<p>Hey ;),</p>
<p>I have a lot of questions :)</p>
<p>Upon the completion of my Fachoberschule, I am to obtain a Fachhochschulreife (which is the same as the completion of the 12th year of a high school); and my question is whether it would entitle me to study at a good University (Ivy Universities, Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA…).
I am interested in Public Relations and Languages.</p>
<p>1) I don’t have the best grades, but if i achieve a good “grade” at the SAT test, will i have a chance to get into one of the good Universities?</p>
<p>2) Do i have to be a good sportsman to get into a good University?</p>
<p>3) Which University is the best for a international student? </p>
<p>4) Is it possible for me to get a scholarship?</p>
<p>5) Or should i just spent the first two years at a college and then transfer to a good University?</p>
<p>6) Is it hard to get good grades at a college?</p>
<p>5) Which college would you recommend me? (it should be affordable) </p>
<p>I would be glad, if you could help me out with these questions :)</p>
<p>1 – the schools you listed are all HIGHLY competitive. Unless you have excellent grades, excellent SATs, and other unusual accomplishments (national awards, international olympiads, etc.) you’re unlikely to get in. Check out the Stanford, Yale, etc threads on this forum to see who gets into the top schools (and the amazing students who DON’T)</p>
<p>2 – No, you don’t have to be a good sportsman.</p>
<p>3 – There are hundreds of good universities that would be good for international students. The hard part is finding ones what will give you enough financial aid. </p>
<p>4 – Public schools (Berkeley, UCLA) don’t give scholarships to international students. They are supported by state taxpayers, and their financial aid is limited to state residents. There is financial aid/scholarships through many private schools, but the ones that give the most $$ are also the ones that are the hardest to get into. Every year many, many international students cannot attend the schools they’ve gotten into, because the schools did not offer them enough financial aid. </p>
<p>5 – Many international student do this: they attend community colleges and then transfer. However, keep in mind a couple of things: the really elite schools (Standford, Ivy Leagues) rarely take transfer students. There is no guarantee that you can transfer to any of the competitive public schools (Berkeley, UCLA) There is even less financial aid for transfer students. </p>
<p>6 – Impossible to answer. “Hard” is relative 
But most international students in the US are surprised by how helpful and supportive their professors are, and how much help is available on campus. </p>
<p>7 – Look through this site for ideas on schools where foreign students apply.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply ;)</p>
<p>So if i would get for example a score over 2000 at the SAT, would i have chances (as a foreigner) to get into a good university without the unusual accomplishments?</p>
<p>Is the University of Virginia also that competitive?</p>
<p>I don’t know if my CV would make my personality something special.</p>
<p>I moved from Russia to Germany when i was 5 years old. But i didn’t understood the German language. 2 Days after i arrived in Germany, i went to the first grade of the elementary school (Grundschule). Every day was a struggle for survival for me, because i had to write all the tests without knowing the German language.
After the elementary school, not a single Gymansium wanted me. Even though i had all the grades needed.
So i had to go to a Hauptschule (i think its called secondary school in the US). After the completion of the Hauptschule i went to a college where i obtained the Fachhochschulreife (equivalent to the American high school diploma).
All in all, the past 10 years of school were a very hard time for me.</p>
<p>I my CV something special? </p>
<p>I don’t think so :(</p>
<p>I hope that a good SAT will give me chances to go to a good University.</p>
<p>University of Virginia is a public school, so you will not get significant financial aid. </p>
<p>To see what kinds of SATs get people into top schools check out the threads below. </p>
<p>[Ivy</a> League - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ivy-league]Ivy”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ivy-league)</p>
<p>and here
[Colleges</a> and Universities - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/colleges-universities/]Colleges”>Colleges and Universities A-Z - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>You have to realize that the US isn’t Europe. Education here is very expensive, American parents have to save for their child’s college tuition for many many years. If they don’t have enough, both parents and children go into debt. Student debt in this country is a big problem: imagine being 22, just starting out in your career, and already burdened with tens of thousands of dollars in debt! That’s the case with millions of Americans. </p>
<p>Why not study in Europe? It’s not expensive, and the standards are high. If you still want to come to the US, you could try for your graduate degree (Phd) those programs are usually funded: you don’t pay tuition and earn a stipend.</p>