Dear All!
I’ve recently got in to both schools, Arizona State University and California State Fullerton. Looking at rankings I assume ASU is a better school, since it’s ranked nationally. However, it’s always been my dream to study and live in Southern California and I know that CSUF isn’t a bad school either, as I read that business is one of the strongest majors there. So I wanted to ask you, which school would be a better choice for an international student who would like to stay and work in California after university? Would my chances for a really good grad school be better at one school than other? Would it be possible to transfer from CSUF or ASU to schools like Pepperdine or Loyola Marymount in LA? Bare in mind that I didn’t apply for any scholarships and in both cases I would rent an apartment (independent, not associated with university). Thanks everyone, really appreciate ANY help!
Kamil
Pick ASU, since the cost of living there is much lower than in California.
Thanks for the tip! However, money is not a problem, I’m most concerned about the quality of education and the reputation of each school. As I want to major in business I heard that both schools have strong business programmes, but I can only see ASU in the rankings even though I hear that Fullerton has a good reputation in Southern California. Similarly, I know that bachelors would take me 4 years at ASU, 3 if I take the Summer courses, but on a recent acceptance letter from CSUN it said that bachelors in business would take me 5 years to complete… do you know if it’s the same with CSUF? Thanks a lot!
Fullerton is simply an average Cal State school - it’s neither bad nor great. It offers a basic education, and what you do with it is up to you. As you probably know, most top students in California go to the University of California campuses. Cal States tend to attract students who couldn’t get into UCs. Many of the students work, and the campuses tend to be “commuter schools.” California schools have a lot of budget problems right now, and many students will take longer than 4 years to graduate, not only because many of them also work, but simply because it’s harder to get classes you need due to cut-backs.
I noticed you hope to get into a “really good” grad school - I don’t know what you mean by “really good” but you should know that the elite MBA programs require a couple of years of work before you can apply. That could pose a problem for you as an international student.
If you’re concerned about “reputation” you should go to the higher-ranked school. Also, research internship opportunities and the possibility of doing an honors program. Being in an honors program can increase your chances of getting internships/grad school.
I would not recommend transferring. Go to the best school you can get into, forge strong relationships with your professors, get very good grades (which will help you get good internships) excel in your internships, and then think about work/grad school. Transferring can delay your graduation and limits the amount of time you have to forge those all-important connections with professors.
As an international student, you need to assume that you will not gain employment in the US regardless of where you attend college. Immigration laws are strict. Employers have to state that there are no US citizens available to fill any open positions before even attempting to sponsor an international candidate.
So, pick the school that you think will be marketable in your home country.
The Cal States have really good, affordable business programs, so they attract a large number of business majors who are California residents. It is an area of study that is very competitive for jobs since business majors are very plentiful. As an international student you need to be aware that more and more employer web sites are stating that they cannot offer positions to non-citizens.
Thanks for the very helpful responses! By really good MBA I meant something like Wharton at UPenn or Stanford, which is my absolute dream school. However when it comes to my undergraduate education I always wanted to attend Pepperdine, but I was stupid enough not to apply since I believed I didn’t stand a chance with my A level grades (A*, B and D). But who knows… too late to think about it now, that’s the only reason I thought about doing a transfer, since neither CSUF nor ASU where my “dream schools”. Nonetheless, without counting the costs, would ASU still be a better choice for Business (Entrepreneurship major) than CSUF? Would it be easier (if possible in the first place) to transfer to Pepperdine/Loyola Marymount/UC Irvine if I attended CSUF than ASU? My only concern with CSUF is if I will be able to get all the classes I need to graduate in 4 years, because as far as I know classes are not a problem at ASU. Once again thank you very much for your kind help!
When it comes to finding a job I understand how difficult it is to find employment if you’re an international student, but after doing an obsessive research I found that there’s a large need for workers with fluent Polish language (which is very rare among non Polish citizens) in companies doing trade with Poland. And as I am Polish I hope that it will ease it a little, as I would be one of very few, if not the only one in the area, to speak fluent Polish (also Russian and Spanish). Also I’ll apply for the business visa as I’d like to introduce my concept of carbon neutral housing in the US, so if this works out (fingers crossed) then I might provide employment for American citizens which could additionally have a positive effect on the decision whether I can stay in the US afterwards. Therefore for now I’m trying to focus on which school to choose, and I’ll stress out over what’s next in a few years time! Thanks!
Many people on this forum believe that it is important for international students to consider their options after college BEFORE they choose a university in the US, since the grim realities of visa limitations may (and SHOULD) affect your decision-making.
Have you done your research on work visa options and limitations?
- The most generic work visa, the H-1B, has an annual cap that makes recent college graduates unattractive for the program. (You'd literally have to win a lottery for your application to get processed at all.)
- There's the L-1 visa for intra-company transfers of international corporations. You'd first have to work for the same company in a different country for a full year in an executive, managerial or special knowledge role before you are transferred to a US branch.
- There's the E-2 visa for investors. You sound like this is something you'd be interested in. Do be aware that you have to invest a substantial amount of your **own** money to be granted an investor visa (loans and third-party investments don't count). This may be a feasible option if your family finances allow it, though the validity of your visa would be tied to the continued success of your company.
- There's the E-1 visa for treaty traders. Also something you sound interested in. Do be aware that this visa type is extremely restrictive. Unless you are engaging in substantial international trade on your own behalf, you have to work for a company that is owned by a citizen of your same nationality who is also on an E-1 visa (as opposed to e.g. an investor visa or a green card or a naturalized US citizen).
Alas, the two most reliable ways to immigrate into the US are through marriage to a US citizen, or through an academic career. (Universities are not subject to the H-1B cap.) In reality, most international students who wish to remain in the US after college will go to graduate school.
Why Pepperdine? And do you realize it’s a fairly religious school? All students must take 3 religion classes as part of their general education requirements. (I also saw some ranking that put it #3 campus in the US for praying!)
If you really want a great grad school - Wharton, Stanford - then you absolutely must attend the best undergraduate school you can get into. For those grad schools, where you do your undergrad matters.
Are the companies you want to work in - the ones looking for Polish speakers - anywhere near ASU or SCUF? You might want to change your strategy – and target schools near those companies to increase your (very, very small) chances of getting sponsored for a work visa.
I have a feeling you may be one of the (tens of thousands) of international students who idealize life in Southern California, yet who don’t realize just how strategic they should be in their choices if the idea is to stay in the US after graduation.