University or College

<p>Hello!
I am a student from Germany and i would like to become an international student in 2014.
I could not find any other topic regarding my question. If there is a similar question i didn't find, please let me know!</p>

<p>Right now, I am figuring out if I should go to a Community College or start at University already in my first year.
I want to become a movie director, so I try to get into a film program.
Of course, for me as an international student, a University is very expensive, but do you think that i have a better chance to get accepted into a Bachelor-program if i studied my first two years at that University i want to get my Bachelor at?
Or does it not matter if i go to a Community-College first, and then transfer to a University.
Is the University influenced by the fact wether i am a transfer-student from a Communtiy College or if i am a 'known internal student' from the same University.</p>

<p>I hope, you can help me!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!
Stefan</p>

<p>If you’re admitted to a 4 year college, you’re automatically admitted to the full 4 years, once you’re in you don’t have to reapply after 2 years.
In addition, some universities offer financial aid or merit aid to international freshmen, but they don’t offer anything to transfers.
Be aware that time is running very very short if you’re looking into it now for Fall 2014. You need to prepare the SAT (and SAT subject tests) or the ACT, plus the TOEFL, register for the December tests for these (and for SAT subject tests see if you can test as a standby in November), register with the CommonApp, write the mandatory essay, write the supplements… all of this in the next 3 months or so.
If you apply for film, you’ll need a portfolio of videos you’ve shot representing your versatily and best work. If you don’t have one, it’s best to apply for another major and work on your skills while at college.</p>

<p>You can apply to community college (if you have your Abitur and a minimal TOEFL score, you’re in), but you won’t get any financial aid either for community college or university. Make sure to choose a community college that has agreements with a university you’re interested in.</p>

<p>Hello MYOS1634,
thanks for your answer!
I noticed that i need to hurry up now, the deadline for the University of California is already on December 1st.
Right now, i don’t have a very big, representable portfolio. I actually thought that i could work on my portfolio within the first 2 years of my major in arts.
Is it correct, that i could only - because of the missing portfolio - apply to a 2-year college (to get a major of arts), make some films, and then transfer to a university to get a bachelor’s degree? And I would not be able to get to get any financial aid when i transfer to a university?
And two more questions: 1. If i get a scholarship at a university, do i automatically get it for the whole 4 years, or do i need to apply every year again?
2. On many university’s websites i could not find much information on what i need to hand in (i.e. essays, portfolio,…). Are these information all listed in the common app, when i start to apply to a university?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!
Stefan</p>

<p>Do you have $50,000 in the bank right now? And will your parents have $50,000 for every year? That’s how much money you need to attend the UCs. The only UC that offers financial aid to internationals is UC Merced, and even there it’s meager.
Furthermore, the only way you can apply to UCs is if you can take the November SAT or ACT as a standby (call your country’s office).
Public universities* never offer financial aid to international students and only sometimes offer merit aid (scholarships) to internationals. These merit scholarships are based on your SAT or ACT score and since you haven’t taken either yet, we can’t suggest anywhere to you.
You can go to the financial aid forum and look at the “sticky threads” (at the top of the discussion) with “automatic full tuition” title.
You can apply to universities as “undecided”, take your requirements during your first year, and declare an art major during your second year.
You can also apply to a community college in California but the tuition costs will remain the same, you’ll still have to pay full tuition at the UCs if you manage to get in.
As an international transfer, no you can’t get any financial aid when you transfer from community college to university, or from college to college.
“liberal arts” or “associate of arts” means the traditional disciplines of learning including Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, etc. What you are looking for is “visual arts” and “film studies” or film/video production, etc.
The SUNYs and Ithaca college have excellent majors in these fields, for example, as does Occidental College.</p>

<p>If you’re awarded a scholarship as a 1st year student, typically the scholarship is renewed for 4 years provided you maintain a decent GPA.</p>

<p>You don’t hand in things - everything goes through the common application OR the application system used by the school (the UCs have their own system, for example).
You will need to provide your grades for 9th grade until 12th; results of external examinations (Mittlere Reife, Abitur) ; a recommendation and a school profile by your counselor or head teacher; recommendations by two teachers of your choice; SAT or ACT or/and SAT Subject plus TOEFL results; general essays; school specific essays.</p>

<ul>
<li>in the US, college= university. Where it gets confusing is that within a university you typically have several colleges representing the different divisions, such as College of Business, College of Arts and Science, College of Agriculture, College of Education… A “college”, such as Amherst College, Beloit College, Harvey Mudd College, Wabash College… are also universities. Liberal Arts Colleges are smaller and offer more interactive classes than universities, more opportunity to do research as an undergrad, and a close knit community. Large universities have great sports programs, especially football and basketball, more choices of courses and of majors, famous professors (although they may not teach undergrads), and they’re often in larger towns. Both are nationally ranked (national universities, national liberal arts colleges) or regionally ranked (regional universities, regional colleges). The top 60 liberal arts colleges and the top 40 national universities all offer very good undergraduate education and are difficult to near-impossible to get into.
Community college is an open-enrollment school. You don’t need to have studied particular subjects and you don’t need to have had particular grades. You can attend as an adult who wants to change careers (many do) or right out of high school. In California, the Community College system is very good but it’s not the same everywhere.</li>
</ul>