U.S. High School Student or International Student?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am a U.S. Citizen but I did not attend a U.S. High School. I am 17 years old and I have an educational background in Malaysia.</p>

<p>In June 2011, I graduated from an international school, in Malaysia, that follows the British Curriculum; I do not know whether this qualifies as a recognised secondary school leaving certificate as I had only received the Cambridge IGCSE's, and not the GCE A Levels. I have taken the ACT and the SAT II, and I will be taking the GED in December 2012.</p>

<p>I graduated from school over a year ago. During the past year, I had been working on my college application for the Fall of 2012. I had the most difficult time trying to understand the credit system and to convert my high school transcripts. And I did not receive admission into any of the universities I had applied to. </p>

<p>I found it really hard to fill in the 'Education' section of the Common Application. The school I attended did not follow a course credit system nor did they have a school counsellor or anyone of the sort to even complete the forms. I do not know how to go about with my application. For right now, I just want to know whether I should just apply as an International Student, whether I should go to a 2-year college first, is what I have sufficient to gain admission into a 4-year university?</p>

2

<p>You are a US citizen educated abroad. This puts you in a much more favorable position because you are eligible for better financial aid.</p>

<p>The IGCSE is a recognized school leaving certificate. Most colleges and universities in the US are fully familiar with it.</p>

<p>If you need financial aid, you are much better off applying to 4-year institutions rather than planning on starting at a community college and transferring. Aid is usually better for students who begin as freshman than it would be for that same student coming in two years later as a transfer.</p>

<p>One excellent source of advice for you is the EducationUSA advising center closest to you. There are two in Malaysia. The counselors there can help you with the entire process. If no one there has worked with a US citizen recently, they have colleagues in other countries who have. Here are the links for you:
[EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://educationusa.state.gov/)
[EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Malaysia#.UFjEiI1lTzg]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Malaysia#.UFjEiI1lTzg)</p>

<p>Do speak with your family about the money situation. In the end, what you can afford after financial aid will determine which place you can attend.</p>

<p>Are you already in the US? If not, where will you be taking your GED? If you are here, stop by the local community college, and get some ideas about ways to achieve your educational goals.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

3

<p>See [Adult</a> Education Programs](<a href=“http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21947.htm]Adult”>http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c21947.htm)

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4

<p>That’s good to know 4kidsdad! Thanks!</p>

5

<p>I’ll be taking the GED at a Prometric test center in Malaysia. And I’ll also be contacting the EducationUSA center here soon. Thank you so much! You have both been such great help.</p>

6

<p>I don’t think you’d get better financial aid. My counselor said that most kids attending international schools have parents that earn too much to get any aid. Most international schools cost at least US$10,000 per year (mine was over $25,000/year) so even if your parents’ employers paid for it, they probably earn too much money to get any aid.</p>