The number of Chinese international students enrolled in U.S. higher education has significantly grown over the past two decades. In 2015, Chinese international students accounted for the largest group of international students from any one single country. Previous research acknowledges Chinese students encountering significant difficulties in U.S. education institutions. However, research specifically targeting the Chinese demographic within U.S. higher education institutions has not been extensively explored toward mitigation. This study tracks Chinese international students' transition to the United States, while primarily focusing on student-perspective of their preparation in China, acclimation experience in the U.S., and response to environmental change.