US/Canadian college for an International student?

(mods move this to wherever if you need to as I have no idea where to put it)

Right ok, long story short. I'm an English guy living in Spain and I've just finished English style education, I'll have 4 A Levels (GCE A Levels) by August when I finally get my results, and I already have 5 AS Levels (A's and Bs with one D but I'm retaking that D subject) (AS is half of an A Level) and 11 GCSEs (ranging from A's to B's with one C and one A*). Apparently due to the A Levels I'm taking, I get something called an "AICE Diploma", and if I get just all B's on all 4 of my A Levels, I'll pass with a Distinction, apparently. >_>

The family income isn't massively huge though, we get by.

I am taking a gap year. I am also gonna try and get a job this year, starting to look today.

The bottom line is this.

I've been looking at college in Spain (I'd prefer to have it in my own language and there aren't much GOOD English uni's about). I've also been looking at college in Britain, although I don't greately relish the idea of going back there too well just yet.

I'm deciding to perhaps aim my sights a little too fucking high and think about the USA and/or Canada. Any good (but not too Harvard/Yale SUPER HARD TO GET INTO LIEK TEH HARD TOFFEE) colleges? I've had the University of Toronto suggested by a Canadian guy somewhere.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I want to study Design (graphic design, website design, you know, sorta computer based design and shit) and/or Film, with perhaps a side-plate of Business as well. I'm not sure how the college system works over there, I've heard you "major" in subjects and kinda minor in others. How does that work? All that happens over here is that you take so and so subjects (like I have above) and do just that until HUEG EXAM at end of the year.

Anyway, before I even begin looking for colleges (expect a follow-up thread in a while) would there be any point in even thinking about it? Would I have to take some other sorta entrance exam alongside already having all the GCSEs and AS Levels and A Levels and all that? Scholarships?

Also any idea on converting all that A Level and GCSE and AS Level shit to a GPA so I can have a rough idea of what I'm looking at?

So yeah kthx for any info. >_>

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Humm....

Ok I read all this and took this into consideration and I spoke to the guy from Canada again, (toronto guy). >_> It wouldn't be too super hard to get into Toronto uni, right? >_> I just kinda envisage all these other people who dwarf me academically (somehow) rushing in and ruining everything and me the little poor international student with my silly A Levels.

He says if I wanted to roll the film, business and design all into one, he suggested I take a double major of management and CCit. Would the CCit include the film type stuff? >_> Or could I minor in that?

Basically, when I come out, I want to be able to design all sorts of shit, have proficiency in design programs, and also some knowledge about photography and film-making (or perhaps go back and do that some other time I dunno or perhaps that's in the CCit). Also I wanna know how to run my own business and whatnot. So yeah. >_> And perhaps have a few other things I picked up along the way if I had the space.

God this whole minor and major thing sure is a blast. ._. And this credit business, what's that all about? He said you got 20 credits and 2 majors will take up like 16 of them and whatnot.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Hmm...well thats the minor major thing sorted out I guess. >_> Now I gotta decide exactly what type of mixture of stuff it is that I wanna take. >_>

Originally Posted by Dee

Another aspect you should consider is cost. Many universities in the US are heck of expensive, especially private ones (like MIT, Stanford, Harvard, etc.) so it's really a downer to factor those in. Public universities are usually cheaper for in state residents, but since you're international, it can be as expensive as a private university. I would suggest applying for any sort of international student scholarship you can find.

Yeah, that is one of the major concerns with just about every US or canadian uni I've looked at, also hence me mentioning our not-so-huge income. I'm like "hay I'm not a US/canada guy" and they're all "WELL BIG PRICE TO PAY BWHAHAHAHAHA DIE (also we offer very little funding stuff as well)" It says it's roughly like 11,000€ for the first year for most unis. Would that go down or up in price over the years? Also we've entered the Green Card Lottery (I doubt we'll win but whatever), but I doubt I'd get resident state uni prices for just having a green card, right?

Knowing my luck I probably will end up going back to England, but as it is, I'm trying my luck with thinking about the US and Canada anyhow.



Also thanks everyone for the replies and such, it does help a lot. ^_^

Double Post:
Also for anyone doing uni in Britain, or anyone who's been there, do they offer this sort of Major/Minor type stuff?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

jeez I never thought I'd get so much replies on this topic @_@

Well.....hmmm....there's a lot of stuff here to work through. >_> I'll take it all in, inwardly digest it and whatnot, and see where I go from there. Expect a followup topic sometime later then. If you were to ask me even now, I might say I'd go to some London uni, I might go to Canada, I might go to the US. >_> This topic has given me more reasoning to the the US and Canada it seems, hehe. I'll give this all a thinking over as I didn't expect this much advice and stuff so yeah, thank you everyone. ^_^;;

(also Fatt, how would that residency stuff work? >_> I thought it was kinda hard to get all that stuff in America or canada or wherever and whatnot)

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