<p>Hi, I'm a senior in high school living in US who stepped into some bad situation. Long story short, I can't afford to go to schools that accepted me. (yeah... I'm blaming my international student status :D)</p>
<p>Anyhow, one of my options is to go to AASU and go to dual enrollment program with GA tech where I will be transfered to GA tech after 2 years. (the GA tech cleverly called it GA tech-Savanah campus) Other than that, I could take A LOT of debt or I could go to Community College.</p>
<p>Since I REALLY don't want t drain my family or take HUGE debt, my option is between AASU and community college. In either way, I want to transfer to somewhere else after the first year, because I can't afford GA tech (international student).</p>
<p>The problem is that I don't know anything about transferring and can't find a right thread in CC. So my question is, in order to transfer as a sophomore to private college with engineering programs and financial aids availability to international students, should I go to Community College or AASU?</p>
<p>Looking at AASU's average SAT scores, I don't think AASU will be so difficult.
SAT Math: 450 - 550
SAT Critical Reading: 460 - 560<br>
I have 740 is math and 690 on reading. Plus, I get 20 hours of credits via AP classes. </p>
<p>However, what concerns me is the possibility of me making less than 4.0 in AASU? IF I get around 3.8 in AASU, would a kid from community college with 4.0 look better?</p>
<p>Thank you for your help</p>
<p>ps Is anyone else under similar situation? For me, this is completely demoralizing. I can't even talk to my parents because I'm so sorry that I didn't work hard enough to be accepted into my first-choice colleges where the financial aid could have been better. Plus I know that they are sorry too because they can't afford me to go to colleges I got accepted into.</p>
<p>It really depends on where you’re looking to transfer. Some institutions – the UCs and Williams come to mind immediately – give preference to community college transfer students. Others indirectly give preference to community college transfer applicants because they’re looking for more socioeconomic diversity, though that probably wouldn’t make much of a difference for most students; they’re going to be low-income no matter where they go.</p>
<p>I had a really, really, really outstanding academic background and list of accomplishments, including higher SAT scores than yours, and I still chose community college instead of starting at a state university before transferring. It made the most sense financially, it gave me a chance to figure out what type of program and college I wanted the most, it provided me with professional transfer advising available on a regular basis (which most state universities obviously don’t have), and otherwise gave me many more opportunities than I would have expected when I first enrolled. I also was able to apply for all of the national transfer scholarships, virtually all of which are only open to community college students.</p>
<p>So, I would say to go that route. Do as many honors courses or options as possible, take on extra work to bulk up your classes (rather than kicking back and feeling that they’re easy), do some independent studies or research if you’re able to, and get involved on campus, and then go for it and see what happens. :)</p>
<p>My advice is - do not enroll anywhere. Take a year off, work, retake SATs, and re-apply. As a transfer student who is also an int’l student, you won’t be able to get financial aid anywhere, except at a handful of highly competitive schools like Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc. It is much much much much better to be applying as a freshman than as a transfer.</p>
<p>drek’thar/// seriously?.. wow. Well, I know a handful of not so prestigious schools that I could have gotten need based and non-need based financial aid, but that was just for freshmen?</p>
<p>If I take a year off, what could I do? retaking SATs seem s little limited. Will studying by my self and taking AP tests or getting a job count in anyways?</p>
<p>At most schools, funds for transfers are distributed according to the residual principle - transfers get aid only if the school has some aid left after giving all aid to its freshmen. Many schools explicitly state that they do not provide aid for transfer students (or for transfers who are international).</p>
<p>Of course, if you’re looking only for top schools like Yale/Harvard/MIT/Dartmouth/Amherst (need-blind for international students, including transfers), you don’t have to worry - those schools have enough money both for freshmen and for transfers, but most schools don’t.</p>
<p>do you think risking to go to CC and aiming for ivies and other top schools is too risky?</p>
<p>how about when compared to taking a year off and going through another admission? Cause I don’t think I’m going to be admitted to the schools I got wait listed just because I re-took SATs…</p>
<p>It is not risky at all, but if the financial aid is a concern for you, you are a lot better off applying as a freshman. I reiterate - it is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult (in some cases - simply impossible) to get financial aid if you’re entering as a transfer.</p>