<p>Hello</p>
<p>I really need some help but my questions and concerns may not sound smart so sorry for that</p>
<p>As you can see I do speak English without trouble but I'm a international student and I really hate it</p>
<p>I plan on going to santa monica college for the fall semester which is right out of high school. I graduate high school June 2011 and I am under the US educational system for my entire life so it's only normal for me to go for fall season. However I will be 17 by the time of enrollment but the application says I must be 18</p>
<p>I dont know if I have to check for fall or spring or both. Because I really want to go for fall and not wait a semester. I have friends who started college at the 17 that are international students and they got accepted to US colleges.</p>
<p>What is my possibility of getting accepted? I plan on writing about how I want to enroll in august even though I am 17. I know it's because I am a minor, but I still want to do it. I had so much friends who did it. I am almost done with the application and need to send it in soon. Oh, and I will be going to the states alone.</p>
<p>This does not mean I am in my home country because I do live in a US territory right now. </p>
<p>Thank you in prior</p>
<p>Have a nice day</p>
<p>also may i have some tip of writing my essay on why i want to apply to smc? </p>
<p>I wrote about how I like the environment to prepare myself to study in taking a bigger step and of how the counselors help me plan my years in santa monica and how it is the right place to attend for me to transfer into a four year college afterwards. i just can’t seem to write more than that…</p>
<p>Do you live close enough to Santa Monica where you can make an appointment to meet with an advisor? They could tell you whether to apply, or whether to work for a year and then apply.</p>
<p>no i just live in a US territory =[</p>
<p>therefore i cant meet up with any advisors</p>
<p>I would like to email them, but I want to know if any other international students at the age of 17 has done it</p>
<p>I want to persuade them…somehow to get accepted for fall</p>
<p>I have to write an essay and I am stuck at that part also. I wander if my age is at fault I’ll just get deferred to the winter or spring time …</p>
<p>I’d suggest emailing them, then. That way, you’ll get a definitive answer. They may be legally restricted against admitting students under 18, in which case, even they would not be able to do anything about it. Then again, they may not be.</p>
<p>By the way, some countries have programs where they will pay for overseas education, if you have the grades to convince them. Does your country have such a program? If so, you might as well apply to UCLA.</p>
<p>isn’t it too late for UCLA? that is what i know of </p>
<p>well I am korean but I dont study in korea so I don’t think I can get any options for an overseas education </p>
<p>maybe ill email them…do you think i should ask them if there is any possibility? </p>
<p>idk about restrictions…hmmm i did have friends at the age of 17 that are international students go to colleges at the states</p>
<p>You should definitely ask if there is a possibility. It may just be college policy, not legal restrictions, on the 18 age limit. If so, they may bend the rules. If not, work for a year and then apply.</p>
<p>A word of caution: You no doubt have heard that California is in a financial mess right now, and the community colleges seem to be taking the brunt of the load. If you come here, it might do you better to apply to private schools with good financial aid programs, instead of public schools. If you have the grades, you can qualify for merit-based scholarships. That way, it is possible for you to go to school at say, USC, for the same cost of in-state tuition at UCLA, or cheaper.</p>
<p>Of course, to do this, you’ll have to wait until fall to apply, so only do this if you cannot get into Santa Monica as originally planned.</p>
<p>i dont plant on wait more than a year so i think i’ll pass about the other colleges :)</p>
<p>i can still apply to santa monica for the spring if the fall one does not happen…about the financial problems…i do have the grades but i have low sat scores so it’s going to be hard</p>
<p>thanks for your help though! i think ill just apply for the winter session if i cant work it out because of my age</p>
<p>now the problem is my essay…any tips?</p>
<p>Think of the essay as a sales pitch. Write a short, one-pager where you introduce yourself, give three reasons on why they should accept you, and back them up. Confidence sells, just don’t overdo it.</p>
<p>ok thank you very much!</p>