<p>The last few days I have been researching universities and everything seems so overwhelming! </p>
<h2>I want to go to a college that I will fit well in, and one that might also challenge me to achieve my best. I just don't know which schools I would want to apply, since most of the ones I practically dream of everyday wouldn't even look at my application haha</h2>
<p>I am an international student, female, and my average grade I'd have to say is a B. I did the SAT in June and I still don't know my results... :/
I am a valuable varsity volleyball team player and I also have piano lessons since I was 14 (I'm 17 now).
My school follows the IB programme, but I am going through the 2 years of IB, instead I am leaving school with a completed high school diploma, but no european diploma. Nonetheless, I have a great interest in science and I choose higher level biology. (Together with English A1 and Spanish B) I take 3 languages in total, biology, maths and business classes at school. </p>
<p>I haven't devoted myself to school so much, thus my average being a B or B-, but I do know that I am capable of getting higher grades and I want to dedicated myself fully in college.</p>
<p>That being said, which universities, do you think, should I apply to?</p>
<p>EDIT: please don't consider how much the university will cost</p>
<p>Check out the schools from the book Colleges that Change Lives. The website is ctcl.org and although they are not well known, they are (supposedly) amazing schools who will take a wide range of students, from C average to 4.0s, and will provide them with an amazing education that not many Ivy League schools provide.</p>
<p>I didn’t take the PSAT Hitch123, I am going to search that thread now thanks :)</p>
<p>Wiscokid, thanks for the recommendation, I am in the website right now and I am looking at the pictures from these colleges some of them seem lovely</p>
<p>It makes no sense for you to write “please don’t consider how much the university will cost” unless your parents are made of money or you have a huge guaranteed scholarship fund available to you. Every college and university in the US posts the current Cost of Attendance (COA) on its website. Read through several of them, and compare what is included other than tuition, fees, housing, meals, and books. You will also need to consider your transportation costs and personal living expenses.</p>
<p>Talk with your parents and whoever else is helping you pay for your education. Find out how much they are willing to pay. With your GPA it is unlikely that you would receive much in scholarship money. You may not be able to afford an undergraduate education in the US.</p>
<p>You also should take the time to 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.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) Then make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to you. They are expert at helping students from your country find good places to study in the US.</p>
<p>Why do you want to go to college in the US instead of in your native country? Would you be able to get into a university there? If not, and if your family has enough money to pay for it, taking advantage of the second chances provided by the US system may indeed be a good idea for you. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, most very selective colleges and universities prefer students who have already demonstrated that they can do well in school, not ones who think that they could if they only applied themselves. Assuming that your family can afford to pay $50K per year or more, some of TCTCL might be options for you, since they specialize in providing that second chance for students with unrealized potential. I have the feeling that you would just be lost in the crowd at most larger universities, and would not be able to establish new habits.</p>
<p>Hey everyone!! Thanks for giving me your advices, I really appreciate your time… I would say money is not an issue for me, that is why I added that, if it were an issue then that would be something I would worry about later. Also, I have family members living in the California, some in Boston, some in Florida and 2 cousins in NY. Yes, I know my family is big lol but I also, answering @Consolation I want to go to a college in the US mainly because I already have family there and I wish to pursue medicine over there. Medical schools where I live are good but I have always thought about living in the US and if I do medicine over here it will be hard or not time worthy to duel on getting the permission…
Do you guys think it is alright if I go to a university that would accept me for my current grades and if I get high scores and achieve a really high GPA over there, that I could apply to a good medical school? </p>
<p>That is good to hear. Next time just write that finances are not an issue. When kids just write that they don’t want to consider costs, that often means that they are in denial about money and just want to make “lists” regardless of whether they will have the means to pay. </p>
<p>Since you want to go to med school, you’ll have lots of choices for undergrad, since many, many schools can prepare a student for med school. :)</p>
<p>Without scores, it will be hard to give practical advice…since some schools require very high stats, while some will happily admit students with “good scores.” :)</p>
<p>So, in the meantime…what do you want in a school…</p>
<p>big campus
small/med campus (less than 10k undergrads)
quiet campus
rah rah big sports to watch
honors college on campus?
greek systems as an option
Catholic schools ok?
single sex
co-ed 50/50 split
rural setting
big city setting
collegetown/suburban setting
nice dorms
recreation availability
warm weather
cold/snowy weather
regional preference
is regional preference a requirement?</p>
<p>Will you be majoring in Biology, Chemistry, or something else?</p>
<p>It is very difficult for international students to be admitted to US medical schools. And the cost is very high. Even the “cheap” public university med schools cost more than USD 60k each year. This means that after spending in the range of USD 200k for your four year undergraduate degree, you will need to come up with at least another USD 240k for four years of medical school. Does your family really, truly want to spend that kind of money?</p>
<p>The standard advice for international students is that you should pursue your medical degree in your home country. Then come to the US for advanced training. Lots of people do this every single year. You can learn more about your options at [ECFMG®</a> | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates](<a href=“http://www.ecfmg.org/]ECFMG®”>http://www.ecfmg.org/)</p>
<p>That’s good to know…I didn’t know that it was actually harder for int’l students to get admitted to med schools. I can understand that it would be harder for state med schools, but I never thought of how it worked for private med schools.</p>
<p>Be aware, however, that grads of foreign medical schools are at a big disadvantage in matching into competitive specialties in the US. If you attend a college in another country other than the US or Canada and want to apply to US med schools, you would not be considered by most US medical schools unless you have a certain amount of coursework done at a university in the US or Canada. I can’t suggest the best route to take for this, but this is something you should know.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, I would think for many internationals who attend US colleges, money is not a significant issue since only a handful of the very top schools are need-blind to internationals. In many other cultures, the name of a school (especially if it is in another country) is the most important factor and the parents are willing to shell out lots of money for the name.</p>