一般转学有2种：一种是顺利完成一个学位后，希望继续攻读更高的学位；另外一种是对目前就读的学校不满意，想进入更好的学校或环境学习（如果你只是在一个学校内转专业的话，不可称之为转学。）

由于申请太激烈，从而想选择一个相对容易申请的排名相对靠后学校，然后想出去后跳个较好的大学，这个问题几乎80%申请的人都可能考虑过。但是不管是未完成学位的转学或是顺利完成学位的转学，你都必须得到移民局的许可才能完成你的转学手续。

1. 以下是移民局对转学的基本要求：

An F-1 student who was not pursuing a full course of study at the school he or she was last authorized to attend is ineligible for school transfer and must apply for reinstatement under the provisions of paragraph (f)(16) of this section, or, in the alternative, may depart the country and return as an initial entry in a new F-1 nonimmigrant status. (Revised effective 1/1/03; 67 FR 76256)

说的明白点就是：

An F-1 student who is maintaining status may transfer to another U.S. school.If you have not maintained proper F-1 status and are therefore "out of status," you will be required to apply for reinstatement to student status through the USCIS. Then you may request to transfer to another institution.

2 美国转学资料

If you plan to leave Regent University and transfer to another school in the U.S., you must request a release of your SEVIS record to the school that you have chosen to attend. The new school cannot make a new I-20 for you until they have control of your SEVIS record.

首先要注意，以F1学生身份入境，必须在被许可的学校里注册就学。你要转学，首先必须先获得移民局的批准，而且你现在的学校必须release你的SEVIS记录，新的学校才能发给你新的I-20。

转学时间安排及注意事项

美国的学校里, 转学生与新生入学一起录取,并没有单独的审核机制。所以凡是打算转学的,一定要及早申请, 先要保证赶在对方学校的deadline前。也就是说，转学等于重新申请一次学校，不同的是你人在美国申请。一旦有了转学计划，你应该先向移民局申请这项批准，因为移民局处理你的申请需要花一段时间，所以你要尽量在转学前取得转学批准。比如你打算2011年9月转入新学校，你在2010年11月份就应该申请，好象在国内申请一样。

关于有人问的转学有没有时间限制的问题，让我们先看看来自 www.immigration.gov 官方关于transfer的一段话：

A student who is maintaining status may transfer to another Service approved
school by following the notification procedure prescribed in paragraph (f)
(8)(ii) of this section. However, an F-1 student is not permitted to remain in the United States when transferring
between schools or programs unless the student will begin classes at the
transfer school or program within 5 months of transferring out of the current
school or within 5 months of the program completion date on his or her current
Form I-20, whichever is earlier.

上面这段的意思是，转学期间你不能待在美国，除非你在新学校的课程在转离原来学校的5个月内开始。所以，对于转学的问题，中国学生还是要多多了解清楚。