Q: Best way to classify study abroad courses on AMCAS?

[UnPocoLoco]

I had a question about how to label some courses I took during my semester abroad. Mainly I took around 18 credits at a University in Spain, through a a study abroad program by my home Institution. As per the AMCAS study abroad options I've opted to list them under the foreign university and noted my home institution as the bearer of the transfer credit.

However, I'm unsure if this is the most accurate representation. Mainly because my university recognizes completing a study abroad through their service as equivalent to having taken it at home and issues credit for it directly. In comparison, other American student students not from my college who studied with the program receive transfer credit from by college upon their return.

Thus, on my transcript, the courses I completed that semester are listed normally as if I had not taken them abroad. In this case would it be more accurate to list these courses just under my normal college and not list the foreign university at all, or am I just complicating things?

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[candbgirl]

I had a question about how to label some courses I took during my semester abroad. Mainly I took around 18 credits at a University in Spain, through a a study abroad program by my home Institution. As per the AMCAS study abroad options I've opted to list them under the foreign university and noted my home institution as the bearer of the transfer credit.

However, I'm unsure if this is the most accurate representation. Mainly because my university recognizes completing a study abroad through their service as equivalent to having taken it at home and issues credit for it directly. In comparison, other American student students not from my college who studied with the program receive transfer credit from by college upon their return.

Thus, on my transcript, the courses I completed that semester are listed normally as if I had not taken them abroad. In this case would it be more accurate to list these courses just under my normal college and not list the foreign university at all, or am I just complicating things?

So the courses are on the transcript you are submitting to AMCAS from your home institution?If they are and then you list them as you described( from the university in Spain) they will be listed twice on transcripts. You will have to submit a transcript from Spain with those courses and your home institution will list them. Does AMCAS accept foreign transcripts? It just seems really confusing to list them under the foreign institution. It’s been awhile since I did this so maybe someone has a better idea.


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[LizzyM]

If they are on your home institution transcript and shown with grades, just list them as if you did them there and don't get tripped up with the unnecessary step of acquiring a foreign transcript.

 

[GreenDuck12]

If they are on your home institution transcript and shown with grades, just list them as if you did them there and don't get tripped up with the unnecessary step of acquiring a foreign transcript.

^ This is what I did and didn’t encounter any problems during the verification process.

 

[UnPocoLoco]

So the courses are on the transcript you are submitting to AMCAS from your home institution?If they are and then you list them as you described( from the university in Spain) they will be listed twice on transcripts. You will have to submit a transcript from Spain with those courses and your home institution will list them. Does AMCAS accept foreign transcripts? It just seems really confusing to list them under the foreign institution. It’s been awhile since I did this so maybe someone has a better idea.


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Okay I see. Yeah I don't think I could even get a foreign transcript from the Spanish University haha. For my classes, the faculty teaching were Americans mostly from my college and the Spanish University was kinda just the "vessel" or site were classes took place, I guess. I'll just be listing these classes under my normal college.

Might there be any discrepancies if in the rest of my application I speak about my study abroad experience but I don't have a foreign university listed under my "Schools attended" ?

 

[candbgirl]

I doubt it. If asked just say they were taught by your university professors and courses were listed on the official transcripts ! I really don’t think it’s an issue! By all means talk about it! It’s a wonderful experience!

 

[MimiGH]

^ This is what I did and didn’t encounter any problems during the verification process.

Did it get factored into your AMCAS GPA?

 

[candbgirl]

Did it get factored into your AMCAS GPA?

If it’s on your official college transcript from your undergrad university of course they’d be counted. It’s these foreign transcripts that cause issues! At least in my experience.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Did it get factored into your AMCAS GPA?

Yes

 

[MimiGH]

I listed all of my foreign courses under the relevant foreign institution, even if they were later transferred to my home undergraduate institution. There is a place on AMCAS to indicate they were transferred so whoever verifies your app can refer to your home institution transcript for those classes. This doesn't create an issue, and you don't need to send in your foreign transcript for those courses to count. I had six transcript exception requests due to coursework at various foreign institutions (some study abroad, some not), and my foreign transcript exemption requests didn't hold up my verification at all. You really just click a box to get it exempt (as long as you categorized it right).

AMCAS doesn't require you to send in foreign transcripts (and actually won't accept them), so you won't need to track them down. In my case, I have attended five foreign institutions and received two graduate degrees from one of them (so I had two transcripts from that foreign institution alone). I was verified with no issue.

In terms of how grades were calculated for foreign classes, here is how it worked for me:

• Foreign classes through study abroad program that were transferred with a letter grade on my home transcript: grade included in AMCAS GPA
• Foreign classes through direct enrollment at foreign university that were transferred to my home transcript without a letter grade (grading scale was numerical system out of 7): listed as P/F - Pass credits, grades not included in AMCAS GPA
• Classes at foreign campus of my home university: grades included in AMCAS GPA
• Foreign masters degrees: no transcripts sent and listed without grades (med schools can see them but they aren't verified); grades not included in AMCAS graduate GPA (and credits did not appear)

The AMCAS guide and YouTube videos can help a lot on how to input foreign coursework correctly, so if you follow their guidelines you should be good.

Thanks!
AMCAS made mine pass/fail because my school did not factor it into my GPA.