<p>I am a US citizen, but I got a high-school diploma from another country (GPA non-convertible). I am still eligibile to take high-school courses in US. If I do take a few courses here and get good grades, could I apply with my US GPA only?</p>
<p>Alternatively, I could take CC courses before applying to a 4-year college. What of these two are better in terms of improving chances of admission: (a) have some extra HS courses (perhaps AP level) and still being able to apply as a transfer or (b) have some CC courses and having to apply as a transfer. </p>
<p>What do you mean when you say that your GPA is non-convertible? Have you had those transcripts formally evaluated by [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/) or another similar company? Even if you enroll in high school in the US, you will have to include your old transcript when you apply to college. It is part of your academic history.</p>
<p>How old are you, and how long will the state where you now live in the US allow you to be in high school? Have you discussed that option with the high school that you are thinking of attending? I have heard of recent immigrants who were high school graduates, but still young enough to enroll in US high schools who have done that so that they could improve their English before going to college here. I haven’t heard of any cases like yours. If you have not been attending English-language schools, it could make sense for you as well. You would have better instruction in writing, and you would be able to get used to the US-style classroom before taking college-level work.</p>
<p>Many private schools (especially boarding schools) offer the option of taking an extra “post-grad” year of high school. If you post your question in the Parents Forum, you might get more ideas that are helpful for you.</p>
<p>I am 18. My state allows me to attend HS until I am 21.</p>
<p>My English is worse than that of a person who did all of her coursework in US, but it is not that bad. I did not know about the “postgrad” option. I will investigate this. Also, I will check the formal evaluation of transcripts you suggested.</p>
<p>I was thinking about taking HS AP courses, so that I do not “waste” time. Technically, I could start Community College courses right now, and transfer to a 4-year college later (and thus save time). This, however, is likely to reduce my likelyhood of being accepted at prestigious colleges later.</p>
<p>The reason I did not talk to the local HS counselor yet is that I have to be enrolled to have access to the counselor. I am trying to avoid any possible black mark on my transcript (such as enroll now and then quit a few days later if HS is not the best option for me).</p>
<p>BTW, I made a mistake on my initial post. I meant to say: </p>
<p>What of these two are better in terms of improving chances of admission: (a) have some extra HS courses (perhaps AP level) and still being able to apply as a FRESHMAN or (b) have some CC courses and having to apply as a transfer?</p>
<p>How soon is it that you want to be in college? How necessary is it that you attend a “prestigious” college or university?</p>
<p>I take it that you are already in the US. What are your options besides high school and community college? Would it make sense for you to get a job right now?</p>
<p>If you want to be college next fall, spending just one semester in high school isn’t going to do much for you as far as college applications are concerned. Applications to many colleges/universities were due on January 15. You would only be able to apply to places that have later application dates, and your high school teachers here wouldn’t know you well enough to write any letters of recommendation. In other words, the sorts of colleges you could be admitted to for this fall are essentially the same whether or not you go to high school here. HOWEVER, enrolling in high school here would be FREE as opposed to paying for classes at a community college, and as I wrote above, chances are you would get better help with your English-language skills - especially if there is an ESOL department. To really benefit from the counselor and AP courses in high school, you would need to enroll now as a Junior, and plan to spend a year and a half there.</p>
<p>If you opt for the community college route, your best bet would be to complete a full AA degree there. The community college should have several formal articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities that will guarantee automatic admission. Community college grads who have good grades and good letters of recommendation get into “prestigious” colleges and universities every single year. Make an appointment with the Transfer Counselor at your CC to find out where their grads go. In addition, most colleges/universities will not require copies of your secondary school transcript if you will have finished two years at the CC before you go to the new institution. This means you might not have to translate your foreign transcripts at all!</p>
<p>If you get a job, or find another “gap year” type activity (internship, volunteer work, etc.) you still need to think about whether or not you want to start college in fall 2011 or in fall 2012 (or later). For ideas on the kinds of US colleges that students educated in the country where you used to live get into, you could contact the office of EducationUSA in that country. [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php) The counselors there can help you put your paperwork in order so that you can apply for admission without detouring through a high school or community college. Again, it is late in the game for fall 2011 admissions, but there are plenty of places that do have later deadlines. [List</a> of Late Deadline Schools- Locate Colleges with Late Application Deadlines at Petersons.com](<a href=“http://www.petersons.com/college-search/late-deadline-schools.aspx]List”>http://www.petersons.com/college-search/late-deadline-schools.aspx)</p>
<p>You gave me some great suggestions. I particularly liked the idea of talking to the Transfer CC Advisor and to the Education USA centers (why didn’t I think of that???). I realize I have to get a handle on college finances. I believe my parents will help me up to a threshold level (probably equivalent to the COA of our instate college).</p>
<p>Incidentally, I found out that our local high-school has “open houses” at the beginning of February, thus I think I may have an opportunity to talk to the HS counselor there, since these events are open to everyone.</p>
<p>When I say ‘prestigious’ I do not mean ‘Ivy-League’. I mean a place that has rigorous academic programs and smart students. I do not have ‘tiger parents’ so I think I will need a place that challenges me or I may risk end-up just cruising by during my college years. The quality of the student body is important because, IMHO, we learn as much from classmates as we do from the professors. </p>
<p>I realize I will not be able to enroll in a 4-year college this year (bummer). So my target is Fall 2012. This makes it much more important not to just to kill time. The idea of taking AP courses or CC courses was to allow me get a few credits during this 1.5 years before starting college. </p>
<p>I checked the internet and our CCs have agreements with the state schools. There is a list of ‘automatic transfer credits’. However, there is no automatic admission to the state 4-year colleges.</p>
<p>Regarding the ‘gap year’ idea, I thought about volunteering and, in fact, I already identified a good opportunity to work with a local NGO (I double-checked, and I know it is a legit NGO). I do not feel like going abroad, since I just came from outside US and I want to get acquainted with the US environment. </p>