<p>Hello! Do you guys have any suggestions of colleges in California? I want a good college, but I’m still undecided, but leaning towards something related to Art, Fine arts and performing arts. But I’m an in international student, from Brazil, although I’m living in California for more than one year, and completed high school here, I’m going to have to apply as international student, because of that financial aid is not possible for me, and scholarships are very limited, and i really need a scholarship. Do you know colleges that give good scholarships to international students that are also good? Better go to a public, private or consider a community college? Any international students that had the same problem?</p>
<p>you need to do your own researches about the colleges to see what you like.</p>
<p>All schools have different vibes and culture, and you can’t let us to decide or recommend schools for you without information about you. Also, why does it have to be California?</p>
<p>GPA?
AP or honors classes?
SAT/ACTs?
AP scores?
awards?
ECs?
Any extenuating circumstances? </p>
<p>There are MANY MANY international students who are both competitive and financially struggling, so your last question’s answer is YES. </p>
<p>@paul2752 I just wanted to know what do you think about school, if you know good schools for art. I’d prefer in California because I’m leaving here now so it would be easier, and I really wanted to stay here…
My gpa I can’t really calculate because the teaching method in our schools in Brazil were completely different, so we didn’t have like AP classes, but we had about 14 classes every year…
I’m still going to take this tests.
I just wanted to know colleges that are good, you would recommend… I don’t have the best grades but they are good
Or recommendations of private colleges.
I do have some places in mind, just needed opinion haha</p>
<p>when you say that you live in California, do you mean that you have an F1 visa, are a dependent of someone on a visa, or are/about to be a permanent resident?</p>
<p>Whatever visa you have you need to consider private schools. UC schools will give little to no aid.</p>
<p>What’s the school like in Brazil? Do you have choices in what classes you are going to take? Did you take the hardest courses and get As?
Did you do significant extracurricular activities? What else did you do? Is your grade top class? </p>
<p>Did you take any SAT/ACT? Seems like you need to work on English…</p>
<p>There are many private universities in CA.
<a href=“Private Universities”>http://www.studyincalifornia.com/html/private_universities.html</a></p>
<p>Better schools for performing arts are USC and Chapman.
If you are not full pay, public universities are mostly out.</p>
<p>If you don’t post your stats, there is nothing we can recommend.</p>
<p>@artloversplus I agree, we have no idea what classes you took and how hard those were. Also, ECs are important because they are the best way to show your talent/potential.</p>
<p>Again, you need to look at other states for better options…</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 no, i have an F2, im depended on someone on a visa F1</p>
<p>So, schools in Brazil are pretty different, we cant choose our classes, so there’s no such thing as honor classes, AP classes, and all of that, but are hard level classes, I studied in a private school, and every year of my high school I had Portuguese, Literature, English, Geography, History, Physics, Chemistry, Math, Biology, Arts (visual, teathre and music), Spanish, Writing, PE and Philosophy
I have As, but mostly Bs on all those classes, and I didnt have many extra curricular activities because I had to be studying all the time, I had volleyball and dance classes.
I’m still going to take the SAT and the ACT, I’m not getting the best results on my practice tests, but I’m working on it, they are about 1700
I still want a college in California, because my family is here, but any other suggestions that might be worth going away?</p>
<p>Where do you live? With an F2 you’d better off look locally. Perhaps CC, for example Pasadena CC has excellent Art, Fine Art, Performing Art programs. If you’d like to go away for 4 year colleges, there are many to choose from and you have to specify the location, size and cost that you can afford.</p>
<p>I live in Burbank, I’m seriously thinking about going to a CC, but I still wanted to have a college experience… Size for me doesnt matter, I’d like to go to a large or medium one, but would be satisfied with a small one, location can be any where in california, preference for southern california, but cost is the problem, I dont have the money to pay for college, and I have to apply as international student (mostly sure) so I would have to rely on scholarships </p>
<p>There are almost no scholarships for international transfer students. If you need financial aid, your best bet is to apply as a freshman.</p>
<p>Will you graduate from a California High School?
Can you prep very very seriously and increase that 1700 - in order to go to college in CA <em>and</em> receive financial aid, you’d really need a much better score. I don’t think that its the best you can do based on your previous curriculum.
Have you talked with a lawyer to see if your F2 can be changed into a green card?</p>
<p>I graduated from California high school, may 2014, but I just studied 1 year of high school here (the senior year)
I’m working hard to increase my scores… I should at least increase it to a 2000? I’m taking the SAT this saturday, I’m thinking about taking it again in November…I dont know why my scores I so low, I’m struggling with time…
I can’t change to a green card, that I’m sure. But I thought maybe I could apply as a resident since I’m legally living here for more than a year…</p>
<p>Talk with a lawyer or check with someone in the UC and CSU systems. You need to know if graduating from a CA high school means you qualify for instate tuition. Specify you’re on an F2 visa.
If living there a year was for educational purpose, it wouldn’t count toward residency. If you moved there for other reasons (as your F2 visa would indicate) then you might. I’m not a lawyer, I can’t tell you so you have to ask the universities themselves.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634
F2 students are not eligible for in state tuition; only students with certain types of visa or status, for example, H2 visa, asylum, T visa(human trafficking victim) and undocumented people are eligible to apply for Affidavit of residency, which enables non citizens to pay in state tuition. I wasn’t able to attend OSU or U of oregon because even thoough I spend whole high school years in Oregon, my visa wasn’t eligible for in state tuition. The OP won’t be eligible either.</p>
<p>Also, if you are many Bs in your transcript, it will be very hard or even impossible to get in school with FA or scholarship, even in private schools. Only top schools will give enough aid, and it’s VERY competitive. I don’t know if she will be eligible for automatic OOS waiver scholarships…is there anyway to convert your school grade to GPA? I am indirectly familiar with your school system because in Korea, students have no control over what classes they take except English, which is divided to basic, intermediate, and advanced( i was in an advnaced class during middle school 
</p>
<p>Paul, don’t assume that Oregon laws apply in California, it really is a state-by-state basis. For example graduating from HS is sufficient. But I really don’t know how it works in CA - I think that all they want is graduation from a California High School but I don’t know if there are restrictions.
Unfortunately, anaclara’s stats aren’t in the running for Pomona, which is too bad since they don’t take nationality or status into account.</p>
<p>Anaclara: is there any chance you could become a permanent resident after 2 years? I don’t mean for CA, but for the US. Because you could go to Community College near where you live, become a permanent resident, work, save money, then transfer to a UC or CSU based on your community college grades.</p>
<p>The key question, to which we need a numerical answer:
How much can your family afford?</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 I forgot to mention that I read the affidavit of residency of California long time ago when I was helping my int friend in California, and it stated F-2 is not eligible.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/ab_540_affidavit.pdf”>http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/ab_540_affidavit.pdf</a></p>
<p>“Students who are nonimmigrants [for example, those who hold F (student) visas, B (visitor) visas, etc.]
are not eligible for this exemption” </p>
<p>@MYOS1634 yes, i was almost sure F2 visa couldnt apply as residents…
I’m gonna try to find something to convert my grades to GPA
Even if i tried other scholarships, is it too difficult to get them too?
I’m mostly sure i cant become a resident, but im thinking about going to a community college too
I dont know exactly what they could afford, but they both dont have jobs here…</p>
<p>@paul2752 do you think if my dad could get a social security number, because he’s trying to, would i be elegible to apply as a resident?</p>