The University at Buffalo welcomes international transfer students who are prepared to meet the rigorous academic demands of a flagship university.
First-year/first-time (freshman) and transfer status have strict definitions that are based on the facts of your educational background.
You are considered a first-year/first-time (freshman) if you have never studied or enrolled in any college/university or postsecondary studies after completing secondary school. You're considered a first-year/first-time (freshman) student even if you have advanced standing, for which you may receive university credits. This includes A Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP).
You are considered a transfer student if you have completed secondary school and you subsequently enrolled or studied one or more subjects in a college or university. If you engaged in any study in a college or university, you must apply as a transfer applicant.
If a minimum of one item in statement 1 and all of statement 2 is true, then you are a first-year/first-time (freshman) applicant. Otherwise, you are a transfer applicant.
STATEMENT 1 (A minimum of one item must be true.)
AND STATEMENT 2 (This statement must also be true.)
If both are true, you will apply as a first-year/first-time (freshman) applicant.
If any part is not true, you will apply as a transfer applicant.
While transfer admission is based primarily on your college/university grades, we are looking for students who excel academically, engage in extracurricular activities and who maintain a good school-life balance.
UB uses a 4.0 grading scale, and we expect transfer applicants to have the equivalent of a 2.5 on that scale.
You do not need to obtain an evaluation of your transcripts; just provide your official transcripts with an English translation and we will make the grade conversions. Our admissions counselors are experts in the many education systems around the world, and they know how to translate your country's grading scale into the one we use at UB.
We need an electronic copy of your transcripts from every college and university that you have ever attended. For students in an Indian university, we need marksheets for all attempts in all semesters.
If you have completed fewer than 24 credits at your previous college or university, we will also review your secondary school transcripts.
Note about transfer credits: If you are transferring from a foreign university, you may want to bring course descriptions and syllabuses from the classes that you have already taken when you arrive on campus. This will help your academic department determine if these classes can be applied toward your degree at UB.
Some transfer students will be admitted to their intended major directly at the time of university admission. All other students are evaluated by their departments during their studies at UB and are admitted only after all requirements have been met.
Academic departments have different admissions requirements for their programs. Certain departments or schools require additional supplemental materials.
Students with 60 or more transfer credits and minimum grades in prerequisite courses may be admitted to majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, with the exceptions of programs in the arts (media study, art, theatre and dance, and music) which require a portfolio or audition.
Admission to engineering as a transfer student is competitive and minimum grades in prerequisite courses are required. Students will be notified about admission to engineering when they receive the university’s admission decision.
Admission to these professional programs is competitive. Their excellent reputation makes them popular with many students and admission is selective.
Check your major's requirements in UB's Undergraduate Catalog before you apply. If you have questions about requirements for your intended major, contact your department for more information.
You will upload these documents electronically to your Applicant Status Portal. Please do not send documents through the mail. Please note: Any document not written in English must be accompanied by an English translation.
We encourage you to collect and scan all the necessary documents as early in the application process as possible, even before you apply.