<p>I am an American citizen living in china, i am hoping to go back to the states to continue a college education, but i am not sure about what kinda tests i need to take. I took the IELTS just in case and i will be taking the SAT and ACT. Should there be anything else i need to do?</p>
<p>It’s sufficient to take either the SAT or the ACT, but you should consider taking SAT Subject Tests if you are interested in the more selective universities. The TOEFL is more popular for US college admissions than the IELTS, but IELTS scores should be fine for most universities (double-check just to be safe).</p>
<p>PhotoT159 -</p>
<p>If you are attending a US-style “international school”, your guidance counselor probably can give you good advice about the admissions process. If you are attending a British, French, German, or other “international school” that follows another national program the counselors at that school should be able to help you if lots of the students go to college in the US.</p>
<p>If you are in a Chinese school that does not send many students to college in the US, you should read through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to you. There is one in Beijing and one in Hong Kong [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - EducationUSA China](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php?id=1105]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php?id=1105) [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - PAS - Hong Kong](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/PASHongKong]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/PASHongKong) If none of the counselors have worked with a US citizen lately, they have colleagues in other offices around the world who do have that experience.</p>
<p>Since you are a citizen, you can file the FAFSA [Home</a> - FAFSA on the Web-Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/]Home”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) which determines your eligibility for federally determined financial aid. Some people find this form very confusing. You should print out the whole formula from <a href=“http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf[/url]”>http://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/101310EFCFormulaGuide1112.pdf</a> and work through it on paper. This way you will know what to expect when you complete it online. You will need to convert all of the figures to USD at the exchange of the day.</p>
<p>Some private colleges and universities use the CSS Profile as the financial aid application.<br>
There is a good estimator at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Calculate Your Cost – BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>If you do not have a social security number (SSN), you will need to get one before you file the FAFSA. Find out from your parents whether or not you have one. Sometimes children whose parents were international students in the US when they were born here do not have social security numbers. If your parents don’t have social security numbers, when you file the FAFSA, you can just put 000-00-0000 into the spaces where the SSN is required.</p>
<p>Lastly, you need to determine whether or not you can be considered an in-state resident for tuition purposes somewhere in the US. Each state sets its own policy, so you do need to research it carefully. Start with the state(s) where your family owns property, and the state where you lived last.</p>
<p>There are a number of US citizens who are living outside the US who have asked questions very much like yours in the past few months. You might like to read through some of their threads for more ideas. I will send you the list that I have in a PM to save space here.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>happymomof1</p>
<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH</p>
<p>This is really helpful. I am actually studying in a college prep program in Guangdong province.</p>
<p>I also received ur message, thanks for all the help. </p>
<p>It is a pretty interesting program which sends a lot of students to America.</p>