<p>Hello,
I am a very confused 17 year old British student looking at the possibility of studying in the USA fall semester this year or spring 2014. From the research I have done, the system in america is different to what is in place here in England. There are several things I want to ask, which will help me in my decision making and application process in general.</p>
<p>Firstly, in England we do qualifications called A-levels which lead onto university study, would american colleges and universities award merit for the grades I attain in my A-level subjects?
Secondly how important are SAT's and ACT's in the application process, as the UK system is based on predicted grades opposed to actual grades when securing a university place. Would I have to do these both these tests and would it have to be done before applying?</p>
<p>From what little information I can find regarding UK students. Funding, at a glance, seems scarce or hard to obtain.
what provision is available for international students in America, for living expenses, course materials and tuition?</p>
<p>What time frame should I aim to work within for entry to a college or university this year, in terms of my applications, financial, tests and visa's.
Additionally do institutes also have courses that start at the beginning half of 2014?</p>
<p>And finally, there is very little information on the most important thing,
How do I apply!?</p>
<p>Any advice and information greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
H. Khera</p>
<p>Hey! I am also A Level student but lives in Pakistan so we both are International students. Most Colleges and Universities in USA give credit to A Level courses but admission are not solely on grades like in UK ( I also had applied to UK and got accepted to KCL, Imperial, Sheffield and UCL). SAT or ACT is integral part of any application as they are regarded one of the most significant factor for gaining admission in USA. Fundings for International students is limited and approximate cost of attendance of any good prive college is 55000$ (Its large amount for me atleast to pay). But Financial aid is available from Ivy Leagues and some Liberal arts colleges US application is extremely different from UCAS. We have to apply through Common Application (google it) and process is sophisticated as there are essays supplements and school forms which take much time to complete. btw mostly colleges have deadline of 1st Jan which has passed away so do consider colleges which has deadline of 15th Jan. Good Luck Hope that helps</p>
<p>There is no equivalent of UCAS and therefore no single form to us for applying (though you can apply to multiple schools using the common app as mentioned above). You will therefore need to go to the website of each school you are interested in and find the section on international applications.</p>
<p>US schools value grades much less than UK unis. Your application will be a lot more about your extra curricular activities than school work. Hence the whole process tends to be much more involved than for UK unis.</p>
<p>It’s too late to start your application for fall 2013. A few colleges may have their application deadline in 2 weeks or in a month, but most application deadlines were over on 1st Jan. You may try applying for Spring 2014 or fall 2014.
Total cost of attendance for International students may range from $45,000 to $55,000. Universities like U of Michigan and U of Miami provide merit scholarships but they are given on a competitive basis.
A handful of universities are ready to offer grants to international students, based on how much assistance a student needs. The university can either be need-blind (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth and Amherst) or need-aware (quite a few, including UPenn, Cornell, Stanford, Duke) for intl students. Google the difference between need-blind and need-aware to get a better understanding.</p>
<p>As far as I know, most universities offer financial aid to international students for the fall semester ONLY.</p>
<p>Thank you all!
I thought the deadline for this fall may have past. Would there be any disadvantage enrolling for spring 2014 opposed to fall? I am assuming fall is the main semester people generally start university or college.
Secondly, would going down the associates degree into bachelors degree be an effective route or is it better to go straight for a bachelors degree.
Thanks again.</p>
<p>Most Associates degrees are granted by community colleges, which are usually not residential colleges, and they are not likely to have much aid available. If you are full-pay, it may be a cheaper alternative, but they are also less likely to be familiar with A-levels, and to offer credit for them.</p>
<p>Many colleges and universities that have rolling admissions will still accept international applications until May or later. The risk of applying very late is that all of the visa paperwork might not be finished in time.</p>
<p>Contact the advisors at the closest EducationUSA office, and ask for their help. They are the real experts.</p>
<p>cupcake is flat-out wrong about the relative importance of grades and extracurricular activities. Grades have always been the single most important factor, followed by ACT or SAT exam scores. Extracurriculars only enter into the equation after that, and only for certain colleges and universities. Nationwide, the majority of colleges and universities don’t look at extracurriculars at all.</p>
<p>Speak with your parents about how much they can pay. Then read the threads here and in the financial aid forum about aid for international students. That will help you determine if coming here to study is do-able. Without aid, it will be very difficult for you to find even a community college where your total cost of attendance would be less than USD 20000 each year.</p>
<p>Thank you again guys, the advice has helped me a lot!
In fact I was just reading about rolling admissions. However, on the college and university websites I have been on they do not mention these sadly.</p>
<p>Finances are the only hurdle when it comes to higher education in both the UK and the USA. Here students generally get a loan that covers tuition and living expenses and is only repaid after reaching a certain income threshold (around $32000/£20000), that said tuition in the UK tripled last year from around $5000 to $14500 (from £3000 to £9000 per year) at a lot of institutions which is one of the minor reasons I want to throw my hat in the ring.</p>
<p>Sadly, the ‘Student loans company’ does not cover study abroad. And with my sister in her second year at a London university, with its high living costs, my parents will struggle if I become a burden on their finances. Anyone know if any lenders would lend to international students, I know that HSBC lends to students however their scheme, at a glance, is for students in India. Many of the banks i have seen require a US citizen to cosign, I do have a great uncle and some 2nd cousins in america but it is highly unlikely they would cosign for me. </p>
<p>Banks without american cosigners, that allow British cosigners would be great if anyone could suggest some.</p>
<p>Thanks again and sorry for the seemingly idiotic and lazy questions ^^</p>
US application is extremely different from UCAS. We have to apply through Common Application (google it) and process is sophisticated as there are essays supplements and school forms which take much time to complete. btw mostly colleges have deadline of 1st Jan which has passed away so do consider colleges which has deadline of 15th Jan. Good Luck 
Hope that helps</p>