<p>Hello parents, I'm posting this in the parent forum to gain your insight on this matter.</p>
<p>Due to family problems I might have to leave my current high school, which is in Canada, to a new high school in the US. I will be going into grade 11. </p>
<p>My main concern is about catching up and how that will affect my applying to college. Is changing high schools to a different country a bad/good idea? How different is the education system in Canada and the US? </p>
<p>Also, would it be harder for me to apply to Canadian colleges from the US although I hold Canadian citizenship? Would it be 'easier' to apply to US colleges from the US then from Canada although I hold no US green card?</p>
<p>I really appreciate your comments!</p>
<p>Here in the Washington DC suburbs, our high schools are full of kids just like you. They arrive every day of the week from all over the world. And, they do just fine. A lot of your experience will depend on the school you end up in. If the school system (like my daughter's) is used to receiving international students, things will go smoothly. If not, well then it will just be a bit more of an adventure for all concerned. You need to start by investigating the schools that you might end up in due to this transfer.</p>
<p>My daughter's friends who are Canadian have parents who can hardly wait to send them back there to college where it is so much less expensive. Even the ones who were born here and have dual citizenship are encouraged to "head North". Every year her high school sends several students to McGill and other Canadian universities. Not all of these kids are Canadian, by the way. Lots of them are US kids. The Canadian universities have lots of Canadian (and other) applicants every year who have finished their HS educations in the US, so I really don't think that this is anything to worry about.</p>
<p>What may be more problematic is studying in the USA if you don't have a green card. You will not be eligible for those loans, grants, etc. that are funded by the US government, and most public universities (this will depend on the state that you live in) will charge you International or Out-of-State tuition. In other words, even though you may be able to get into a US college/university, you might not be able to pay for it.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>