Hii, I’m an university student in Mexico and I’m planning to finish my Communication BA in the US, the thing is I’m choosing between the University of Chicago at Illinois or the Arizona State University. At this point I’m studying the fifth semester of the degree, but I’m not sure which of both universities would have better quality education, since here there is a big problem with that topic.
Don’t know my GPA yet but my average grade over the last two years is 9.41 from 0 to 10.
Also, if someone knew which of the two options has a better reputation when looking for a job, since I want to work and settle in the US and another concern of finishing my degree in Mexico was that they wouldn’t recognize my degree there.
I would also be very grateful if you had any recommendations for other universities you know of that might fit for me. Thank you!
Do you already have either US citizenship or a US permanent residence visa?
Have you already been accepted to both of these universities? If so, then is there a difference in cost and are both affordable for you?
Q: Have you already begun the fifth semester in Mexico?
It is likely around a 3.7-3.8 on the 4.0 GPA scale, the one most typically used in the U.S.
NOTE: this is just a sample conversion chart. Your actual converted, recalculated GPA during an transfer application evaluation could be different.
There are several leading schools of communication that I can recommend. What is your budget? Are you a full-pay international transfer student applicant, or would you need to depend on merit aid/scholarships? Do you need to complete the degree in four semesters or less in the U.S., or can you afford additional time if required? UIC & ASU, why these two universities? Are you open to transferring to a university in any state in the U.S. or targeting specific states?
-Have you been accepted to both?
-Are both colleges affordable?
-Why these two schools?
-If you are not a US citizen you should plan to go back to your home country after college graduation. Is one school better known there?
-Most colleges do require students to complete two full years at the school in order to earn a degree. Check this and factor in the time needed to complete your degree.
You will need a student visa to study here. If your reason to study in the U.S. is to settle and work here, I would strongly suggest you not say that when applying for your student visa. Going to college in the U.S. should not be viewed as a way to eventually settle here…unless you already are a U.S. citizen.
So…can you clarify whether you are a U.S. citizen?
If not, you need to plan to return to your native country when you finish your college studies.
Yes, I have been an American citizen for around two years, and about the costs, I can afford ASU thanks to the in-state benefit, and for the UIC I think I’d depend of the scholarships and credits more than anything. There is a huge difference between both universities because of the in/out-state situation
Thank you for clarifying that you are a citizen!
So do your parents reside in Arizona?
If that is affordable for you, I think that is your option.
You need to also check to see which credits from your college in Mexico will transfer towards your degree. This is important.
The University of Arizona & Northern Arizona University also offer bachelor’s degrees in communication studies. These two universities plus ASU would be your three in-state public options in the state of Arizona, assuming that you only qualify for the in-state benefit in AZ.
Very important. Do not assume because you’ve completed four semesters at the university in Mexico that all you will need to complete four semesters, or fewer, at the university in the U.S. to earn your degree. At some universities, it is more difficult to earn transfer credit, especially from foreign countries. Some programs may require up to three years (5 or 6 more semesters) for you to complete your degree.
Yes, I started the fifth semester on august and it finishes in november 26th as far as I know
Thank you for the gpa chart, 3.7 looks nice, hope I can make it better for the next semester
I have no problem in studying two years more in the university, it’s the same time I’d spend here otherwise
About the budget, think I’d mostly depend on merit scholarships, and the reason for thinking about UIC is because of the syllabus I haven’t subjects tht would fit for my work purposes, since from what I’ve found they’re mostly for communication studies, and about ASU, I have family residence in Arizona, so that’s a plus for ASU because of the in-state option.
But I’m open to transfer to other states, thank you
I’m a little bit confused about that part for the application
I’ve been an american citizen for two years, but I’ve been studying in Mexico because I studied high school there, so I’m not quite sure if my option is the in-state student for ASU, out-state student for UIC or international for both
Is there a way to know which credits could to be transferred? I know it depends of the syllabus in the university I’m in, but, for expample, for UIC application, I’ve been trying to use the transferology site to check but I feel it’s no working or something
Have you been accepted to UIC yet - iow do you know the scholarship amount or are you just hoping to get a decent one? FYI my student was admitted there this year (as a freshman, not transfer) and got the highest out of state merit award, which as I recall was somewhere between $9k and $10k. Assuming that they are as generous with transfer students - many colleges are not - this is probably about the max help you can look forward to getting there. I seem to recall the actual cost after merit awards came in pretty similar for my student for both colleges (out of state for both), so I would assume that if you are instate for ASU it will be significantly more affordable.
If you are a US citizen, by the way, you are domestic (not international) at every US college. Whether or not you are instate for AZ (I’m taking you at your word for that) may depend on whether or not your parents live there - have you checked the requirements?
I think that you mean the University of Illinois in Chicago. The University of Chicago is a different university (and it is located in the state of Illinois).
I think that both are quite good. Staying in-state seems like a good option.
Converting GPA from wildly different grading scales to the 4.0 grading scale used in the US tends to be error prone. I and most of the people participating on this web site will not be familiar with the grade scales at the university where you are currently studying. However, admissions at the universities that you are applying to will have someone on staff who is familiar with the grade scales your school uses, and someone who is familiar with this will be helping to evaluate your application.
My vague impression is that 9.41 on a 0 to 10 scale is very good. Is this correct? I will admit that what little I know about a 10 point scale probably comes from a different country and different continent compared to where you are.
You are a US citizen. This will help your applications. Rules for being in-state in Arizona is something that I am not familiar with (we live in the northeast of the US).
The OOS yearly tuition at UIC is about $34,000. Most of the merit scholarships that are offered are for first-year or in-state students. UIC does offer a Merit Tuition award of $9,128 to both first-year & transfer OOS applicants, nowhere near $34,000. And that’s not even counting room & board.
The public university options in Arizona: Arizona State University, Northern Arizona, & University of Arizona are your best options financially, given that you qualify for in-state tuition & possible merit transfer aid & scholarships.
Most universities require transfer students to complete a minimum of four semesters (two full years) on their home campus to graduate. Most schools cap the number of transfer credits they will accept—often around 60 to 90 credits (or two years’ worth of coursework). You will likely need to repeat certain subjects.
Here are links to the three Transfer Credit Policy pages for ASU, NAU, & U of A.
I would check with transfer admissions at each school prior to applying.
What do you want to study? The Cronkite School is universally recognized but communication is wide in scope. I’d lean there.
On the flipside, I went to a renowned communication school and there were lots of kids and we each got little experience (journalism). I had a friend transfer to U of Montana…unknown but 20 kids and they got such a better education.
Name wise - ASU - if it’s in some kind of mass communication or journalism - is the far better name. It doesn’t mean it’s the better education.
But not sure what you seek to do in communication - which is a broad major.
Good luck.
US citizens outside the US would be considered domestic applicants, not international applicants. However, being outside the US likely means no residency-for-tuition-purposes in any state (or do you have a parent who is a resident in some state in the US?).
Where do your parents reside? If it’s not in Arizona, you probably do not quality for in state tuition in Arizona.
If you are a U.S. citizen, you are NOT an international student. You are a U.S. citizen.
Check your colleges carefully. You will likely find that transfer students do not get much, if any, merit scholarships.
Transferology is often out-of-date, and any info should be considered unofficial.
It’s generally difficult to know what credits will transfer and if they do, whether they count as electives or they fulfill core and/or major requirements.
Many schools won’t start looking at transfer credits until you have been accepted. Some require the student to make their enrollment deposit before they will start looking at transfer credits. Some charge a fee to complete the transfer analysis, for example, UIC requires $100 from students who have taken international college courses.
These are all questions to ask the transfer admissions contacts at each school. If the school runs virtual transfer admission sessions, sign up. UIC has a virtual transfer admissions session on Oct 9: University of Illinois Chicago - Upcoming Events
Make sure you meet the transfer requirements for your major, here’s UIC’s communication major requirements: Transfer Guide | UIC Admissions
Remember, in addition to tuition and fees, you will have other educational and living costs…books, rent, food, personal expenses, health insurance, etc. Amounts will vary by city, but I would expect at least $20K per year in addition to tuition. What can you/your family afford to pay for college/living expenses each year?
If you do qualify for in-state tuition in Arizona, I would expect that will be far more cost effective than UIC, both in terms of tuition cost as well as living costs.