<p>Hello! I am currently a junior as a foreign exchange student in America. i want to go to college in America and i have 2 choices for my senior year. i can either go back home and apply for college in China, or i can graduate from the American school I have been attending this year with a different visa.
For the high school in China, we don't do much in our senior year, so i will have plenty of time to study for the SAT and to write essays. I don't know if graduating from a high school in the states is beneficial for the college admission or not.
Also, if i am coming back to China for senior year, can i still ask the teachers from the US for recommendation letters? If so, when shall i ask?
Thanks !</p>
<p>Hi! We have been hosting a girl from Hong Kong this year and I will tell you her plan. She was enrolled as a Jr at our high school. She has struggled with English and reading/writing. She will be returning to the states this fall to complete her senior year/hs requirements at a private school in new York state. She will also be applying to college this fall somewhere in the us. I think she has a good plan. Her toefl score is 93 so she is trying to bring that,up. She has taken the sat once and will take again in June…don’t know scores til may 26th.</p>
<p>What kind of visa do you currently have? How is it that you feel you can change your visa type easily?</p>
<p>My exchange student is here on a J-1 visa. It specifically states that she may not return for two years. She knew this coming into the States and her program has stressed this part of the visa requirement.</p>
<p>If you are on a J-1, there are 5 possibilities for getting a waiver. See here to see if you fit the criteria: [Instructions</a> for Applying and Eligibility Information](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found”>404 - Page Not Found)</p>
<p>Are you sure you are getting a real diploma and not a courtesy one made for exchange students? This would involve making sure you have met all the town’s graduation requirements and have passed any statewide testing that is mandated. For example, here in my town I would doubt that you took all the years of English and would have sat the Minnesota testing that all students must take.</p>
<p>In my mind the best thing to do is return home. Get your teacher recommendations lined up and see if your guidance office here would keep them on file for you. If you apply to a college here it would be best if you can submit your official transcript from this year as an indication of being able to handle the work and language. Perhaps you can go ahead and sit the ACT or SAT in the next couple of weeks to give you a baseline score.</p>
<p>Get in touch with your programs network of returnees and see if anyone was successful in being allowed to return for study before the two years is up. Find out from them how far in advance you need to be in touch with the State Department for applying for a waiver.</p>
<p>Ultimately, and all this is my opinion only, the whether or not you apply with a US diploma won’t be as big of an issue as finances. US colleges have limited money for aid. If your family can pay all your costs a wider selection of colleges will be available to you.</p>
<p>Best of luck finding your way through the bureaucracy.</p>
<p>Well I am currently on J-1 and I’m sure that it won’t be hard for me to change to F-1 visa. I took the Ohio Standard Test and have had more than four years of english study, my school in the U.S said that i could get a regular diploma as any one else’s.
Also, I don’t think English is that much a problem to me since I have managed to catch up with every class and have straight As.
So, if i come back to China next school year, do i ask for the recommendation letters now or can i ask the teachers through email when i am actually applying for college? Also, should i ask for the transcript before I’m leaving this summer and take it back home?
Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>I would ask for the recommendations now while their thoughts of you are fresh. For the applications, the transcript and recs are sent directly from the school. Take a copy of the transcript home with you just for your records.</p>
<p>If you stay here next year, what would you do? Would you attend a private school? You will have a HS diploma and probably cannot be at a public school. Keep in mind this:
[Foreign</a> Students (F-1) in Public Schools](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found”>404 - Page Not Found)</p>
<p>ya if im staying next year, i would go to a private school which im attending now.
So, you guys think that it is better for me to go back to China?
I just want to make the right decision. Thanks !</p>
<p>So how do i ask for recommendation letters though? Can i still ask the councilor to write one for me? Also, i am not supposed to read the letters right? Then how do i know that they actually send the letters? Can i ask for both online and in mail?
thank a million!</p>
<p>Just ask them for the letters. Ask them to keep them on file, and tell them that you will let them know in a year or two when you are applying to college. If you send them an email every six months to let them know how you are doing, when you are actually applying to college, they will remember who you are and they will be able to update their letters before sending them.</p>