<p>Hello! I'm asking this question on behalf of my cousin who currently lives in China. I would really appreciate it if anyone has any input.</p>
<p>So long story short, my cousin, who is now a 10th grader, has had trouble in school (now keep in mind that this is school in CHINA. I'm sure he would have no problem with the 10th grade curriculum here, except for maybe English that he would need a little help with) since around the 4th grade. He is about a C-average student over there. In China, grades are everything. If you don't make the grades, you WON'T get to go to college. </p>
<p>Naturally, his parents are concerned (financially, they are relatively well-off in China. Definitely not "WEALTHY" though). And my parents are considering working to get him a permanent residence card (not sure about the exact procedure there, but basically, it might not be until he is an 11th or 12th grader before he gets it).</p>
<p>We were wondering, if he were to apply to college in the United States as a recent green card holder, what criteria would admissions people use? Purely SAT scores? (Since he wouldn't have "actual" grades based on the recommended/distinguished curriculum or whatever.)</p>
<p>Honestly, I don't know anything about this. But could anyone maybe provide more insight?</p>
<p>Thank you so much, and I'm sorry for the long post!</p>
<p>The colleges and universities here will require official copies of his Chinese school records. Some will also ask that they be formally evaluated by an organization such as [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/) or [AACRAO</a> International Education Services: Welcome](<a href=“http://ies.aacrao.org/]AACRAO”>http://ies.aacrao.org/) The international admissions officers are familiar with the issues in schools in China, and will be able to interpret the results of the evaluations.</p>
<p>Tell your parents that it is perfectly OK for them to contact the International Admissions Office at the closest community college or 4-year college/university, and get some basic information about the processes involved.</p>
<p>Thanks! But the thing is, he wouldn’t still be considered an international student if he is a permanent resident, right? Because I’m asking this question on the assumption that he will have gotten his green card by the time he applies.</p>
<p>Do those same things still apply?</p>
<p>If he has completed any of his high school education outside the US, he will need to provide official transcripts from that school along with his US transcripts. Each college/university sets its own policy about the TOEFL, so some might require it depending on his ACT/SAT scores and how long he studies in the US. </p>
<p>Each state makes its own policy about in-state and out-of-state status for tuition and fees. If his parents are still in China, it is possible that he wouldn’t qualify for in-state status even if he finishes high school in the US.</p>
<p>The green card makes a big difference for financial aid. If he has it, he can file the FAFSA which would make him eligible for federally determined aid. State aid is different, and varies by the state, so you would need to check up on that too.</p>
<p>What does the green card do good for admission if he is willing to pay all tuition and expenses?</p>
<p>Green card makes no difference for admission. He will be compared to other applicants from similar schools in China. If he gets a green card very soon and completes some of his high school in america, his american grades will be compared with other americans and his chinese grades will compared with others from China.</p>
<p>peterindaegu -</p>
<p>Some places do limit the number of international students even when they can pay the full cost of attendance. A student with a green card would be counted as a US applicant in that case. The green card also means that the student has no restrictions for work or internships. Often international students find that they can’t apply for internships that they want because of their visa status.</p>
<p>Since the students from China all come with super high scores, your cousin will not be qualified for very selective schools. So you have to look into those none selective schools that will take anyone that is a full paying applicant and there are hundreds of them in the USA. If California is the destination you should look into CSUs, such as CSUEB, they receive tons of Chinese applicants like your Cousin. It’s not a bad school and has a beautiful campus because I live next to it. </p>