International Student Forum/ Message Board

Hello,
I would like to know whether there is any chance for me to be able to apply to a college in the US. I graduated from high school in 2007 and enrolled in a local American University in 2008 and completed my freshman year there. I didn't enroll for a sophomore year due to certain social problems and lack of funding. I am completely unaware of what it takes to apply to a college or university abroad and therefore, I am seeking some guidance in this matter. I have a few questions, if it is not too much trouble;

1- From what I've heard, students over the age of 21 cannot apply for a student visa, which in my case is very little time left for me to apply to a college if they even are accepting applications at this time. My question is, is it possible for students to apply to a college at an age above 21 on a student visa? What if I were to apply for a work visa and enroll myself in a college after reaching the states, i.e. studying and working simultaneously? Does it matter if you have been away from college for long?

2-I basically am on my own and don't make much money and the prospects for getting an education locally are very slim. I am wondering if there are any student loans organizations that can help me apply to a college and take care of my funding until I can manage a scholarship somehow. I'm pretty confident about my studying capabilities since I had a GPA of 3.97 when in college.

Thank you

First off, read this: http://wannabehomesick.blogspot.com/201 ... tep-1.html

When you're done, you can post any questions you have there, or ask them here. Good luck.

Depends on how smart you are, you can get a scholarship. If you don't you have to show that you have enough money to sponsor your education for the first year. With a scholarship, you prob have to show that you have enough money to cover for your living expenses, depends on the type of scholarship anyways.

Students over 21 can get a student visa. As an international student, you can only work 20hrs/week, and full time in the summer (if you're not taking classes). It is almost impossible for an international student to pay their tuition and fees on their own.

Thank you for visiting our site. I will try to answer your questions.

1. It is good that you did complete a year and appeared to have done very well. I do not see a problem with you applying for admission. Depending on the US university, you may have to send official secondary school documents in addition to an official university transcript.

2. You should explain why you did not continue with school in your personal statement that should be included with your application. You should have a very short version...2 or 3 sentences...ready for your student visa interview should you get that far in the process.

3. I have not heard of the rule that you cannot apply for a student visa for Bachelor's degree study if you are over 21, but if you are in a major city and have an EducationUSA Advising Center (usually affiliated with the US embassy) they can assist with this type of question as well as assisting you with other things such as your college search.

4. I am not sure when you would like to apply to start at a US university, but if it is for this Fall then yes, it is very late. It doesn't mean you won't find anything, but it will be pretty difficult at this point as most deadlines have passed or will be passing very soon. There will very soon not be enough time for the schools to recieve all of your original documentation, review it for potential admission, issue the appropriate documents, get them sent to you, and for you to still get a visa appointment and get to the university in time for the start of international student orientation in August. At this point, I recommend that you prepare and apply for entry in January. Remember that as part of this process, you will have to verify by way of original bank statements that you have full financial support.

5. Getting sponsored for a work visa is even more complicated than applying for a student visa. Primarily, you have to have a US company that is willing to sponsor you for H-1b (work) visa status. It is quite a bit of paperwork and a financial investment to apply for this. Usually you have to have AT LEAST a bachelors degree, if not a Masters degree to even be considered for a position.

6. Most of your financial support is going to have to come from you, your family or a local sponsor. Although there are some loans available to international students, they do require a US citizen as a co-signer. There are some schools that have scholarships for international students. It just requires research to find them. If you are academically qualified, it is more likely that a scholarship might be offered for Fall admission rather than January admission. Qualifications vary by institution.

I hope this information has been helpful.

Jim

Thank you very much. This information has been very helpful and has enlightened me thoughts on the matter. I will do my best to try and apply to study in the US amd I hope I succeed in the effort.