Urgent: Studying at a "community college" in the United States

Lol :) Do it quick though!

Hi,

First off: I’m writing on an American keyboard so no accents (sorry!)

I’ve been living in the States for 4 years now. I studied in Florida, first at a community college and then at a university (I got my degree last December). I’ve never been to California so I can’t compare, but I know Florida really well. I see that the college you mentioned is in Orlando. I get that you want a super touristy place, but I’d actually recommend Miami instead. You’ll get tired of Orlando really fast. The activities there are pretty limited unless you’re *super* into theme parks. In Miami, there are tons of tourists, plus the beach, nightclubs, South Beach, Key West. Orlando is only a 4-hour drive from Miami, so you can always visit Orlando once or twice a year with the friends you’ll make.

As for the quality of education, I’m really happy with Miami Dade College. I went to Wolfson Campus. If you choose this college, it’s the only campus I’d recommend in Miami.

Price-wise, community colleges are generally about the same. Going to a "community" college is better since it’s public. Oh, about prices—be careful not to mix up the regular rates (what Americans pay) with out-of-state tuition (for international students). For example, Valencia won’t be $99 per credit for you—it’ll be more like $375 (I checked their website). 😛

I’ve got more tips about studying in Florida and other perks I won’t list right now. I’m starting a blog about studying in the U.S. very soon. 🙂

Thanks a lot for this super detailed answer ;-) . So, would you recommend Miami Dade College?? How much would a full year cost me??! Is it true that the job market crisis is much worse in California than in Florida??! Is the lifestyle really that similar??! I’m asking all these questions because I don’t have any contacts over there to help me figure things out and make my project a success

For example, MDC (Miami Dade College) will be $237 per credit. To stay in the USA, you need to study at least 12 credits per semester, so that gives you:

$237 * 12 = $2,844 per semester just for classes. You add the "tax and fees" and that brings it to around $4,000–4,500. Also add the mandatory insurance, which is $650 per semester, bringing you to roughly $5,000–5,500 per semester. With 2 semesters per year (2 mandatory, summer is optional), that’s about $10,000–11,000 per year.

Warning: this calculation only covers tuition and insurance. Be prepared to pay for books, housing, etc...

You can check here: http://www.mdc.edu/main/academics/tuition.asp

You mentioned a job... Just so you know, you can’t work in the USA on a student visa unless it’s on-campus part-time and only after one year of studies. There are a lot of restrictions on that front...

I pretty much know everything about studying here. I’ve been living here for almost 5 years and I’ve already earned 2 degrees (associate = bachelor’s at MDC, then bachelor’s = master’s at FIU). 😎

Hi, I’d like to know if there are any scholarships to help fund courses because $12,000 is a lot, even though it’s cheaper than many other schools. Thanks in advance!

Most public universities, including community colleges, don’t offer scholarships.

Here’s a list of the best American community colleges: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2010/community_colleges.php The number one criterion should be "academic challenge," meaning the level (60% or higher); the second criterion is "graduation rate," meaning how many students who enrolled actually earned their degree (40% is the minimum); the third criterion is "student effort," meaning whether other students do their work or not (a minimum of 55% is recommended!). For the other criteria, no matter the score, it’ll be a hundred times better than in France because of how community colleges and American education in general are structured.

Community colleges to avoid at all costs: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2010/dropout_factories.php

MDC is the largest community college in the U.S. It has several campuses with cutting-edge programs and a highly reputed "honors college."

I’ve already shared the list of the best ones several times—just use the forum’s "search" function.

Be careful: Associate = BTS (or sometimes a vocational high school diploma, depending on the quality of the education), and Bachelor = *licence* (or bachelor’s degree—the diploma also exists in France and is recognized as a bac+3, since the *bac* is considered equivalent to APs or an advanced high school curriculum that covers the general university basics formerly called "propédeutique" in France). A Master’s is called... a Master’s.

Hi, I’d like some info about the University of Wichita (ISEP proposal) in Kansas for my third year of political science, with the plan to do a master’s in Business afterward. Tornado climate, student life, courses... Thanks

Hi, How’s your plan to study at a community college coming along? I’d love to get into Indian River or Valencia for an Associate in Science degree in Entertainment Design and Technology. Could anyone give me some advice? After that, I’d like to transfer to UCF for a bachelor’s degree.

I’d also prefer to go through an agency for the application, visa request, and so on.

I’m 17, in my final year of high school (European section), and I’m a bit lost with all the steps I need to take.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey Paige, just a heads-up—American universities often reserve financial aid for international students who start their programs in the **first year**. So, sure, you can get into a community college without any issues since everyone’s admitted automatically as long as they have a diploma (BEP, vocational baccalaureate, general baccalaureate, etc.—the requirements aren’t too high). If I were you, I’d check if you can get into the **honors college**… That way, you can pick up some skills, improve your English, and you won’t have to deal with the huge admissions process like you would for a U.S. university. But this might cause problems in two years: **contact UCF** to ask if you’ll be allowed to enroll with a community college diploma, if your credits will transfer, and—most importantly—if you’ll still qualify for financial aid.

("Hello, my name is... and I’m a French student preparing for a science *bac*, similar to the IB. I plan to enroll in... community college but wanted to check with you whether applicants from that college are admitted to UCF, what the admission/non-admission ratio is, and whether I’d be eligible for financial aid, merit scholarships, or any other form of assistance, such as the France/Florida Out-of-State Tuition Exemption Program. Thank you.")

For agreements with France, I think only Miami Dade College, Florida State, UCF, and University of Florida are involved—but double-check! http://global.usf.edu/florida_france/exempt.htm

A huge thank you for your reply.

I already looked into the potential transfers from these two community colleges, and UCF gave me the green light. I asked them which of the two colleges was more serious, but they didn’t want to answer—that I totally get. I searched online, but every time I find a site with college rankings, only one or the other shows up, never both, so I can’t tell which has the higher success rate. Since you warned me about the level at community colleges, I considered applying directly to UCF, but the process seems more complicated, and I think I’d feel a bit lost.

I didn’t quite understand what an "honors college" is.

My goal is to get an Associate in Science Degree in Entertainment Design and Technology and then transfer for my bachelor’s.

Do you know of a site where I can really compare these two colleges? Otherwise, since Valencia College is close to the University of Central Florida, would it be better suited for transferring?

The solution is to contact each community college individually and ask them: - Do you have an honors program? - What percentage of your students transfer directly to a 4-year college? - Of those who applied to UCF, what percentage were admitted?

You can then compare their answers.

Rankings: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2010/community_colleges.php

For UCF, it’s clear that the process is more complicated (you have to take the TOEFL, fill out an application), and I think it’s too late for financial aid, except for the one available for French students in Florida.

"Honors college" or "honors program" = a course program for particularly motivated students. Generally, instead of large lecture halls, classes are in smaller groups with lots of discussion.

Valencia was awarded the best American community college of the year in 2011. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2011/12/12/valencia-college-wins-aspen-prize

Another big thank you for all this info. I’ve decided on Valencia College, then UCF afterward. My parents are considering eventually buying an apartment in Orlando at the end of my first semester if everything goes well. I feel a bit more reassured about choosing Valencia because one of the host families I stayed with last year lives about thirty kilometers away, and I had a fantastic two weeks there.

Last October, my parents contacted an agency that handles everything for enrollments at Indian River College, and they told us that in my second year, I’d be considered a "Florida resident." Do you think that’s true? My parents didn’t follow up on their offer, which cost $5,000 more than enrolling directly with the college.

About the honors program, thanks for the info, but if they ask for my school transcripts from this year, it’s not great... my science grades are kinda slipping... That’s why my parents don’t want to enroll me for the fall semester in case I fail my BAC, and also because I’ll only turn 18 at the end of December 2013 (they think I’m a bit young to be on my own in a country so far away). So if everything goes well, I’ll go for the spring semester.

For the Honors College, all you need to do is explain to them that your high school subjects = AP or IB. For example: in Terminale S, you take AP Calc AB, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology. Provide the grade equivalents: A=12 B=9 C=6 D=4 F=0 (Note that C is the average below which you get kicked out of high school; there’s no E. There are grades higher than "A", for instance, a student can have a 4.5 GPA out of 4. About 40% of students get an A, which makes even an A easier than our 12. To get into a Community College, you just need a C, meaning you managed not to get kicked out, but for the Honors College, it’s better to have a B or higher.)

With your baccalauréat, you should be admitted to the Honors College without any issues.

Valencia’s Honors Program includes cultural outings, meetings with notable figures, and offers classes with an average of about fifteen students (instead of large lecture halls—you’re guaranteed never to feel lost, and the classes are very interactive). There are three tracks: a multidisciplinary one combining humanities and sciences one with community service (volunteering, etc.) for leadership training one for students aiming to pursue a Master’s degree, with an introduction to research http://valenciacollege.edu/futureStudents/majors/honors.cfm http://valenciacollege.edu/honors/

THE thing for you is that if you complete Valencia’s Honors Program, you have the guarantee (official, signed, and everything) of being accepted to UCF AND on top of that, you can be admitted to UCF with a scholarship and the right to join their Honors College as well. http://honors.ucf.edu/admissions/aa-degree-transfer

To be admitted, you need: - A recommendation from a teacher or employer stating that you’re motivated - To send your transcripts from Première and Terminale (with the grading scale) - To write between 400 and 500 words on the theme "an obstacle I faced, how I overcame it, and what I learned from the experience"—to check that you write English correctly. You have all the time you need and can use a dictionary. They don’t want a definition of what an obstacle is; they want to see how you reflect on your life. - Likely a good TOEFL score http://valenciacollege.edu/honors/prospective-students/admission.cfm

(Note that Indian East River had a similar agreement, but the quality of their program wasn’t deemed sufficient, and the agreement was terminated.)

You can also enroll in the intensive English program if you want to improve your language skills before diving into the actual courses. Sessions last 4, 8, or 12 weeks depending on your level, and in the fall, the last session starts in November. http://www.centerforgloballanguages.com/iep.htm http://www.centerforgloballanguages.com/iep/faqs.htm

WOW, this is super detailed, thank you so much—you're really well-informed! I'll calculate my grades, which I think are around a B in science subjects based on last year's report cards.

I'll look into the "honors program" then. If I understand correctly, since I'm interested in the "theatre entertainment and fine art" program, I should aim for the track designed for students who want to continue to a master's with research initiation.

For English classes, I'm doing pretty well—I translate everything when I travel with my parents—but I definitely need to improve since keeping up with courses there will require a much more advanced level. I think I'll try to find a school in Paris from September to December to work on my skills. My parents aren’t exactly thrilled about me going so far away.

Hey Myos,

You seem to really know your stuff on this topic, and I hope you can answer my questions?

So, like everyone else, I’d love to continue my studies in the US. I have a vocational baccalaureate in accounting, but I’ve ruled out university because it’s too expensive. Is it possible to do just one semester or a year at a community college for intensive English? If I understood correctly, in these colleges, you pay per course (credits) for the semester? I’m still a bit confused about how this system works... Hoping you can shed some light on this!

Thanks in advance! :)

In CC, a "credit" = 1 hour of class and 1 hour of homework, or 2 hours of lab/workshop. Normally, you take 15-16 credits = about 15 hours of class (max 18). If you take English classes, since there’s little homework, you often have around twenty hours of class instead, usually 4 or 4.5 hours per day, which leaves you the afternoon free to join campus activities. Yes, of course, you can go for just one semester (4 months) and take English classes on campus. Don’t forget to take the TOEIC and TOEFL at the end so you can add the scores to your resume (a huge plus for employers since it’s an international certification). After a semester, you’ll probably be able to take at least one community college course or even two—accounting is called *accounting*, and your field would likely be Business studies.

Hello Ma'am, I hope you're doing well. I don’t know if you’ll respond, but I figured I’d try since I just came across your reply. I’m a student looking to do an associate degree at Miami Dade College. I’d love some advice, especially about housing—as you know, living in Miami is really tough and expensive. Could you recommend any university residences or affordable housing options? I’m not sure if you still live near Miami (I don’t think so), but either way, any help would be great. Thanks so much for your time. Have a great day!