This is a confusing question, but I will try to ask it in the least confusing manner:
Some background information-
I’m a permanent resident here in the United States, but I have Norwegian and British citizenship, and I’m a minority (apparently being biracial is helpful). All of my high school education has been in the United States. In Norway, they have a program in which half of my college expenses would be covered and the rest placed as a loan with virtually nonexistent interest rates. However, I would have to spend a year or two (exact length to be determined over summer) in Norway to qualify for the scholarship. I’m nowhere near college-level Norwegian, and I would have to take a 3-year BBA major at NBI because that is the only bachelors program taught in English that I have found. Or, I could take a year long course in Norwegian. I may be able to get an internship/co-op/ job also.
SO,
Would spending time in Norway strengthen my application or weaken it? Should I apply to schools before going to Norway? (Can I even do that?) Or should I go to Norway, and then transfer? And what would be the best use of my time in Norway?
Sorry if any of this is obvious or unanswerable, I’m just very lost.
Thank you in advance for any responses.
Whether this strengthens or weakens or does nothing in particular for your college application depends entirely on what it is you do with the time in Norway, and on the list of colleges and universities here that you would be applying to. Most of the colleges/universities in the US will not care at all that you have done this.
Transferring from a foreign university to one in the US is trickier than transferring from one US college/university to another. If you need significant financial aid, you should just start here. There isn’t much aid for transfers.
I’d suggest a year of Norwegian language studies to get you up to fuller fluency in the language. That would give you the option of choosing to stay and to complete an undergraduate degree there that is more appealing to you than the only BBA that is available in English. It would also get you closer to the level of fluency that you want to have as an adult.
Do remember, that you need to maintain ties with the US in order to keep your permanent resident status. You will need to file for a Reentry Permit if you expect to be outside the US for more than a year https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident Consult an immigration lawyer for advice on how often you should be returning (and for how long) if you will be abroad for less than a year.
Spending a year in Norway learning Norwegian would strengthen your application to US colleges (especially the “Norwegian/Scandinavian roots” ones, the preeminent one among those being St Olaf). You should of course do more than “go and learn the language” - volunteer, reconnect with family, etc.
As a permament resident, you’d need to return periodically to the US in order to maintain your status - you couldn’t stay in Norway for a year or you’d LOSE your status!