Go to community college/attend US high school?

CaribbeanSun · 10-05-2012, 05:56 AM

I'm an international student, studying in grade 11 at the moment.
I want to apply for US prep schools or public schools (on F-1 visa and pay full tuition). But considering the fact that I'm already in grade 11 and even if I do successfully get into US prep schools, I wouldn't be able to earn enough credit or service hours or earn positions in different clubs at school because it is only a year before college after all. And then there are APs. I've heard of postgraduate year but my knowledge on it is rather limited.

Then there's the option of going to community college and then fighting for the chance to transfer into a UC. My goal is UC Berkeley at the very least. From what I've found in the Internet it seems Diablo Valley College, City College of San Francisco, De Anza, Santa Monica have many successful transfers into Berkeley. (By the way, if anybody has specific numbers concerning the number of transfers can you please tell me too?)

So the dilemma is, I don't know if I should try my chances at prep school or just head off to community college. I'm not optimistic about my chances of getting into a prestigious prep school so a CC sounds more practical. But I'm also afraid I will not be able to transfer to Berkeley after completing CC..
Can you please give me some advice? Thank you!

aunt bea · 10-06-2012, 12:34 AM

I would assume that you are running out of time since you are already a Junior? Would you even have time to search out a prep school and get admitted. I don't think you would qualify for resident status with such a limited time frame. You will probably pay full fees at the CC.

jleemd21 · 10-11-2012, 10:13 PM

go to cc to help your chances

rachelm57 · 10-11-2012, 10:31 PM

What about applying to UC Berkley when you graduate high school? Unfortunately, transfer rates are low at all schools, much lower than the acceptance rate for incoming freshmen.

b@r!um · 10-12-2012, 12:01 AM

It's not that unlikely.

In 2008/09, the most recent year reported in the UC Stat Finder, Berkeley admitted 61% of its transfer applicants from California community colleges who had a college GPA of at least 3.8, and 48% of the transfer applicants who applied with a GPA in the 3.6-3.8 range.

For comparison, in the same year Berkeley admitted 58% of its first-year in-state applicants with a high school GPA between 3.8 and 4.0, and 20% of the applicants with a GPA between 3.6 and 3.8.

Actually kinda fun to play with: University of California: StatFinder