<p>Hi Calmom! My D.O.B is 4/26/1988, I’d be 18 upon graduation. I was also considering attending a high school in CA, but I’m afraid I’d have to spend 4 years in order to graduate, because I come from a different background and the credits stuff. I haven’t contacted any schools so far.
It’d be great if I could start attending a high school this Summer, in order to spend more time studying advanced courses and participating in activities, also to get used to living in the States. Also the CA residency will help a lot as I’d like to apply to UCLA, UC-Berkeley and USC.</p>
<p>Nemesis, you won’t have to spend 4 years at an American high school to graduate - they would give you transfer credit for the work already done, and there is usually some flexibility as to graduation requirements when kids transfer in from an outside high school. So for example, if all kids must take US History, you will probably need to take that your senior year (which would be grade 12, the year you would start after completing grade 11 in Egypt). But if all kids are required to to take a year each of biology, chemistry & physics, and a kid transfers in from a high school that offers an integrated science program instead, the kid will be given credit without being required to make up courses ordinarily given in prior years. All high schools in the US are different - there are always statewide requirements, which vary from state to state; local district requirements, and then often requirements related to the programs at individual school. But American kids do move around a lot, so school administrators are very used to making adjustments for kids who come from different states and districts. </p>
<p>On the other hand, as you will already be 18, you might want to consider attending a year of community college instead – but you need to check carefully to find out whether that would disqualify you from applying to a college as an entering student rather than as a freshman. I do think that if you move to California and live in the state for a year, you will be able to establish residency – as you are an American citizen, you should also register to vote soon after you arrive. The part about establishing residency would probably NOT be true if you had a living parent – in that case, your residency would still be tied to where your parents live. But I’m pretty sure that an 18 year old without parents would be like any other adult - living, working and attending school in the state for a year should establish residency.</p>
<p>Actually, if you are seriously interested in attending a UC campus, one of the best routes into the UC system is as a transfer student after 2 years of community college. So you could start at community college and take all of the general education courses required for your intended major; if you have good grades then after two years you are virtually guaranteed admission into one of the UC campuses, though not necessarily your first choice campus. </p>
<p>You might consider hedging your bets by applying to colleges next fall, with the backup plan that if you don’t get into a top choice college, you will attend community college for 2 years in California, assuming that your aunt and uncle would be willing to let you live with them. Your SATs are so strong that I think you have a good chance of getting into colleges whether or not you have all the courses a US-educated student normally has. Colleges value the diversity you will bring that comes from your experience living in a mideastern nation, and your exposure to and prior study of arabic would be especially valued these days.</p>
<p>I recommend USC if you are interested in California. I am a Californian by birth, voting, banking and driver’s license…but…USC may offer wonderful financial or merit aid to you without the worry of “am I a resident or not.”</p>
<p>Hi Calmom! About the community college, it sounds like a good idea, but I don’t know much about community colleges, so could you please tell me more about them? I was also thinking about attending a school offering the IB diploma because I heard that colleges prefer IB diploma holders. What do you think will be better, Community college or IB?</p>
<p>About the residency, my parents are dead and my only living relative in the states is my uncle in LA. BTW, where do you live?</p>
<p>Thanks Overseas for telling me about USC. A friend of mine’s sister attends that school and she’s Lebanese, with almost the same schoolastic background as mine. So, I think I have a good chance.</p>
<p>Hello Nemesis, nice to meet you. Community colleges in California are a well organized network of 2 year schools, and I will let Calmom discuss specifics. In general, a community college offers a range of classes, including basic education classes required by the 4 year universities of that state - courses like calculus, biology, history, political science, English literature - and some special practical programs that lead to a terminal degree after 2 years, things like practical nursing, for example. Most community colleges offer some enrichment programs for non-degree seeking students like art or film or personal finance. Many enroll high schools students for accelerated or enrichment classes, or just to get ahead in college.</p>
<p>More pertinent to you is that courses taken at community colleges are cheap (compared to costs at say Berkeley), and if chosen properly will transfer to the 4 year state university - Calmom will give you specifics, but my understanding is that the Cal, system is excellent, and well coordinated.</p>
<p>Thanks Cangel for the clearification. So, if I spend 2 years at a community college and apply to a university will I be a freshman or a transfer?</p>
<p>Nemesis, you will be a transfer student. But you will also have priority in the UC system over transfers from other colleges - in fact some of the UC’s, like Berkeley, will ONLY take transfers from the community colleges - or at least that was the case last year when spaces were very limited. </p>
<p>So basically the way it works is:</p>
<p>2 years community college with GPA meeting UC eligibility requirements = transfer into UC system guaranteed</p>
<p>2 years any other college = transfer into UC system unlikely</p>
<p>I think right now community colleges charge $26 per unit - so 15 semester units at a community college would cost $390. Add in a few miscellaneous charges for various services - you are still talking less than $500/semester to attend community college full time. </p>
<p>Anyone can enroll at a cc - you don’t have to apply to be admitted, you just have to show up to register by their deadlines. They do require placement test for certain courses - that is, you’d have to take a placement test in math before you could sign up for calculus or physics. </p>
<p>The community colleges clearly indicate which of the courses they offer are transferable to the UC system, so you really don’t have to worry about that. Many people feel that they get a better education at the community colleges for the basic courses than they would at a UC, because of the smaller class sizes and more personal attention. </p>
<p>When you are over 18, your residency will be determined by where YOU live. It isn’t relevant where your aunt and uncle live, but if you are actually living at their house, that will be your residence. If you rent your own apartment in a different city, then that will be your residence. </p>
<p>You don’t have to establish residency in order to attend a community college. People usually just go to whatever college is nearest to where they live. </p>
<p>Here are the rules for establishing residency for purposes of the UC system:
</p>
<p>Source: <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html</a></p>
<p>The truth is that the community colleges are the best bargain around, and they are an excellent choice for any young person in California who needs to be self-supporting.</p>
<p>Nemesis - regarding the distant relative who can contribute to your college costs. . .best not to have the relative give you that money each year, as that would likely have a negative effect on the financial aid packages you will be offered. Per a response on the financial aid board, best strategy is to “borrow the money from the relatives and let them forgive the loans later, or borrow the money and have them pay off the loans.”</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks Calmom, good to know about Community Colleges.
Does a CC have it’s own dorms or should I live somewhere else? Also, could you recommend some CCs in LA? I did a search yesterday, but there was so many CCs and since I don’t know about them, I’d really appreciate if you tell me about some of the best. </p>
<p>Do you think I should try to enroll this summer, or should I wait till I get my Egyptian certificate?</p>
<p>Reidm, thanks for the financial aid tip. So, in your opinion, I’d better borrow the money as a whole and promise to pay it back? Or should I first wait till I know how much money I’m going to have through financial aid?</p>
<p>Community colleges do NOT have housing on campus - they are NOT residential colleges at all. Nor will they help with housing – they are there to serve people who live in the community (hence the name). </p>
<p>I’m confused – I thought you said that you were in year 10 in Egypt and still had another year to go there. How would you be enrolling this summer? If you are planning to move to the US for the coming year, then maybe enrolling in a high school would be a better plan.</p>
<p>Calmom- Yes, I’m in grade 10. I still have another year to graduate. I thought that I’d enroll at a CC this summer so as to save time. Do CCs require a diploma befroe enrolling? Or are they similar to high schools?</p>
<p>Nemesis, you need to either be over age 18 or have a high school diploma or GED to enroll in community college here, or else be currently enrolled in high school and attend via the concurrent enrollment program, which requires permission from the high school.</p>
<p>I see, that’s ok. Could you tell me about some Community Colleges?</p>
<p>Nemesis, I’m in Northern California and I really have no idea which community colleges in the LA area are best and what courses each offers. Usually course lists are available on line – I suggest you google “California community colleges”.</p>
<p>No problem, thanks Calmom for everything!</p>
<p>Nemesis - other than making a realistic assessment of your financial resources, including assistance from relatives, you should wait to see financial awards before you make any specific plans. But in any event, it does appear that borrowing, and some sort of arrangment with your relatives, is a strategy you should consider.</p>
<p>Hi Reidm- I believe I should wait until I know how much financial aid I’m going to get before borrowing money. I think it’s fair that way.</p>
<p>Nora:</p>
<p>You are a very bright student, Nora. I wouldn’t give up on private colleges. As an American citizen, you are entitled to government loans and grants. I think that you might be a little bored in a community college setting. Also, it would be nice to have the residential 4-year college experience. It is important to pick colleges, however, that want more international students and are generous with financial aid. Pomona, Tufts and Georgetown, for example, are not known for their generous aid. The University of Pennsylvania might be a good bet. As I mentioned earlier, you need a few strong extracurriculars to stand out from hundred of other international applicants. Doing something that helps women in a Muslim society would be a good idea, and it is something that you can write about in your applications. However, don’t do it just because I say so. Find something that really interests you. On a separate note, don’t overlook the Canadian colleges. McGill and Queens are excellent schools and cheaper than their American counterparts.</p>