Hi! Myself and three other friends are from Norway, and would like to attend college in america. We’re wanting to have the time of our lives. Our climate here in Norway is very much like the climate north in USA, and we want a change. It would be nice with hot weather all year long. We would also like a school with pretty girls and lots of parties. We want a nice looking campus with “good vibes”. Also we play american football. And it would be nice to play that in usa too. We are not that good at it, but I wouldn’t say we’re bad either. We’re pretty athletic, and soccer would be a good alternative too, considering we have played that for around 10 years now. Anyway, my friends and I would really appreciate if we could get some tips for which school to attend.
What are your grades like? Have you taken the SAT or ACT? Unfortunately it’s not just a matter of where you want to go, but also where you can get in, and where you can afford.
It would be great to have some other information:
Are “you and your friends” juniors or seniors?
Have you taken the SAT/ACT? GPA? Applying for aid?
Most schools have football teams and soccer teams, if you’re really good at soccer you could try and get recruited. Most schools also have club/intermural branches for these sports.
I would say look at some California schools in terms of weather.
I’m not making it easy for you guys to answear me, because we haven’t taken any of those tests yet… I would say we are pretty good academicly. If I said our score is around 4,5/6 would it help you? One of us would like to study technology/computer programing.
could you write up a short description of GPA and academic interest for each of you? It would make things a little bit easier
Would you be more interested in a college with a powerhouse football team, where you would not be able to play the game yourself, or a small college where you might have a shot at participation? Most universities in Florida have top-notch football, but - if you are not a top player at a nationally-ranked high school - your chances of playing on their teams are practically nonexistent. Have you also investigated college costs here? They usually shock Europeans, who are accustomed to heavily-subsidized higher education. Even public colleges here will carry a hefty price tag, since you would be unable to qualify for in-state tuition at any of them. They can run upwards of $50k per year. Now, if finances aren’t a major concern, and you have a good academic record, you can probably qualify for admission to colleges like University of South Florida (Tampa), University of Central Florida (Orlando), Florida Gulf Coast University (not so sure about their sports opportunities).University of Miami (FL) is very expensive, but worth looking into. If you just want a pleasant atmosphere, you might try some small, private colleges in the area, like Eckerd or Flagler. If you have excellent academic records, and test well, then it’s worth trying University of Florida or one of the California public universities. Other places that could be fun would be College of Charleston (South Carolina, with excellent beach access), California State University at Long Beach or Channel Islands, or even Arizona State (warm climate, although not great for waterfront activities).
Thanks @woogzmama ! I will definately look these colleges up for more info!
If you are willing to shell out US $60,000 a year, you can try these private schools, not too hard to get in and known for partying, but do not have well known football teams:
Univ. of Miami, FL (don’t confuse this with Miami Univ., which is in cold desolate Ohio:))
Pepperdine Univ., CA (in beautiful Malibu)
Tulane Univ. in New Orleans, Louisiana
If you prefer some place that costs less, these party schools will cost around US$40,000 a year:
Univ. of FL in Gainesville, FL (good football team)
Florida State U.
Univ. of California - Santa Barbara (not big on football, but in a beach town)
Univ. of California - Santa Cruz (not big on football, but in a beach town)
Univ. of Arizona in Tucson, AZ
Arizona State Univ. in Tempe, AZ (beautiful suburb of Phoenix)
Most big public universities in the Southern especially Southeastern part of the US are big football schools and hence, big party schools (football and party go hand in hand). They cost around $35k-$40k a year. The weather in the South is generally much warmer:
Univ. of Texas at Austin
Texas A&M Univ.
Louisiana State Univ. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Univ. of Alabama
Univ. of Tennessee
JoanneB - The UCs cost closer to $55k per annum for out-of-state students. While most European schools provide rigorous enough curricula to meet the prerequisites, the students will need to calculate their GPAs using UC criteria to determine their academic eligibility.
Pepperdine is a fundamentalist Christian college. It has one of the most spectacular settings imaginable, overlooking the Pacific in Malibu, but it also has many restrictions that European partiers will need to consider. Some less selective private colleges in southern California include Whittier and Chapman.
There’s always University of Hawaii, if you really want a paradisiacal setting.
UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas) is another intriguing possibility. You can make road-trips to LA very easily, enjoy year-round warm weather (unbearable heat in summer), and get to some fabulous wilderness and ski areas within a day’s drive.
Clemson, in South Carolina; Auburn, in Alabama; University of Houston (and a number of directional, public colleges in TX) . . . I recommend that the students figure out how much they can actually afford, and schedule SATs. I may be wrong, but I’ve inferred that the ACT is rarely administered outside of the US. If their budgets are limited, and their academic credentials aren’t great, they should look into finding community colleges in areas that appeal to them. They can apply for student visas, once admitted, and then begin looking for accommodations. It could work as more of a gap year, and they can decide whether they want to stay here longer.