University in USA

Timans

I am going into 6th year in September and have been thinking about colleges, I really want to go to college in America. I think that I will, I don't particularly Ireland and don't want to go to University here.

I need advice, has anyone done this and can lend me a hand or is there any Americans here who can tell me more about the system over there.

Will my Leaving Cert mean anything to Uni's over there or will I just take the SAT's and that is the main thing? I can't show a gade-point average or anything as that is not available for them to look at.

Also, I've been hearing that a BA/BSc in America isn't worth as much and many people require Postgrads before they move onto work.

I know it is extremely expensive to go to the Private Uni's but, put that aside for the moment as I would take a year out to work and gather the funds and will look at Loans/Financial Aid etc.

PS - Mods, I know this isn't suited to After Hours but I couldn't find the suitable forum so, decided, more people would see it here so you can move it to wherever it is most suited.

Thanks very much, I need LOT's of help.

Lump

Ring the American Embassy first, they might not even let you have a visa for that long.

ec18

Leaving cert will be almost useless to you for applying to college in america... you need to sit the SATs your school should be able to arrange that for you.

College in America is very expensive....One of my friends was recently celebrating paying off her college loans ten years after graduating so. Also all collleges in America are private you have to pay tutition fees in all of them.

As for the actual system...I'm not too sure about but I do know that it uses the GPA system used in the highschools.

Kinetic^

You might also want to check that whatever you're going to study in America will get you a job over here should you come back........and if you're not planning on coming back, will you be able to get a visa to stay over there?

damnyanks

Unless you are going to goto one of the top schools in the states its not worth the effort. You'll be taking on serious debt. If you are just aiming to goto college in the states (Anwyere in the states) maybe look at a college in Ireland that will let you do 1 year in the states.

If you just want to get away from the country look at other places in europe where the fee's will be a fraction of the cost.

Kinetic^

Check out colleges in England.

pow wow

It is ridiculously expensive as everyone else has said, especially if you are looking at private schools. The bigger state colleges often have as good a reputation in some fields, and the tuition is a lot cheaper. Also, smaller more specialised schools (i.e. those that aren't swimming in international applicants with zero cash needing scholarships) may have more to offer as regards financial assistance. You won't qualify for any of the American financial aid that's government run because you are a foreign national so you will have to fund it through loans. As regards the degree being less well regarded and needing a masters, that's not strictly the case but if you think about how many people are in college in the states, you need a masters to set yourself apart.

If you really want to do it you'll need SATs AND extracurriculars. You know, president of the xyz school club or whatever. Maybe some voluntary work. Remember if you do get in AND get funded these schools are taking a big chance on you, and you need to look like you're worth it.

That said, college over there is amazing. I just got back from a year at school there and it is exactly like it is in the movies and then some. I was very sad having to come back believe me! But I am hoping to go back for my Masters next year....if I can arrange funding! If you have any other questions drop me a message.

spurious

Many employers here (including for example the Department of Education and Science) won't take US degrees as being of the same standard as Irish or British ones and look for a minimum of a Master's from a US graduate. In fairness, there are a number of US colleges where the standards are questionable at best.

claire h

The thing about the US educational system is that they specialise later - so whereas you'd be focussing on maybe one or two or three subjects at university level here, in the US you have to fulfil various requirements for any degree - science, humanities, writing courses, languages, etc. The subject that you major in will might only constitute one-third or one-half of the courses you actually take in college. So looking at it that way, it's understandable that employers here would rather someone who's taken three or four years' worth of classes entirely in the subject their degree is in.

That's also the reason why postgrads are more common (though this is starting to be the case here) - it's partly to do with the numbers in higher education, but also to do with the fact that many jobs are looking for further specialisation. And again, the master's and PhD programs in the US are much more structured than they are here and in the UK - more classes to take before they'll trust you with doing your original research.

You'll need to take the SAT (SAT I, which is the standard math + verbal + essay one) and probably a couple of SAT II subject tests as well, or some kind of college-entrance-level aptitude test (some US students take the ACT instead). They may or may not ask about your Leaving Cert results as well - some colleges have forms for international students to put down things like the Leaving Cert, A levels, the Abitur, etc, and for an explanation (usually to be filled out by a teacher or guidance counsellor) of how those exams work (e.g. how many As are given out, what counts as 'good', etc).

And, yes, you need the whole extra-curricular side to your personality as well, plus a sappy, well-written, meaningful admissions essay to impress the admissions people.

Check out individual college websites, they usually have tons of info under 'admissions' or 'international students', including stuff about funding and visas.

aequinoctium

consider european colleges.

many are thought in english and for most countries the free fees thing will apply - providing that you are an EU citizen

zaadee

In fairness, there are a number of US colleges where the standards are questionable at best.

Creamy Goodness

In fairness they do have 316m more people to cater for. (i'm talking total population figures i know the college going poulation will be less).

steo87

I recommend that you think of the state of the US's health care system....do you really wanna study in a country where if you get injured it would prob cost you more than ur college education fees to be seen to.

check out SiCKO:

http://tv-links.co.uk/listings/9/7504

I'm not the biggest fan of Michael Moore but this documentary's findings are shocking

Tom Dunne

steo87 wrote:

I recommend that you think of the state of the US's health care system....do you really wanna study in a country where if you get injured it would prob cost you more than ur college education fees to be seen to.

check out SiCKO:

http://tv-links.co.uk/listings/9/7504

I'm not the biggest fan of Michael Moore but this documentary's findings are shocking

ROFL. Don't believe everything you see on the internet. You do know they have guns over there too, don't you?

Lirange

spurious wrote:

In fairness, there are a number of US colleges where the standards are questionable at best.

Overall that is not accurate. Unless you are speaking of local community colleges or trade schools. It's true that the public education system in America is lacking in many regards however the tertiary level of education is the strong point for the U.S. The post secondary level is tiered into three levels: Private colleges, state funded colleges, and community (local) colleges. It is why the top quarter (or fifth) of the U.S. labour force is so highly skilled and does compare favourably to European and East Asian countries.

A considerable amount of the world's premiere research and academic literature is generated in America. The majority of the world's top research universities are there. The universities pull in an impressive number of the world's best scientists, authors, and contributors to their fields to work and teach. If you look at most large colleges in the U.S. the faculty roster is often very international. The majority of the states have at least two government funded colleges and these typically are of a high standard that offer a very wide range of academic coursework and degree fields. It is not limited to just the Ivy League Schools or a handful of private universities either. In California alone there are upwards of 20 colleges (at least) on par with the the best education available at the top 10 UK schools (Any of the UC Schools: e.g. UCLA, Berkeley, Irvine as well as Cal Tech, Stanford, etc.)

As for degrees and how they are viewed it is often a similar experience to what graduates from UCD or Trinity might experience with employers in America and Canada. Depending on the your field they may view your degree not so much with skepticism as with uncertainty as they do not know the nature of your degree and your preparedness (e.g. computer science and anthropology degrees often entail different things in different countries). One of the major strengths of US colleges are their ties to institutions and industries that provide real world experience before graduation through their strong internship and immersion programmes). Most of the state funded colleges are mainly funded by the state government but they also get a largesse from benefactors ... typically donors who graduated there or from the local area. Most US state colleges are awash with monies and it's easy to see why the need them with their considerable operating costs. The student tuition as large as it may be makes up a small proportion of the total fund.

Despite the financial obstacles the number of Europeans in the U.S. on student visas remains surprisingly high even though there was a temporary dip after 2001. Though a large proportion of these are one year stays as opposed to students there for the long haul. The number of students from Korea, Taiwan, and India seeking degrees in America is staggering.
It is probably better to get your feet wet in Ireland or Britain before heading over to the U.S. so I would advise getting a year of uni under your belt before setting your gaze to continental Europe, America, or Australia.