I am currently enrolled in a community college and I am hoping to transfer by next fall. However, I only have my IGCSE’s and it’s not the A levels. I’ll soon be taking the SATs and TOEFL for my transfer application but I was just wondering what my chances are to apply to universities without a diploma.
Make a list of colleges that you are interested, and then check on the admissions website to see if they need a diploma. Some schools, like MIT even, don’t require one, and will take a GED. I highly recommend you get a GED if you didn’t finish Highschool
In the US, the community colleges, which offer the first two years of a bachelors degree program, might accept you with just your GCSEs. You’d do your first two years there, then transfer to a university to finish out the bachelors.
I don’t know of any four year, bachelors degree granting unis in the US that will take only your GCSEs, and not require A levels. You could look at the lower tier (look at the US News and World Report college rankings, tier 4) universities, and contact their admissions offices and ask.
If you graduate from the CC with an Associates degree, then not having finished your A levels shouldn’t matter at all.
Contact each place on your list, and find out what they require from transfer students.
Are you a US citizen or legal permanent resident? If you are, you need to find out whether or not your state of residence considers your GCSEs and CC coursework to have met the requirement for high school graduation. If you don’t have a full secondary school diploma or the state-approved equivalent (GED, Adult Diploma, etc.), you are ineligible for federal financial aid as determined by the FAFSA.
@ConcernedRabbit I can’t take the GEDs now that I’m already in my second year of college; all the credit that I’ve taken will be void. I found out about the GED but only after I took classes so I didn’t really consider it at all.
@RoaringMice I know I’m trying that method with the 2 years at CC 2 years at uni. The unis I know that accept GCSEs without a high school diploma are only UCs. UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, and this is because many of my friends got accepted but I was curious about schools on the East Coast because I’m aiming for UPenn, NYU, and Columbia as well and I would like to know my chances.
@happymomof1 I have no intention of graduating from a CC with an associates degree. I am also not a US citizen or a permanent resident. I have no intention of getting the financial aid as well so I don’t really mind if I am eligible or not.
@el1369 who told you your credit would be void if yook the GED? I’ve never heard of that! Many high school students earn CC credit before they graduate high school. I myself was in a very odd situation, my private high school agreed to give me dual credit and a diploma if I finished my senior year at college. The private high school went bankrupt and closed so I never got a diploma, my college freaked out and said the only way I could continue would be to take the GED, which I did and those credits both pre and post GED transferred to two other colleges with out an issue.
The California State Universities, which are different than the UCs, also accept students who have two years at a CC without having graduated from high school.
An associates degree usually makes transferring easier. Why don’t you want to pursue one?
The answer to your question is to talk to international admissions at the schools you are interested in.
@3scoutsmom well my friend told me that. Oh wow. Well, I never knew. But the thing is now that it’s now approaching fall I’ll have no time to take the GED because I’ll be sending in my applications by November.
@simba9 oh okay thanks for the info
@aroundhere I’m not really sure how it works and what it is. I’m just aiming to finish 2 years and transferring I don’t want to spend more time at this CC than I have to.
@el1369 The GED is taken at a testing center on a computer unlike the SAT it not just given a few times a year you can take it when ever, you’ll have your score back with in three hours. Here’s a link to a free practice test, if you can do well on the SAT you really shouldn’t have a problem with the GED
https://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/freepracticetest
It’s not just putting in the number of years at community college; it’s getting the right courses with an appropriate GPA for your target school list. An associate’s or direct transfer program helps make sure you have both broad general education requirements done plus preparation for your future major.
Have you ever met with academic advising to go over your plans?
California public universities (CSUs and UCs) do not require junior-level transfers to have high school diplomas or GEDs.
In your case, there is absolutely no need to waste one more second thinking about a GED. The only reason to take the GED would be to qualify for the FAFSA in states where the GED is specifically required. Since you are international, you can’t file the FAFSA anyway.
There are a number of colleges and universities in the US that accept students with IGCSEs. Run a search here for threads on that topic, or scroll through the threads in the International Students Forum. You could also email the counselors at the EducationUSA office closest to where you used to live and ask them for their suggestions: https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center
There also are plenty of colleges and universities in the US that accept any student who they believe to be college ready - that is where those college students who are in the news for being only 10 years old come from.
But as stated above, with two years of CC credits (even better with a full AA or AS degree) you are fine for applying for transfer. Go sit down with the Transfer Advisor at your CC, and get some help formulating your application list.