Hi!
I’m an American citizen who is living abroad, I am giving my Alevel examinations (CIE) and i would like to know if it would be a better approach if i went to a community school first before maybe transferring out to a 4-year university after a year or so. My grades are average but I would like to know the ways I can get into the a decent university, and whether SATS or ACTS are needed to get into a community college. Also, if i do get accepted to a 4-year university, would i get in-state tuition from maybe the 2nd semester? So confused!
No, if you attend a university or CC, you can’t get instate tuition.
You’re not considered a “resident” if you move for the purpose of getting an education. To be considered a resident, in some states only, you would have to work for a year in that state (New York, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah). If you win a scholarship, Missouri and Utah make it easy for you to be considered a resident but they’re the exception. Most states will consider that regardless of where you live and work, what matters is where your parents work so you can never be considered “instate”.
Finally, I would consider applying directly to 4-year universities in order to benefit from scholarships that aren’t available to transfers. In addition, most universities grant a semester or even a full year of credit for 3 A Levels + 1AS, so it’d be to your advantage to apply to 4-year universities.
Some universities don’t require the SAT. Temple (with “Temple Option”, where tests are replaced with questions and essays) is one that offers scholarships but there are lots of others.
http://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Optional-Schools-in-U.S.News-Top-Tiers.pdf
Finally, there’s no reason to be afraid of the ACT/SAT. Register for subject tests in 2 of your ALevel subjects as well as the ACT (deadline: May 5). Prepare well, using resources such as Khan Academy as well as prep books.hat score gives you a baseline score for your to work from over your summer vacation.