<p>I really don't want to do A Levels if I don't have to. I know it's possible to get in without A Levels - my cousin did this but she was paying full fees which I cannot afford. Are there any need blind universities which accept IGCSE + SATs only? They don't have to be Ivy as long as they give some kind of money.
I think I can afford around 10K ish for tuition only + additional for living expenses.</p>
<p>Another option I have been thinking of is attending community college or any affordable college, but since I don't live in the US, can someone tell me which college would be safe to go to - they must be really good though and give me a good chance of getting into a good university after the first 2 years.</p>
<p>“I think I can afford around 10K ish for tuition only + additional for living expenses.”'</p>
<p>There is almost nowhere that you could study in the US as an international student on this kind of budget. You would need absolutely spectacular grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation to be offered the kind of financial aid that would bring your costs into this range. Sad, but true. You need to look at colleges/universities in your home country, or other countries where the costs are lower.</p>
<p>I don’t know how much you budgeted for living expenses, but I would like to add as a word of caution that living expenses in the US are higher than most international students expect. The living expense estimate that you have to certify on your declaration of finances (anywhere from $10,000 - $20,000 depending on location) is the absolute minimum you should expect - and it only takes into account living expenses for the academic year. You need to add 4 months’ worth of expenses and/or a round-trip home for the summer months.</p>
<p>My brother lived in the US before, so I am aware what things cost etc. I have a budget for that and I guess it depends where I stay (big city vs small city), and things like tax varies etc.
I am prepared for that, I also am expecting very good grades which should work to my advantage especially if I do A Levels but I am trying to avoid doing them.</p>
<p>I guess what I am asking is - can you tell me some names of good community colleges? Or affordable universities i.e. some state universities maybe?</p>
<p>You can use [College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board) to search for colleges by price. Be sure to chose from the out-of-state price list. Remember that this is only tuition and fees. Search “cost of attendance” at the individual college/university websites to know how much money you will need to document that you have in order to get your student visa.</p>
<p>Why don’t you just do the A Levels? If you are expecting good scores, you might as well study for them and put yourself in contention for admission into a good four year college.</p>