What should I do after AS-Level?

Hey everyone, I live in Pakistan and I completed matriculation level last year. I’m completing my AS-Level in English Language, Business studies and Media studies this year. I’m moving to United states within a few months, after my AS exams in May. I would like to know if I can get my admission directly into college without A2 or would I have to attend 12th year of highschool first? I am an American citizen.

Some, but not all American universities would consider applicants from British-patterned school systems with O-levels/GCSE/GCE. If you cannot find the admission requirements to a particular university online (they would usually be somewhere in the international student section), you can email them and ask.

Your AS-level courses may not help you very much since they are not in subjects considered “college-preparatory” in the US.

The bad news is that most application deadlines for this upcoming fall semester have already passed. Your best option may be community college.

If your entire family is moving to the US, I would strongly encourage you to consider attending 12th grade at a US high school. First, you would qualify for in-state tuition and in-state scholarships at public universities, which can make a huge difference financially. (Getting in-state status usually requires living in that state for 12 months prior to college enrollment.) Second, you would get access to a much larger pool of private scholarship money. Third, you would have a US guidance counselor to guide you through the college admissions process. Fourth, you would have a US high school diploma, which is important for employment purposes if you need to take a break from college for whatever reason.

I concur, it’s be hugely advantageous for you as a US citizen to matriculate at a US high school and, in fact, do both 11th and 12th grade there - or at least the 12th grade. Your AS levels won’t be considered so you’d be applying with O’levels only, thus missing out on any universities and many scholarships.
What O’levels do you have and what marks did you get for each?
You’ll need to take math, science, history/social science, and English. Typically you’d also need a language other than English. Since your native language isn’t English you may get the World Language requirement waived, or you may take a new foreign language. Finally, you’ll likely have to take 1-3 elective classes or art/music.
They may not allow you to graduate without a US history course so you may have to take US history and another social science.

My entire family is moving back to the US. And yes, I personally thought that the idea of attending 12th grade in US highschool would be a better option.
Thank you for helping

I did Matric with 80% marks, instead of O levels. My subjects were Math, physics, chemistry, computer studies, Islamiat, social studies, english and urdu. Matric is equivalent to 10th grade and i’m currently in grade 11 (AS-Level). Is it important to repeat 11th?

It would give you more time to get used to the system, get to know teachers for recommendations, take tests, etc. It all depends what kind of universities you’re thinking of.
However, you would’t “repeat” 11th since few of the classes you’d take would be similar to that you’re doing for AS Level.

You can discuss this with the guidance office when you enroll in high school. Odds are you will be placed in a grade level based on your age alone.

Education in the US is not standardized, unlike the curricula elsewhere in the world. Regardless of which grade level you are placed in, you can choose courses appropriate given your background. Some American high school students take university courses (physically at a university) in high school. Others barely master O-level type material before graduating.

Since the academic background of high school graduates varies so much, there’s also a range of universities catering to different needs. Generally speaking, the more advanced the courses that you completed in high school, the more selective of a university you can attend (or become competitive for scholarships at less selective universities).

Therefore, if you do get a choice about your grade level, you may be in a better position to apply to ‘good’ universities if you start in 11th grade vs 12th grade. You would also get more time to take advantage of all the other amazing resources American high schools have, like extracurricular activities (which, too, can help you with your college applications and scholarships).

On the other hand, I understand that not everyone likes high school and not everyone aspires to attend a selective university. You can discuss your options, preferences and concerns with your guidance counselor when you get to the US, and make an informed decision from there.

Thank you for your response.
After graduating from high school, which will be in June 2018, will I be able to start with bachelors program in September 2018? I heard about associate degree that community colleges offer.

Yes, you can start a Bachelor’s degree program in August/September after you finish high school. You would apply to universities in the fall of your senior year, with whatever transcripts and test scores you have up through that point. (You may want to register for the October SAT or ACT this summer.)

An alternative to going straight into a 4-year Bachelor’s degree program are 2 years at a community college (leading to an Associate’s degree) followed by 2 years at a regular university to finish the Bachelor’s. The community college-transfer route is appealing to many people.

  • Community college tuition is cheaper than university tuition, and students can easily commute from home, saving a bunch of money.
  • Community colleges go out of their way to accommodate part-time and evening students, which makes them an attractive option for people working a full-time job or raising children.
  • Most community colleges have open admission policies; every local resident who applies can enroll, not just high school graduates with high grades.
  • Community colleges more frequently hire instructors who used to work in industry, vs university professors who have spent more of their life in academia. It has been my experience that community college professors are more likely to teach from experience and less likely to teach out of a textbook, which for me personally makes class much more interesting.

An issue with starting at a community college is that if you have strong test scores that would qualify you for honors scholarships such as full Tuition , going to community college makes you ineligible for that because you’re a transfer, and on top of that transfers get lousy aid. So, for a student with strong stats it often makes more financial sense to start at a four year university.
In addition, the quality of community colleges varies greatly. Some mostly offer vocational or remedial education. Not all have well-designed transfer agreements, let alone automatic transfer guarantees. In some states, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, the preferred path to transfer to flagships is to attend a ‘branch campus’ which is similar to what community colleges are in California, except more expensive.

How old will you be when you move to the US with your family? If you will be 18 or older,the public school district might not be obligated to allow you to enroll (some will anyway). So carefully check the school district policy. You need to know if they would assign you to a regular high school, to a GED program, or to “adult high school” where you fill in the gaps for state graduation requirements but don’t always get good support for applying to college.

If it looks like your options here will be GED or adult high school, you should investigate options for completing your A level exams. That might just plain be faster for you. More colleges and universities here accept A levels than just the O levels.

If you can get yourself here and into high school before you turn 18, in most states the public school district will be obligated to let you stay until you meet graduation requirements or until you age out at the end of the year after you turn 21. So talk with yourparents about that tartget move-to-the-US date.

@happymomof1
I turned 18 this year in January. Most of my classmates here, in AS-Level program are 3-4 months older than me.
I’m not interested and I would not like to attend the adult high school. If I won’t be accepted by a regular high school then I guess I should think about getting my admission into community college. Would it be fine?

I am advised by one of my teachers to simply give SAT test after AS-Level exams and then apply straight to the foundation year in universities. Is this a good plan?

There is no foundation year in the US.
Also, what would you do between your arrival and Fall 2018?
Many public high schools admit students who have not completed high school but were continuously enrolled, especially if they’re district residents, until age 19. (It’s a bit trickier for exchange students).
What state would you move to?

@MYOS1634
Are you sure? I have heard a lot about foundation course in the US.
I have been continuously enrolled. You can say, I started school late.
Between my arrival and fall 2018,
If there are no issues with a regular high school to allow me to enroll then I am absolutely going to attend the 12th grade at a US high school.
I am moving to New Jersey. This is where I was born and attended elementary school.

Nope. In the UK There’s a foundation year but not in the US.
And of course there are Language Institutes where non citizens can learn English.

Please contact the school districts where you could enroll, and find out what your options will be if you arrive here before completing secondary school. You also can contact private high schools in that area. Some may have more flexibility for age at admission. I hope that you can graduate from a regular high school. If not, you should find out how to get through the A level exams either where you are or through an external exam program. That might be preferable to the adult high school completion options in New Jersey.

As a US citizen, if you have the equivalent of a high school diploma, you will be able to file the FAFSA and apply for federal financial aid. If you don’t have that, even if a college will admit you (and plenty will based on your high school records and your TOEFL/SAT/ACT scores), you won’t be eligible for federal aid. So this means that yes, you probably do want to finish the equivalent of high school somewhere.

New Jersey offers several options for meeting high school equivalency. Start here: http://www.nj.gov/education/students/adulted/ Click on the tab labeled “Pathways to a High School Diploma” to learn about the options. I teach ESOL and GED prep to adults in Maryland. Right now in my GED prep classes I have several students who are basically in your situation. They arrived in the US one or two terms short of having completed their full secondary school diploma, but were considered too old to enroll in the local school district. My best guess is that you would need a year to prepare for and and take the GED exams.

While your teacher is correct that many colleges will admit students with AS exam scores, as a US citizen, your situation is different because of the financial aid issue. For focused advice for citizens, you might want to contact the closest Advising Center of EducationUSA. There are two in Pakistan: https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center?field_region_target_id=&field_country_target_id=316&field_center_level_value=All

To what extent my AS Level courses (Business studies, Media studies and English language) will matter and be helpful? I want to pursue a career in Media and Business. Will these courses help in enhancing my college application and for admission?

The results will be added to your application and if you get A’s it will be good.
However you will still need to complete 11-12th grade and complete subjects such as Math, English, American history, etc.
Media studies and business studies are only considered as electives.

@MYOS1634 Isn’t it possible to attend only 12th grade?