S2 Q&A: Once I'm admitted, what does the change of status actually look like?

Admission -> you pay the fees the school requires to issue the I-20 -> the school issues an Initial I-20 -> you file Form I-539 with USCIS from inside the US, keeping your current status while it's pending. Regular processing is unpredictable (typically months); premium processing costs an extra USCIS fee [roughly $1,900-2,000 - verify the current schedule] and usually returns a decision within about a month, which is why most of our COS students choose it. I'll send the step-by-step guide by email, and the senior consultant walks the filing with you.