Sorry for the weird line. I do have enough budget for any college in the US other than the exceptionally expensive ones.
Why not focus on finishing your undergrad where you are, and then applying to grad school in the US? It might be worth having an hours long zoom meeting with an immigration lawyer who can lay out the advantages of that plan vs. getting a bachelor’s in the US. Depending on your major and how employable you are, it may make the LPT/OPT/Green card process much easier.
I am not a lawyer. But before you and your family invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on a US undergrad degree… worth an hour to learn the pros and cons from an expert.
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Thank you for your opinion.
I really want a turning point in my life, not happy here. It might sound arrogant asking without having any plans but I just started my research on it and setting them up.
The exceptionally expensive ones are the ones you want to attend. Virtually any elite private university will cost at least $80,000 a year. Even a post graduate degree will cost that.
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It doesn’t sound arrogant. You just need to be thinking holistically.
There’s a hard way towards being able to legally work in the US (which I assume is your ultimate goal) and then there are somewhat easier ways. I’m suggesting that you explore the somewhat easier ways before committing to the hard way.
You have the advantage of family resources (presumably that’s what you mean by having the budget) which means that assuming you do well in undergrad, you will be an attractive candidate for a Master’s degree in Data Science or similar. Those programs are shorter, so overall cheaper for your family, and likely makes you a more attractive employee to a prospective company. So more efficient use of your funds.
You can have a turning point in your life right now- today. The only thing standing between you and a turning point is YOU.
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My bad. I meant I do have enough for less than six digits a year.
I’ll make it clear that my financial status is not an obstacle.
It’s myself and my record that’ll matter🥲
Thank you so much for your earnest comment. I’ll keep your words in mind.
My DH takes graduate classes in data analytics for fun and to stay on top of the current info. He already has a masters. But his classes are largely internationals hoping for an H1B or extended F-1 STEM visa as a grad student. You might consider that after completing your undergraduate. Degree where you are.
I interpreted your budget comment to mean that your family has sufficient funds to be full-pay at any schools but not enough to make a donation of significant enough size to sway admissions.
Others have mentioned continuing at your Korean university and then trying to come to the U.S. as a grad student, which might be a more optimal path. But since you’re wanting to get out of the country, seemingly as soon as possible, I will try to present some potential options.
As you’re 23 years old, many of the colleges that are frequently mentioned here tend to focus on 18-22 year olds, so older students 1) have a harder time in admissions, and 2) might feel awkward with the younger students, as there is a lot of maturation that occurs in that time frame.
Below are some colleges that I think would have a good to excellent chance of accepting you. They all offer significant depth in computer science and are also mostly located in areas that are known for or growing in technology-heavy areas. As you are not a US citizen, however, there may still be difficulties in getting internships and other practical experience while here in the U.S.
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Boise State (ID): About 23k undergrads, 18% 25 and over
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DePaul (IL): About 14k undergrads, 12% 25 and over, in Chicago
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Illinois Institute of Technology: About 3100 undergrads, 10% 25 and over, in Chicago
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New Jersey Institute of Technology: About 9k undergrads, 14% 25 and over, just outside of New York City
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Oregon State: About 29k undergrads, 31% 25 and over
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U. of Houston (TX): About 38k undergrads, 13% 25 and over
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U. of Texas - Dallas: About 22k undergrads, 11% 25 and over
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U. of Washington - Tacoma: About 4100 undergrads, 25% 25 and over
Some of these have more of the stereotypical big school spirit and such (U. of Houston, Oregon State), while others are less so (DePaul, IIT, NJIT, UT-Dallas), and some are commuter campuses (UW-Tacoma). I don’t know what you’re interested in with respect to the size of the school or of classes or what else you’re hoping to accomplish besides getting out of Korea and coming to the U.S. But perhaps this list will give you a more concrete starting point, as you always want to start building a list with schools where you are likely to be accepted, able to afford, and that you would be happy to attend for 4 years.
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You are not a legacy at Columbia, plus your stats would make it impossible.
Look into public flagship state schools which are less competitive, see if they have what you want to study. They are probably your best bet.
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Thank you
Thank you very much
And what you understood is correct 
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I know number of people who were not citizens and studied here in US.
The simplest way many did this was:
- apply for a student visa
- get a place to live.
- enroll in the local community college.
Almost all of them were able to transfer to a 4 year school after 2-3 years.
Back in 1990’s USC was the place almost all of them got into because they do not care about citizenship or residency status. The few that don’t have that much money went to CSU to complete their degrees.
If you are set on a 4 year school right now, you will likely have to forfeit the one year you already did because most will not recognize the credit. And the ones who accept foreign students may not be the place you want to go. One of my friend’s son who lives overseas had the same idea as you and the only place he got into was Syracuse and they balked at the $80K + price tag.
CY, the immigration process has changed since the 1990’s.
It won’t be hard for the OP to get a student visa. The issue is being allowed to stay AFTER graduating, and being able to legally work in the US. And this depends on how attractive the skillset is to a future employer, whether the degree qualifies under one of the “extension” fields for the OPT which gives an extra year, etc.
None of us can predict immigration policy this far out. But in general, more education is typically a better bet than less when applying.
Which is why I suggest a consult with an immigration attorney.
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I get that. That’s not the title question and moot until she graduates.
As you only have one year of college, your high school GPA is likely to still be a significant factor in admissions decisions. How did you calculate the high school GPA? There is often a difference in how grades transfer from international countries to the U.S.
Actually, it appears as though for Korean schools, your GPA may transfer as you have indicated. For the x in 2.x GPA from high school, was it above a 2.5 or below?
Not moot at all. If the family has-- let’s call it 250K for the kid’s education, is it better to spend it on a US BA or an advanced degree. If the goal is to work in the US-- which it seems to be-- higher probability and faster track to a green card with an advanced degree vs. a BA.
If the budget is unlimited- hey, go for it.
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International students are eligible for transfer scholarships at Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Miami has some nice alumni connections in Korea.
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Good to know. But OP isn’t seeking aid or scholarship.
It would be considered an academic award/honor which can be listed on a CV.