<p>Hello there,
I'm an Italian student almost 21 years old and I would like to study in the US.
My TOEFL ibt is 86, I'm gonna take the SAT on May, and my GPA (high school finished in 2009) is 3.8.
I want to have an advice... an advice that you would give to your friend...</p>
<p>WHAT SHOULD I DO? I feel that I'm late to start my undergraduate (chemistry) next September, and more more late to apply for merit scholarship (since I don't have the SAT yet, and the income of my parents is about 170,000- 180,000 dollars/year)</p>
<p>1) Somebody told me: "Start to write essays, work on your SAT and TOEFL and you could start on September 2012 in a very good university with some merit scholarships.</p>
<p>2) Somebody told me: "Study two years in a community college and after transfer to a 4 years university.</p>
<p>3) Somebody told me: "you are still in time to start your undergraduate on September 2011, but not in a prestigious university, but you are late for a merit scholarship.</p>
<p>I'm really confused, I feel that I want to study in a university, before I'm to old, and doing the normal college experience (fraternities, dorm, parties etc.)
Should I follow the first option? Starting my undergraduate on September 2012, when I'll be 22 years old? Would be a good idea to spend that year working abroad and learning another language?</p>
<p>Thanks for the attention</p>
<p>What have you been doing since graduating in 2009? If you have been attending school in Italy (or anywhere else) – even if it’s not in chemistry – you’d be considered a transfer student, in which case merit aid would be extremely difficult to get. In fact, in general it’s VERY DIFFICULT for international students to get any financial aid. </p>
<p>If money is a huge problem, a community college and transfer is a good option: it will save you money, and could pave the way to a good university. For example, many of the University of California campuses have a near guaranteed transfer policy for qualified community college students, (Although once at the UC you may not get any aid due to, again, your transfer status.)</p>
<p>If you can do without merit aid, you could explore which universities have ‘rolling admissions’ and are still taking student applications for next fall. Many good schools are still accepting applications. Search ‘rolling admissions’ on College Confidential for a list of those schools. But it’s true that you are past the deadlines for the fall semester at many of the very well known ‘elite’ colleges, including the Ivy Leagues. </p>
<p>As to having “the normal college experience (fraternities, dorm, parties etc.)” at your age – I suppose it MAY be possible. But I also think you might often feel out of place in a dorm or fraternity. You’d be 22 or 23, many of the other freshmen barely 18 and unable to even order a glass of wine in a restaurant for another 3 years! (Legally, that is.) My suggestion: rethink this part of your American college dream :)</p>