How do international college credits transfer between schools?

I'm an international student considering transferring to a U.S. college. How do I figure out which of my current college credits will transfer? Is there an equivalency system or something I should look into?

The process for transferring credits from an international institution to a U.S. college or university can be a bit complex, but here are the steps you typically need to follow:

1. Credential Evaluation: The first thing you need to do is to get a credential evaluation. This is a process in which a U.S. agency determines the U.S. equivalency of your international education. Companies like World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) can do this. They'll produce a report detailing the U.S. equivalency of each of your courses.

2. Submit Evaluation to your Prospective College: Once you've obtained the evaluation, you'll need to submit it to your prospective college's registrar or admissions office. They will review it and determine which of your international credits can transfer over.

3. Petition for Credit: Sometimes the college may not initially accept all of your credits. If this happens, you can, in many cases, petition for more credits to be accepted. This typically involves providing syllabi or other course documents to demonstrate that the courses you took are equivalent to the courses the college offers.

Remember, each school has its own policy on how it accepts credit transfers, so it's important to check directly with the institution you're considering to understand how the process works specifically for them. Also, transferring to a U.S. institution will require you to have completed other processes, such as English language proficiency tests and visa applications. You should reach out to the school's international student services or admissions office for more specifics. They can guide you best.