I have been extremely impressed with the San Mateo Community College District, also in California. (Seriously, the introductory-level classes I have taken here were taught better than the introductory-level classes I took at Stanford or Bryn Mawr.) Canada College has programs like fashion design, interior design and several digital media programs (e.g. 3D animation, graphics design, computer game design); the College of San Mateo teaches architecture and more traditional fine arts majors; Skyline College teaches performing arts. The campuses are connected via public transit, although that’s not as convenient as having all courses taught on a single campus.
The other downside is that the San Francisco Peninsula is not a cheap place to live either. But at least it does have a decent public transit system in case you don’t want to own a car.
It’s not just buying a car that is expensive, @Yunbw. Insurance for new drivers, whether you are 16 or 18 or 21 or any age, can be thousands of dollars a year, at least in my state of NC. That is why the above posts recommending a city with good public transit is a good idea, especially if you attend a community college. I continue to recommend to you a residential 4-year college, where nearly all students live on campus for the first 2 years. And at many small LACs, Bryn Mawr and St. Olaf to name 2 I know, nearly all students are on campus all 4 years. Many students at such colleges never need a car. It will be much easier for you to meet other international students at a residential school and get the support you will need. These schools are more expensive than CCs, but if your parents can pay, maybe a much better option.
Glad to see you are on College Confidential. As mentioned above, there are many links to help you navigate your way toward college in America.
It would be helpful if you told us where you have visited in the U.S. and we could make comparisons. Much of the U.S. including CA does not have good mass transit, partly because of the distances. I attended a 4 year university where the city didn’t have mass transit but students didn’t need a car because everything you needed was on or near campus and the school ran buses to the areas with concentrations of off campus apartments. Other colleges are in cities with good mass transit.
Few community colleges will have what you need in walking distance. Most cities do have city buses but they are no where as convenient as trains if you have to go any distance at all. And if you don’t live on campus, off-campus housing tends to be more expensive within walking distance of campus than in outlying areas. You could get on a bus route but that would limit your housing search. A dorm and meals on campus is far more convenient than an apartment if you don’t have a car.
If you want a community college because you absolutely want to start in January, look for residential colleges that have January intakes.
I agree with everybody above that a cc for an international student is a terrible idea : how will you find housing? How will you know how to handle a housing contract in a foreign language?
You’ll need to take the driving exam and pass it, then buy a car, then get used to driving on us roads (lots of congestion in California, and lots of driving issues). Until that’s done you won’t be able to get groceries because everything is far and apart and requires a car. The advice regarding San Mateo system is good because at least you’d have access to decent public transportation (all the better if instruction quality is good). Some areas of San Diego would also work.
How often do you write grocery lists, shop, and cook for yourself in your hometown? If you haven’t done it, start with a small budget and do it for a whole week. It’s time-consuming and complicated, it takes a lot of time your classmates will be spending on their studies, and keep in mind you’ll be doing it in a foreign language, with brands and products you dont know.
Socially, how will you make friends? Community colleges are meant for students who live in the community. After class, they drive to work or go home. It’s *much * harder to make friends at a community college then at a residential college or at least a college with dorms.
CAcc’s are a superb solution for local students, but really not for internationals.
Your ielts and igcse are excellent. You can certainly dispense with 2+ years in community college.
Note that UC’s will cost you close to 60k a year and you’d have no chance at a scholarship.
@MYOS1634 thank you, I will take a look at it.
It’s true I have no idea about housing and my parents have few friends in California could help me.
About the driving licenses, I might get it in the country I’m living in. I haven’t thought about buying a car at all, I will do more research on California states in general and ask my parents’ friends.
I have been cooking since I was 14 or younger, as well as grocery shopping. I have been taking care of myself a long time ago because my parents are sometimes busy with their work, or to relieve some pressure for them. What do you mean by “with brands or production you don’t know” like clothing? Or grocery?
I heard CC is much harder to make friends compare to places with dorm, but I will find a way out (not my main concern). I will talk to my parents about it.
Well, it’s still possible to transfer to other state universities if UC is too much for my parents. I know sometimes some credit can’t be transferred, but I will look into it.
@Sportsman88 thank you for the explanation, it made it more clear to me about why so many people recommends me to study in university instead of CC. I will discuss with my parents about it
For instance, you can apply to Penn State (a large research university, the public flagship for the state of Pennsylvania although Pitt could also be considered the public flagship). Either you apply for Spring, and are likely to be placed on a branch campus, or you could apply for summer session and start in June.
Plenty of other 4-year universities admit students in the Spring, and many don’t even require ACT scores (or have modest expectations for international students). Look on the Admissions page for flagships and private universities in states of interest to you. DO NOT neglect the Midwest (especially University Minnesota Twin Cities and U Wisconsin) nor the South - Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia are all growing exponentially.
BTW, while the CC->UC is a tremendous system for California students, it’s not for out of state and international students; it’s very costly and not a great value. (The budget cuts make undergraduate life difficult at the UC’s for instance, and while at instate rates they’re still a bargain, at international rates they most definitely aren’t.)
I got few questions about transferring.
-For example I got accepted into pennstate, but not their main campus (park) does that mean I will be in the branch campus forever and can never get into the main campus (no idea how different campuses system work)?
-Is it possible for me to apply colleges and universities before deadline and I attend CC at spring (1 semester) and then transfer with my credit to a university that will accept me?
-How can I filter from all the 300+ universities to only universities that accepts me at spring and maybe doesn’t require ACT? Like I’m really lost at what to look for tbh, I still don’t know which major will I take and scared to get into a school that doesn’t have a good reputation for my major (later on for jobs)
-I’m thinking maybe to experience in California for a semester and see how it goes then transfer if I don’t like. Do you think it’s a good idea? (My mother really wanting me to get into top school in USA because no point on spending money on average schools)
Could you recommend some states that have school with good ranking that involves my major ( it might help me to filter down the school I’m interested in) ? But have wild range of courses to choose if I felt my major isn’t for me. I prefer states that isn’t boring, like have things to do during my free time because I heard from my friends who visited Texas, saying it doesn’t have a lot of stuff to do and it’s similar from the country I’m living in. I just want some changes and new experience while studying.
Basically, the money I pay for education in California school isn’t worth for what am getting out of it (low bang per buck) . Am I right? So, my life won’t be so comfortable in California if I don’t have a good amount of personal expenses?
It may NOT be possible to transfer after just one semester – application deadlines/requirements may make that impossible without taking a semester off. And your visa is dependent on you being in school. Don’t count on such a quick transfer.
You need to really discuss money with your parents. It’s impossible to advise you without knowing how much your parents are willing to pay. California has an excellent system of community colleges with a guaranteed admission to the UCs if you meet the requirements. But if your parents can’t pay $60,000 a year for the UCs, it makes no sense to consider California, especially now that budgets cuts have made it more difficult to graduate in 4 years.
Just how much will your parents pay? Is $50,000/year too much? If so, the popular “top” schools may be out of your range.
You keep coming up with expensive, logistically complicated, or socially isolating housing ideas (apartment and car; homestay). Why not do the obvious thing and stay in a dorm?
@PrimeMeridian I never mentioned about owning a car. Well, I need to find a university that does not require ACT score and have a spring enrollment, or find a CC with dorm and I will start check after few days…