<p>Hi! I’m 18 and I come from Mexico. I finished my high school there with a GPA of 3.5 (90%). I want you to help me explaining the educational system here. How many years can I do in a community college? I want to transfer to a University. Are SAT and ACT hard? Hope you can help me!</p>
<p>You have many excellent questions, Ricema, and I could write a book to begin to answer them. I think 1) for ACT/SAT and whether they are ‘hard’ you can go online, Google them both, and find information, probably sample questions, plus a lot of information about the tests on the College Confidential website. 2) Usually there is no limit on how many years students attend community colleges; some stay for just one quarter or semester and then transfer out. Some students stay and get a 2-year (and it may take more than 2 years) degree and then transfer to another school. It is up to your goals, your expenses, whether you have to work while going to school so you take a reduced load, etcetera. 3) you should definitely connect with admissions counselors at all of the colleges you are interested in attending. Sometimes there are earlier deadlines and/or special requirements for students coming from other countries, depending on your visa status. If you have dual citizenship with the U.S.A., then it’s probably not a big deal, but if you have Mexican citizenship, then I advise connecting with advisors at schools you want to attend. Good luck with all your research about community colleges and testing. Oh, and I want to add… I am from the Midwest, and at my community college ACT/SAT are not required for students from other countries, so again, ask the schools you are interested in attending if that is a requirement for you or not. There may be other requirements like English language testing, etcetera. :)</p>