Am I a bit too late?

Parents Forum
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<p>First of all, I'm a Mongolian high school student. Gave my TOEFL exam and got 87(international student). The problem is, i haven't given my SAT exam, and AP tests yet because I wasn't knowledgeable in these fields. My plan is to give SAT in Feb or March. Now I'm having difficulty choosing a decent college with good financial aid.</p>

<p>Some of my friends told me that I should go into a Mongolian university for 1 year and transfer from there to US colleges. They said that i would have more experience in application form, essay etc.
But still, I can't make any decisions. Please help?</p>

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<p>Are you finishing HS this year? If so, yes, you are a bit late in taking the SAT or ACT tests. </p>

<p>What colleges are you looking to apply to?</p>

<p>Are you able to pay the full cost of attending a college in the United States? I’m asking this because if you go to college in your country and apply here as a transfer student, your chances for financial aid decrease. There are many schools that don’t offer financial aid to international students anyway…or limited aid to international students. There are even less schools that offer significant aid to international transfer students.</p>

<p>@happymomof1 I hope Happymomof1 sees this post. She can point you in the direction where you can get some help.</p>

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<p>It is ‘take’ not ‘give’ - just a helpful correction for @kenthegamer</p>

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<p>Check out <a href=“http://www.edupass.org”>www.edupass.org</a>. It has a lot of helpful information for internationals. </p>

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<p>Start by reading through everything here: <a href=“https://www.educationusa.info/”>https://www.educationusa.info/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Then, make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to you. There are two in Mongolia: <a href=“https://www.educationusa.info/Mongolia”>https://www.educationusa.info/Mongolia&lt;/a&gt; The counselors there are experts at helping students through this process. EducationUSA is a not-for-profit organization that receives funding from the US government for the purpose of providing accurate unbiased information about educational opportunities in the US. Any fees charged for services will be small, and will go to the direct support of the office that you visit. If the staff in your country is like the staff I used to work with in South America, you will be in good hands.</p>

<p>And yes, you should take a gap year rather than start at a university in your own country and apply as a transfer.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>