I want to go to a university in america but....?!?!?

Question

Im currently living in canada and i will be graduating in 1 year and a half.. im very interested in attending long beach university which is in america... I know that you have to do the sat exams and i also know that you neeed a visa thingy to go there.. but what i dont know is what there looking for in terms of grades and extra curriculer activities.. i was looking at there site and they basically said that its harder to get in there if i dont live there and that i have to do really well on the sat... Long state university is also one of the top universities in america.. so that definatly has something to do with it.. im rethinking all of this and im thinking it would be better to attend a community college there then transfer to the university so my chances may be higher.. my grades arnt perfect and i have a 72% average i looked up the gpa score thingy on the long beach university and according to there charts thats only a 2.1 (or around that number)... what do you think about this?

Answer 1

Firstly, I think that studying in another country can be fantastic. I just got back from a semester abroad in Mexico, and it was one of the best times of my life.

As for the academic part, your grades make it difficult to get into the upper division universities because they are highly competitive. However, universities are usually interested in having a diverse student population, so that is something in your favor. I would e-mail or call the admissions department or the international program offices, if they are listed.

And, as you mentioned, if you can't get in, you could still move after you finished your studies in Canada.

Answer 2

Are you referring to the California State University, Long Beach?

If so then SATs are not required for international students unless they are graduating from an American High School, you will just need transcripts which includes grades from the first-half of your senior year, or last year in high school. This is outline on the following link:

http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/grad_u...

Furthermore CSU: Long Beach does not require you to have extra curricular activities to be considered for admission. As an international student you will need to do the following:

- Complete an application form (this can be done online),

- Pay the USD$55 application fee and submit,

- Original or certified copies of all official academic records,

- Original or certified copies of ALL academic certificates or diplomas and,

-  Documentation of financial support: Financial affidavit and bank statements.

More information about the application form, documents and procedures can be found on the link below:

http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/grad_u...

On the issue of visas, as a Canadian citizen you do not require a visa to study in the United States. All you need is proof of your Canadian citizenship, the I-20 issued by the university and evidence that you can support yourself i.e proof that you can pay the tuition costs and living expenses.

http://vancouver.usconsulate.gov/content...

In regards to your additional information, if you really want to move to and live in the United States in the future then your best option is to study there and not in Canada. I say this because U.S. employers are more than likely going to take a U.S. college degree over a foreign degree when searching for the ideal candidate, also studying in the U.S. opens up many options for you once you have graduated and also allows you to make contacts with prospective employers and businesses in your area of study.

The other option is to study in Canada and then once you graduate apply for U.S. based jobs and hope an employer will be willing to sponsor your visa application.

Answer 3

Ok, I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but I've never even heard of Long Beach University or Long State University, so it can't be one of the top, or very likely one of the toughest Universities to get into.  I also am curious as to why you would be interested in this particular school, as, like I say, it isn't one of those well-known schools, like Harvard and Yale.  Surely, you can get the same education as they offer, for much less money, staying nearer to home.  It's not like you're looking at going to someplace massively exotic, like China or France.  

A GPA, which used to be only used at the University levels, is your Grade Percentage Average, or your average, and a 72 would translate to about a 2.3/4 (or so). (a 4 being an A, 3 = B, 2 = C, 1 = D).  I would suggest applying yourself more to your grades and keep at it, write to the university, I'm sure there's an email address, and ask for some direct guidance.

Have you got guidance counselors at your school?  they can give you the best advice.