing requirements) to qualify to be a transfer student.  Where I live in California, the UCs and CSUs will only admit transfer students who have 60 transferable credits.  This answer is probably not specific enough but if you'd like to get a more specific answer that fits your student, feel free to call me or any one of us on this site!

Kelly,

I assume you are not asking about a student with concurrent college credits earned during high school. That student will not be considered a transfer applicant.

On the other hand, a student who has earned thirty credits after graduating from high school will always be considered a transfer applicant.

The uncertainty arises with fewer than 30 credits, and colleges can adopt their own policies to govern those applicants. You or the student can inquire of the transfer counselor in each admissions office, who will tell you whether the student will be considered a freshman or a transfer applicant.

As far as the part of your question that asks “what to do?” I am not sure which next step is the focus of that inquiry.

i suspect there is far more you’d like to know, but I hope this answer is a helpful first step.

Dear Henry:

Thank you for your question.

I have worked extensively with students from China over the past decade, including those studying in the states on student visas and those completing their high school educations in China.

I have offered several group presentations on understanding the US college application process and am well equipped to work with students and families who are preparing to make the transition to higher education in the United States.

 
Please let me know if you have specific questions about my experience or the college process.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

 
All the best,

Lisa Sohmer

Colleges manage their wait lists in a variety of ways, but are unlikely to adhere to a strict ranking of students.

If you are still interested in attending a college where you have been placed on the wait list, be sure the college knows it. Return the reply card (paper or electronic) by the deadline and then send a follow-up e-mail expressing your continued interest.

Once that is done, I recommend that you focus on the college or colleges where you have been admitted and that you choose the one where you feel you can be both happy and successful.

If the “top choice” college you are still wishing for does rank it’s list in advance (some do, some don’t) please don’t assume anything about the nature of that ranking.

The colleges that find themselves under-enrolled on May 1 might start going to their waitlists, which include students who are of good quality for that college but for some reason were not selected outright. Frequently, the students taken from the waitlist are those who meet institutional priorities. Those institutional priorities or goals are a strong factor in assessing who gets the calls. 

So the answer I offer to your question might be that the entire list is not ranked (it is much larger than the college will ever use) and any ranking is not likely done according to pure academic strength. Whether you come off that waitlist or find unexpectedly great happiness where you’ve already been accepted, good luck to you!