Choosing University in US for foreign student?

also, i'm not quite sure how international admissions works but i'm pretty sure it's a good idea to take the SAT.

* An English language proficiency score showing one of the following:
o 61 iBT (173CBT/500PBT) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); or
o 5.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); or
o 69 on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB); or
o 440 on the SAT Writing Section; or
o 18 on the Combined English/Writing section of the ACT
* A minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for freshman applicants or a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for transfer applicants. The admissions office will determine grade point average if one is not available on a student's academic record.
* A statement of financial support that verifies that $ 25,563 will be available to you to cover estimated costs for the academic year.

I would like to study for biology or chemistry or health sciences degree or maybe a psychology degree. After undergraduate, I would like to study medical, if I can make it.

On February 07 2009 18:04 LosingID8 wrote:
you need to let us know what you are looking for in a university.

i'm talking about stuff like:
size of school
location (both location in the US, and urban vs suburban etc)
how much $$ you have available
etc

also, i'm not quite sure how international admissions works but i'm pretty sure it's a good idea to take the SAT.

also out of curiosity, where are you from?

On February 07 2009 18:14 HeavOnEarth wrote:
It would be in your best interest to pick either biochem/ psychology / or medical ; because most universities have different programs and one college may not have... psychology and just be focused on chemistry.

On February 07 2009 18:36 LosingID8 wrote:
someone more familiar with east coast schools might be able to help you out with that ^^

On February 07 2009 19:07 klizzer wrote:
There are no need-based scholarships at Public schools for internationals afaik.

Although my friend haxxed and got one from UCSD, he went to a generous private one anyway.

Man, gl with your research. Good you're doing it now, don't put it to last minute like me. How do you measure your chances of getting a scholarship?

edit: @down: he'll have more time to study for SATs, obviously! (j/k)

On February 07 2009 19:08 caelym wrote:
why are you so eager to graduate early? high school can't be that horrible... find time to take the SAT, it opens a lot more options for you.

On February 08 2009 04:01 milkshake87 wrote:
There are so many universities but, as a foreigner, I would suggest attending a school near / in a major city. There are a lot of universities of all levels in isolated, desolate places; as long as you're studying in a new country, you should be close to a culturally dense area.

San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Washington DC are examples, but there are many more.

Also, if you find yourself at a dead end regarding admission/acceptance into schools you want, consider looking into the community college system for an alternate route.

On February 09 2009 15:14 lilsusie wrote:
If you have a 93 iBT score, you can do about... 1600-1700 SAT score (that's usually the correlation)

On February 09 2009 15:14 lilsusie wrote:
I work as a college consultant, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me (I'm expensive though, watch out)

On February 09 2009 16:08 Augury wrote:
Portland is a nice area if you don't mind the rain :D

On February 09 2009 16:33 FragKrag wrote:
I'm not sure about other states, but at the moment CA is going through some extremely serious budget problems. I think we are going to run out of money real fast if we don't get a proper budget + we're in huge debt. Thus, the UCs and the CSUs are going to get more expensive in the coming years. I've even heard of community colleges rejecting students...

However, as it stands, I'd suggest considering a private university if you want CA. Yes, I know privates tend to cost more, but they have much more money to give out as financial aid at the moment. I'm not saying don't consider UCs and stuff, neither am I saying privates won't be affected. Just don't block out all private universities simply because of the upfront cost.

Scholarships Scholarships Scholarships! Those will save your life!

I guess I'll give some suggestions like

University of Redlands - Southern CA - Inland (Hot summers, cool winters- generally dry)
University of San Diego (Not UCSD) (still might be too expensive)
University of San Francisco - Central/Northern CA - Bay Area (Cool everything, Colder winters)

And if you're looking for publics, try
San Jose State University (CSU)
Cal Poly (CSU) (Probably the best CSU - San Luis Obispo) - $27,000

I'd say I like Cal Poly, SJSU, and University of San Francisco the most.
University of Redlands can offer up to 25% scholarships to "high quality" international students

Edit: UCs like Berkeley, San Diego, and Irvine are definitely options though. You may have to take loans or something, but keep 'em open.

I would also recommend taking the SAT.
Not only does it increase chance of getting in, I'm pretty sure it opens up some scholarships if you get certain scores.