american universities

[sweet_ryan]

hello!

im very much interested to study sa states but i find it hard to find a good university with cheaper fees. i already have an application sa UT dallas, UCLA, University of San Francisco and Chicago State U but im having a hard time to decide where to go.

Do u have any suggestion or do you know a univ. na medyo cheaper ng konti.

how about SUNY? latest prospect ko kasi ***** un. saang univ. ba ng Suny ang pinakamaganda?

and oh i almost forgot, how can i get toefl, gre and sat exams?

thanks a lot!

[littlehorn969]

sweet ryan.....sup......actually i'm in the same dilemma as you are.....i'm still in the process of applying to US universities for grad school.......well, what i did first is determine which state i'm planning to stay in....well for me it was NY since my uncle lives there and i can crash in his place for awhile.......then i looked into peterson's guide to the different universities in the US, in the guide book you can find the details of the universities like the costs, scholarships, etc.......you can go to PAEF to geta copy of the book......they are at the Ayala FGU Building along ayala avenue near RCBC Plaza......they can also help you with your questions about taking the toefl and gre exams.....you can also ask for the toefl and gre bulletins in PAEF.....i recently took the teofl exam at the Ateneo Professional School in Makati and i can tell you that it's really easy.....no need to study.......i too am looking for cheap but with good quality schools in the NY area......in one of the threads, i got a reply that SUNY at Stony Brook is actually a good school......i'm also applying at Manhattan College, City Collge of NY, and New York Institute of Technology.......Stony BRook and CCNY are actually public universities so they are a lot cheaper than the private universities.....NYIT and Manahattan College are private universities though but they're affordable for me.....you can check their sites if you're interested.......hope this helps you in some way......goodluck

[sweet_ryan]

thanks littlehorn969...actually i've checked na the websites of many universities and isa lang lagi ang sinasabi nila...international students cannot avail any of the scholarships the university is offering, mostly ganun ang mga nakalagay.

checked mo din yung empire state college(under sya ng SUNY) kasi sa pagka2kita ko kanina, the fees are not that expensive and maganda din naman yung program nila.

or pennsylvania state univ.(malapit *** din yata sya sa new york di ba) kasi its not that mahal din and its the only state administered university na nakasama sa top 25 universities sa usa,ofcourse harvard and princeton na naman ang top.

littlehorn969 inform mo na lang ako if may info ka sa ibang magandang university.

[pao_a]

why don't you try applying for a scholarship in an ivy league school... kaya niyo yan, pinoy tayo eh!!!

[Stampede]

if you're planning to go to a UT school, go to UT at Austin. like most state universities, UT Austin gives tuition breaks if you work as a TA.

i have a lot of coworkers who are alums(with MBAs, eng degrees, etc). all are extremely bright. UTA has the most brand recall among UT schools if you ask me.

i've been to austin too. it's a great town. unlike the rest of texas, it is hilly, has plenty of lakes, very green...basta super ganda. downside: gets extremely hot in the summer.

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by Stampede
if you're planning to go to a UT school, go to UT at Austin. like most state universities, UT Austin gives tuition breaks if you work as a TA.

i have a lot of coworkers who are alums(with MBAs, eng degrees, etc). all are extremely bright. UTA has the most brand recall among UT schools if you ask me.

i've been to austin too. it's a great town. unlike the rest of texas, it is hilly, has plenty of lakes, very green...basta super ganda. downside: gets extremely hot in the summer.

Is that the same school that Jenna Bush is attending right now?

[Stampede]

Originally posted by rabbaddal


Is that the same school that Jenna Bush is attending right now?

yep. she is the hotter one of the two, do you agree?

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by Stampede


yep. she is the hotter one of the two, do you agree?

I'm not so sure...the other one is a Yalene:) . Yeah, Jenna is hot.

And she's definitely hotter than Chelsea Clinton.:D

[YFU'ER]

Originally posted by rabbaddal


I'm not so sure...the other one is a Yalene:) . Yeah, Jenna is hot.

And she's definitely hotter than Chelsea Clinton.:D

Off Topic:

Rabbaddal,

I disagree with you. Jenna has a party girl reputation, ie. 2 cases of under age drinking and she's fat. I think the Yalene is better looking and the brains in the family. But the Bush twins are definitely hotter than Chelsea Clinton. Do you think Chelsea Clinton is Victory's type what with her undergrad degree from Stanford and MA from Cambridge or the other school Oxford?:D

Back to Topic:

Sweet Ryan,

You were not very clear with some of your questions? Are you going to school in the States for your undergrad or graduate studies and in what field? Where in the States do you want to go to school; East Coast, West Coast, South or Midwest? Other Pex'ers like Rabbaddal, Victory, Eagle1 and myself can give you some information. I will try to give some of them now.

You have to take the TOEFL test. If you had at least 4 years of English in high school, you should not have any problems with the test and do not need the book. The sample test that goes with the application form is sufficient study guide. SAT is required for freshmen undergrad students. I do not think my friends had to take the SAT when they transferred to the States from Ateneo and LaSalle. GRE is required for graduate courses other than business. GMAT is the standardized test for MBA candidates or MA's in Economics. Prepare for these exams because the score you receive will determine which schools will accept you. Ask Rabbaddal or Victory what score is needed to attend prestigious Ivy league B school.

Financially, it is no joke to go to school in the States. There is very limited scholarship possibilities in undergrad. There are possibilities in graduate courses depending on your field. Inquire from the schools you are intending to apply too. Grades and test scores will help a lot because you are competing with people around the world for TA positions.

As a foreign student, you will pay three times the tuition fees of an in state student. In state student is defined as somebody who resides in the same state where the school is situated. State schools are subsidized by taxpayers of the state and that is why residents of the particular state pay cheaper tuition fees. In private colleges, everybody pays the same amount set by the school. They do not differentiate between in state resident, out of state or foreign student.

My comments concerning some of the schools you mentioned and those from other Pex'ers. UTA, UCLA and Penn State have very good programs in both undergrad and graduate level. They are all state schools so you will pay 3 times the tuition fees. You can save on board and lodging in UCLA if you have a relative in LA that will take you in. UTA and Penn State are quite far from any large Pinoy population so chances of you having a relative where you can stay may be limited. USF is a Jesuit school and therefore expensive. Joke. What does USF stand for? University of Stupid Filipinos. In the bay area, Berkeley is a better alternative but hard to enter. Very competitive but excellent school.

In NY, CCNY may be the cheapest school because it is centrally located in NY city but I am not sure about the programs they offer. Rabbaddal can help you here because he is in NYC. I do know that at one time they had a good Economics department. A good value in terms of education and cost in NY is Cornel in Ithaca, NY. It is the only state run Ivy league school. Great campus but far from the city.

I work and live in the Chicago area and went to school in the Midwest. As far as CSU, I can name several schools in the Chicago area that I would apply to before I attend CSU. If you have the 50k/year and grades, University of Chicago and Northwestern hands down. Loyola, DePaul are Catholic schools and UIC is a state school will be my second tier school. UIC is the cheapest and broad ranging in terms of program. UI Champaign/Urbana costs as much as UIC and a better school but that is in downstate Champaign.

Which school did I attend? I paid through the nose to attend the Jesuit institutions of University of Detroit and Loyola of Chicago for both of my undergrad and MBA. I wanted to attend UC or Northwestern for my MBA but UC laughed at my puny low 500's GMAT score after accepting my expensive application fees. The second tier schools accepted me without any problem.

I hope I was able to help and good luck.

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by YFU'ER


Off Topic:

Rabbaddal,

I disagree with you. Jenna has a party girl reputation, ie. 2 cases of under age drinking and she's fat. I think the Yalene is better looking and the brains in the family. But the Bush twins are definitely hotter than Chelsea Clinton. Do you think Chelsea Clinton is Victory's type what with her undergrad degree from Stanford and MA from Cambridge or the other school Oxford?:D



I'm not sure if she's Victory's type, but she does carry some of those innate qualities that a True Atenean would look for in a girl - a sure one way ticket to power and prominence.

Very few girls can beat Chelsea's "vital assets" - a former US president for a dad and an incumbent US senator for a mom (who may one day be a US president herself despite her repeated denials that she won't seek the office in the near future). Among those few girls are Jenna and Barbara Bush.

[sweet_ryan]

thank you YFU'ER for your bits of information...actually i'm applying for undergrad studies sa states. i do not know yet kung saan...i like new york and chicago but my father lives in san francisco so ***** i'll have no choice but to settle sa california. as much as possible kasi i don't wanna live with my father bcoz i really want to experience the "american college life"like living in university dormitories etc., (whoa!does that make any sense?) and besides, aside from the fact that i want to have the best possible education, the reason im applying for an american university is that i wanna try things my own and be independent for once...but if staying with my father will be a big help, then why not?...well so much for that.

if ever i'll be settling in california,i just want to know few things

first...what universities have excellent academic programs sa california(specifically sa bay area) with ofcourse the exception of stanford coz i really can't afford that school?

next is..how about the units that i earned here in the Philippines?will they be credited or i'll have to start all over again?

can you tell me naman how most pinoy students fare with the american students and students of other nationalities.are we good?

thanks and i hope to hear inspiring answers:)

[Stampede]

Originally posted by sweet_ryan
thank you YFU'ER for your bits of information...actually i'm applying for undergrad studies sa states. i do not know yet kung saan...i like new york and chicago but my father lives in san francisco so ***** i'll have no choice but to settle sa california. as much as possible kasi i don't wanna live with my father bcoz i really want to experience the "american college life"like living in university dormitories etc., (whoa!does that make any sense?) and besides, aside from the fact that i want to have the best possible education, the reason im applying for an american university is that i wanna try things my own and be independent for once...but if staying with my father will be a big help, then why not?...well so much for that.

if ever i'll be settling in california,i just want to know few things

first...what universities have excellent academic programs sa california(specifically sa bay area) with ofcourse the exception of stanford coz i really can't afford that school?

next is..how about the units that i earned here in the Philippines?will they be credited or i'll have to start all over again?

can you tell me naman how most pinoy students fare with the american students and students of other nationalities.are we good?

thanks and i hope to hear inspiring answers:)

tanong lang. ano ba ang gusto mong kurso? let's get that out of the way first, shall we?

other big bay area schools -- USF in SFO, UC Berkeley in Oakland, San Jose State U and Sta. Clara University in Silicon Valley. I believe there's also Cal State somewhere in SFO.

Trying to make it 'on your own' makes perfect sense. i'm sure there's a middle ground in all this. I live in San Jose and i have a neighbour whose daughter goes to and dorms at San Jose State. but she comes home every weekend. that saves her a weekend worth of food and drinks.

[YFU'ER]

Originally posted by sweet_ryan
thank you YFU'ER for your bits of information...actually i'm applying for undergrad studies sa states. i do not know yet kung saan...i like new york and chicago but my father lives in san francisco so ***** i'll have no choice but to settle sa california. as much as possible kasi i don't wanna live with my father bcoz i really want to experience the "american college life"like living in university dormitories etc., (whoa!does that make any sense?) and besides, aside from the fact that i want to have the best possible education, the reason im applying for an american university is that i wanna try things my own and be independent for once...but if staying with my father will be a big help, then why not?...well so much for that.

Pare, you'll have to swallow some pride and make a lot of concessions if you want to go to school in the States. I do not know what your father can afford but you have to balance the cost of the dorm with the cost of living with him plus your transportation expense to and from school. In California, it is almost a must to have a car unless you live in the city and school is serviced by public transportation Try to shoot for the best education you and your dad can afford.

if ever i'll be settling in california,i just want to know few things

first...what universities have excellent academic programs sa california(specifically sa bay area) with ofcourse the exception of stanford coz i really can't afford that school?

The best universities in the whole state of California outside of Caltech and Standford are the University of California schools system. LaSalle is emulating the two tier school system. If the school name starts as University of California Berkeley, LA, San Diego, San Francisco that is the La Salle school. If the name starts as Cal State Northridge, Pomona etc then that is the St. Benilde program. A crude description in the vernacular : Kapag may utak ka try attending University of California, pag bobo di sa Cal State ka.

next is..how about the units that i earned here in the Philippines?will they be credited or i'll have to start all over again?

What year are you in college? Where do you go to school and how are your grades? The answer to these questions will determine how many hours will be credited to you. You may be given some hours but definitely not all of it. Schools have a minimum requirement for students seeking a degree from their school. Something like the equivalent of at least the last two years of college. From experience, my friends from La Salle and Ateneo did not receive credit for all of their college units.

I have a suggestion to you that a lot of students who live in California follow. Consider attending a good junior college for your freshman and sophomore year. This will allow you to get a feel of what it is like to study in the States. Build up your grades and your bank account. The tuition fees are much cheaper than the universities. Then apply to the bigger universities for your junior and senior year. Berkeley is the best public university in the States but the school accepts less than 30% of the applicants even if students meet their minimum requirements. Students who fail to be accepted as freshmen attend junior college or another university to improve their grades further. Then they apply as transfer students. You will not be competing against students from California at Berkeley but all over the world.

can you tell me naman how most pinoy students fare with the american students and students of other nationalities.are we good?

thanks and i hope to hear inspiring answers:)

Nationality up to a certain point determines performance. Asians specially the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indians as a whole out perform Pinoys but there are a lot of successful Pinoys. The parents of the Chinese, Korean and Indian students drill their children on the need to excell in school. Pinoys on the other hand wants to have a balance life, school and pleasure. This is why other minority groups like the hispanic and blacks prefer a quota system in the University of California schools but the courts have struck down the quota system. In the final analysis, your performance in school will be determined by how much time and effort you put in your school work. Kaya yan!

When are you migrating to California? You must work on your school application even before leaving Manila or there will be a gap in your education until the next regular session. It may be to late to apply to the big universities for the coming fall term. At any rate, make sure you ample copies of your college and high school transcripts with you when you come to the States. Schools will prefer that they are contained in a sealed envelope from your school. Make sure you bring letter of recommendation from your dean and be ready for a personal interview. This will speed up the application process

Good luck!

[rabbaddal]

sweet_ryan,

What the others have said about deciding the kind of program you want is right. Up to a certain extent, each school has its own strengths and weaknesses depending on the program you want to take. Note that I used the qualifier - "up to a certain extent", because some criteria are relative to the choices that you have to make. For example, even if business is my preferred program, I would much rather be a History major in the Ivy League where there are no undergrad business programs (except for Wharton) than an accounting or finance major in UNLV.

Also, the 2-tier system doesn't really have any value to a student, except if you plan to transfer from one school to another. Some people apply to several UC schools and transfer to the UC school of their choice later on.

If you haven't made up your mind yet on what program you want, why not try applying to one of those small liberal arts colleges where the programs are generic. These schools offer a broad and wholistic educational experience - like studying for the sake of studying rather than for career advancement. The most famous of these schools are Holy Cross (Jesuit School), Wellesey, Williams College, Amherst, Colgate and Claremont McKenna. However, the admissions standards in these schools are just as tough as those of the Ivy League. Check this website for the rankings of various liberal arts colleges -

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/ranklibartco.htm

And finally, if you want to be a resident student, then it shouldn't matter how far away from home you study. And since I'm a resident student myself, I assure you that after you get over the initial homesickness, you'll love living on your own. You get a lot of flexibility in managing your own free and study time. And if you had a choice between studying in the east coast and west coast, choose the east coast. The east coast has a higher concentration and balance of metropolitan areas and historical locations. The east coast is also the home of NYC - the world's business capital. If, for example, you're studying in Massachussettes or New Hampshire, you can make short study or liesure trips to NYC, Boston, Washington DC and the likes. You can also drive up the coast of Maine for a view of their scenic rock-bound coast and a taste of their famous seafood, or ski down the slopes of Vermont.

About not being able to afford to attend a paricular school, money is becoming less of an issue when it comes to quality education. College loans are easily available to both US and International students. US students and permanent residents (those w/ green cards) are furthermore entitled to Federal Stafford loans where the payment terms are much easier. But even international students manage to get loans as well. What matters more is your ability to get admitted.

Good luck to your applications and I hope you get into the best school of your choice.

[tr|n|ty]

college loans are such a burden. most of my friends had loans and they kinda hardly live with what they're netting. i went to college in east coast myself, and personally, west coast or east coast..it's all up to you. the east coast has a certain kind of personality..so does the west coast. you have to do your research and visit the campus. a lot of international students from manila make the mistake of just going by the name and not knowing where the hell the campus of their school of choice is. college or graduate school is an experience in itself not merely bound by quality of education. this is especially important for undergrad. undergrad education is sinking into a new culture, discovering one's self and knowing what your goals are and of course, prioritizing. far different from a cookie-cutter world of graduate school/business school where you're simply there to get an education and make money after.

as for taking the liberal arts college route, it's a good choice. if i had to repeat my undergrad again, i would have seriously taken those schools into consideration. but alas, i am at the mercy of my parents had to settle for a catholic school in my city of choice. then again, i would have had a lot more bullsh|t classes i cannot contend with(not that i didn't have my fair share in my Jesuit university)

and my two cents on the liberal arts major vs business major. yes, ivy league schools do not have an undergrad program except for UPENN but most successful finance/business people i have encountered has taken a LOT of units in econ or they're simply econ majors from the get-go. if you speak to most asians in big schools, you can bet my bottom-dollar that they're not liberal arts majors. it's not in the cultural mind frame of the Asian to go for a major that totally deviates from their end-goal. i personally would probably shoot myself in the head if i ended up an english major in college versus my finance/econ knowing all too well that i won't use my major in my career of choice. but then again, that's based on my personal experience not from my WASP-brat classmates in business school.

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by tr|n|ty
far different from a cookie-cutter world of graduate school/business school where you're simply there to get an education and make money after.



You'll be surprised to know how very similar undergrad and grad education has become. I've seen my classmates slide several notches down the maturity scale within a few months after classes started. I think any full-time school has a tendency to bring us back to our old ways - campus parties, bar hopping, road trips, watching girls sunbathe during warm spring and summer afternoons, sunbathe yourself during warm spring and summer afternoons, dating your schoolmates....:)

[Stampede]

Originally posted by rabbaddal

And finally, if you want to be a resident student, then it shouldn't matter how far away from home you study. And since I'm a resident student myself, I assure you that after you get over the initial homesickness, you'll love living on your own. You get a lot of flexibility in managing your own free and study time.



totally agree with rabbaddal here. if you can afford it, try making it on your own. if nothing else, it expands your options. i, too, lived on my own when i took my masters in a midwest (eastcoast, westcoast, bahhh:D )school. in my case, there was about a two week spell of intense homesickness. wala na after that.

and ryan, the question is not 'Are we Pinoys good?', it is 'are YOU good?' or better yet, 'are you going to take your studies seriously?' if your answer to that is a Yes, then you should be fine.

[Stampede]

Originally posted by rabbaddal


You'll be surprised to know how very similar undergrad and grad education has become. I've seen my classmates slide several notches down the maturity scale within a few months after classes started. I think any full-time school has a tendency to bring us back to our old ways - campus parties, bar hopping, road trips, watching girls sunbathe during warm spring and summer afternoons, sunbathe yourself during warm spring and summer afternoons, dating your schoolmates....:)

not necessarily a bad thing... .:D gaad, i miss school.

i like the dating your schoolmates part.. woohooo!!!

[rabbaddal]

Going back to what YFU'ER was saying about American Jesuit Universities, there is a website where you can look up on the Jesuit college/university of your choice.

From the introduction:

The Jesuit College Search service will assist you in finding the right undergraduate institution. It contains information about each of the Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States and will provide you with a list of the institutions that match your criteria.

This search service will allow you to effectively evaluate your options re. what college/university you want to attend.

Here's the website for The Jesuit College Search:

http://www.ajcunet.edu/jcss/jcss.asp?Index=Intro

And here's the website to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the comprehensive portal to every Jesuit educational institution in the U.S.

http://www.ajcunet.edu/

[sweet_ryan]

well, for sure i'll be residing sa west coast. you got me there rabbaddal,u know one of the reasons i want to study in the east cost is New York City...i love that city although i haven't been there before.hehehe! kakatawa noh pero that's true.Still, i have no choice but to stay in the west coast coz nandun ang dad ko. Siguro i'll be living with my dad first and if God permits it, i'll try making it my own the following term, magiipon muna ko.

now it's time for me to answer your questions and ask my own questions.

well first of all iam an incoming sophomore sa University of the Philippines. during my freshman year, i took up a science course, Dentistry but decided to shift to Organizational Communication,an arts course this coming semester. Actually i had a course crisis during the time i was applying to different universities and i end up getting Dentistry in UP. I later realized that there's no way i'll be a dentist. My heart really says i should be taking up Business courses so go naman ako...i applied for shifting in UP Diliman but i did not get the slot. The competition is just too much for me so i ended up in Organizational Communication, the nearest course sa Business Administration where getting a slot is easy. But still, i want to go where i really feel i belong and where i'll be happy, and that's business courses. I did not try going to Ateneo or La Salle for the course i like because for me, i'ts UP or nothing. ayoko naman i try mag shift after my second year sa UP coz it's not a good option, i'll be too much delayed on my subjects

That is the main reason why i decided to took a shot in american universities. I'll be getting a Business course if ever i'll be accepted to the college/university of my choice.

My father resides in Vallejo, California...in the outskirt of San Francisco

YFU'ER mentioned of something like i should go to a good junior college during my freshman and sophomore year and try applying to the university of my choice for my third and last year...is that really effective? Do you know any colleges offering excellent business courses sa Bay area kasi prang i feel tama yung sinabi ni YFU'ER.

What about yung 2-tier system that rabbaddal mentioned, frankly speaking i don't understand that.

Siguro i'll be leaving the country after the first semester kasi i have to take time to arrange all the documents i need and besides i'ts too late for me to apply for the fall semester.

What's the exact location nga pala of the place where i'll be getting the TOEFL exam?

Sorry if i'm too makulit kasi i have to be sure of everything before i leave the country.I don't want to make mistakes again because it hurts so badly and the consequences are too much of a constraint on my part.

Thanks nga pala to all of you for taking time to answer all my questions.

If ever may iba pa kyong advices on what am i gonna do, thanks in advance.

[sweet_ryan]

well, for sure i'll be residing sa west coast. you got me there rabbaddal,u know one of the reasons i want to study in the east cost is New York City...i love that city although i haven't been there before.hehehe! kakatawa noh pero that's true.Still, i have no choice but to stay in the west coast coz nandun ang dad ko. Siguro i'll be living with my dad first and if God permits it, i'll try making it my own the following term, magiipon muna ko.

now it's time for me to answer your questions and ask my own questions.

well first of all iam an incoming sophomore sa University of the Philippines. during my freshman year, i took up a science course, Dentistry but decided to shift to Organizational Communication,an arts course this coming semester. Actually i had a course crisis during the time i was applying to different universities and i end up getting Dentistry in UP. I later realized that there's no way i'll be a dentist. My heart really says i should be taking up Business courses so go naman ako...i applied for shifting in UP Diliman but i did not get the slot. The competition is just too much for me so i ended up in Organizational Communication, the nearest course sa Business Administration where getting a slot is easy. But still, i want to go where i really feel i belong and where i'll be happy, and that's business courses. I did not try going to Ateneo or La Salle for the course i like because for me, i'ts UP or nothing. ayoko naman i try mag shift after my second year sa UP coz it's not a good option, i'll be too much delayed on my subjects

That is the main reason why i decided to took a shot in american universities. I'll be getting a Business course if ever i'll be accepted to the college/university of my choice.

My father resides in Vallejo, California...in the outskirt of San Francisco

YFU'ER mentioned of something like i should go to a good junior college during my freshman and sophomore year and try applying to the university of my choice for my third and last year...is that really effective? Do you know any colleges offering excellent business courses sa Bay area kasi prang i feel tama yung sinabi ni YFU'ER.

What about yung 2-tier system that rabbaddal mentioned, frankly speaking i don't understand that.

Siguro i'll be leaving the country after the first semester kasi i have to take time to arrange all the documents i need and besides i'ts too late for me to apply for the fall semester.

What's the exact location nga pala of the place where i'll be getting the TOEFL exam?

Sorry if i'm too makulit kasi i have to be sure of everything before i leave the country.I don't want to make mistakes again because it hurts so badly and the consequences are too much of a constraint on my part.

Thanks nga pala to all of you for taking time to answer all my questions.

If ever may iba pa kyong advices on what am i gonna do, thanks in advance.
:D :D :D :

[_Mase_]

isn't vallejo 2 hours away from LA?

i think i'm mistaken, though. correct me if i'm wrong.

and about the austin thing. it's a pretty city, but i'll take dallas anytime. :P

[sweet_ryan]

vallejo is in the outskirt of San Francisco and San Francisco is in the heart of California yata while LA is down south.

thanks mase!:p

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by sweet_ryan
well, for sure i'll be residing sa west coast. you got me there rabbaddal,u know one of the reasons i want to study in the east cost is New York City...i love that city although i haven't been there before.hehehe! kakatawa noh pero that's true.Still, i have no choice but to stay in the west coast coz nandun ang dad ko. Siguro i'll be living with my dad first and if God permits it, i'll try making it my own the following term, magiipon muna ko.
, i'll be too much delayed on my subjects


Enjoy your stay in the West Coast. SF is a nice city but I hope you can make it to NYC someday. Living and studying in NYC is an educational experience in itself. Like what Trinity said, it has a certain flavor of its own.

Originally posted by sweet_ryan

That is the main reason why i decided to took a shot in american universities. I'll be getting a Business course if ever i'll be accepted to the college/university of my choice.

My father resides in Vallejo, California...in the outskirt of San Francisco

YFU'ER mentioned of something like i should go to a good junior college during my freshman and sophomore year and try applying to the university of my choice for my third and last year...is that really effective? Do you know any colleges offering excellent business courses sa Bay area kasi prang i feel tama yung sinabi ni YFU'ER.

:

Around the Bay area, Stanford and UC Berkley have the best business programs. It’s very competitive entering these schools but you’ll never know if you can make it unless you try. There are also a couple of large Jesuit universities w/ business programs over there such as Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. You can search for them by program or geography using the search website I posted above or by going directly to their websites over here:

http://www.usfca.edu
http://www.scu.edu/

Originally posted by sweet_ryan

YFU'ER mentioned of something like i should go to a good junior college during my freshman and sophomore year and try applying to the university of my choice for my third and last year...is that really effective? Do you know any colleges offering excellent business courses sa Bay area kasi prang i feel tama yung sinabi ni YFU'ER.



There was a discussion about this in another thread – whether to study first in a junior college, go straight for a top-ranked university, or study in another school and go for your MBA in a top-tier b-school. Each strategy has its own pros and cons and only you can decide what’s the best strategy for you based on your own strengths, weaknesses and the resources that you have. As for me, I went to college in the Philippines and I’m now studying for my MBA here in New York.

Originally posted by sweet_ryan

What about yung 2-tier system that rabbaddal mentioned, frankly speaking i don't understand that.



Actually, I got the 2-tier term from your earlier post. Basically, the UC system is a conglomerate of several universities across the state of California. In UP, for example, you have UP Diliman, UP Manila, UP Los Banos, etc all grouped under one umbrella. There are a few advantages to this setup. First of all, one UC/UP can be better in one program than the other UC/UP, so applicants have a choice as to w/c campus he/she wants to apply to. Another possibility is that some people who do not get admitted into the campus and program of their choice, but who are admitted into another UC/UP campus and/or program, can transfer to the UC/UP campus and program of their choice later on and even have some of their subjects credited. While there is no guarantee that this will work for everyone, I have several friends in both UC and UP who managed to transfer to the campus and program of their choice later on.

[YFU'ER]

Sweet Ryan,

You can take the TOEFL while in the Philippines or when you move to California. Just make sure that you get the results before you go to California so you can bring with you the results. You will end up making photo copies of the result each time you apply to a different school.

California is the largest state in the U.S. population wise. The state does not have enough elite universities to accept all the new high school students each year. The solution to the problem is to create a system of junior colleges and California has the largest number of JC's in the US.Those student that get turned down from the University of California school system attend a junior college to build up their grades. Then they apply as transfer students.

The University of California school system is like UP. Tipong may Diliman, Baguio, Los Banos at Iloilo. Same with the UC school system, Berkeley, LA, San Diego and SF to name a few. People apply to different schools because of the limited number of openings. Then after a year or two, they transfer to the school of their choice.

In California, the state college system can be compared to La Salle. I have already mentioned the UC schools but there is also a group of universities called California State University. They have as many if not more branches than the UC schools. You can say that the UC schools can be compared to a La Salle while the Cal State schools are your CSB. UC schools are always better and tougher to enter and more expensive but worth it.

There are also some very good state schools in California that are not part of the UC or Cal State schools. Just remember, if the name of the school includes the word "state" then it is a state supported school. Tuition fees are cheaper than private schools.

Since you are moving after the first semester, make sure you bring all your papers and have taken the TOEFL. This will allow you to apply to a school for the winter term. The winter term starts in Jan. if the school is using the semester method.

Good luck!

[pyket]

sweet_ryan: good luck on your applications! i was in the same situation a year ago. applying like hell to universities while taking care of my immigration documents. thing is: i'm finally here and i'm transferring from admu into the school i've been eye-ing for so long (you can call me a NYUbie this fall, hehehehe...). i took the TOEFL back home. i believe it's in the Ateneo Professional Schools in Makati (not the Rockwell one) --- or at least i think it's ateneo owned. the SAT (which is a joke) is taken at the IS in makati as well (you can always go eat at North Park afterwards!!! yum...) good luck with everything!!!

[sweet_ryan]

thanks to you all!

sana nga i'll be able to get the course i like and the university i want to go to.

these are the university in the bay area that im considering to apply

1. Sonoma State University-rank 6th yata among the public colleges sa west

2. San Francisco State University- near sa house ng dad ko

3. San Jose State University- bay area din and siguro about 1 1/2 hour from my dad's place

4. CSU Sacramento- i dont know kung gano kalayo ito sa San Francisco

5. UC Davis- Just 15 miles west of Sacramento but i still dont know where Sacramento is in the bay area

6. UC Santa Cruz

7. Loyola Marymount University

8. Pepperdine University

9. UC Berkely- this university is the one i really like kaya lang hirap pumasok,medyo expensive din.

siguro i'll try muna sa mga State U and then transfer sa UC Berkely later on, if i can.

Kindly comment naman about these universities (nos. 1-8)...i really don't know much about them, baka lang may alam kayo..

Thanks a lot.


:p

[sweet_ryan]

eto na naman po ako.!!!

i forgot to ask one question...

how about racial discrimination among asian and other students of different nationalities,existing ba?rampant?

i just want to know it badly.

thanks!

[pyket]

about racial discrimination in american universities:

you're not going to hick states naman, di ba? you're planning on cities in more liberal multicultural states like new york and california. dear, california IS asia in america ;) there are a LOT of asians. i'd like to think california's A LOT friendly with asians. especially in the SF BAY AREA (i.e., not just san francisco itself). but of course, there are always potential racist @$$H0L#$ wherever you go to spoil your day.

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by sweet_ryan
thanks to you all!

sana nga i'll be able to get the course i like and the university i want to go to.

these are the university in the bay area that im considering to apply


7. Loyola Marymount University

8. Pepperdine University

9. UC Berkely- this university is the one i really like kaya lang hirap pumasok,medyo expensive din.

siguro i'll try muna sa mga State U and then transfer sa UC Berkely later on, if i can.

Kindly comment naman about these universities (nos. 1-8)...i really don't know much about them, baka lang may alam kayo..

Thanks a lot.


:p

Aren't Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine in the LA area? That's around 8 hours away from SF. Good luck w/ UC Berkley.

[YFU'ER]

Originally posted by sweet_ryan
thanks to you all!

sana nga i'll be able to get the course i like and the university i want to go to.

these are the university in the bay area that im considering to apply

1. Sonoma State University-rank 6th yata among the public colleges sa west

2. San Francisco State University- near sa house ng dad ko

3. San Jose State University- bay area din and siguro about 1 1/2 hour from my dad's place

4. CSU Sacramento- i dont know kung gano kalayo ito sa San Francisco

5. UC Davis- Just 15 miles west of Sacramento but i still dont know where Sacramento is in the bay area

6. UC Santa Cruz

7. Loyola Marymount University

8. Pepperdine University

9. UC Berkely- this university is the one i really like kaya lang hirap pumasok,medyo expensive din.

siguro i'll try muna sa mga State U and then transfer sa UC Berkely later on, if i can.

Kindly comment naman about these universities (nos. 1-8)...i really don't know much about them, baka lang may alam kayo..

Thanks a lot.


:p

Rabbaddal is correct. Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine University are both in LA. Both are private schools and quite expensive compared to the other 7 state schools. But Pepperdine is suppose to have one of the best campuses around. How can the surroundings be conducive to studies when the school is situated in the rolling hills of Malibu with a view of the Pacific Ocean. If Rabbaddal thinks Barnard is a good hunting ground when the weather is warm, Pepperdine is a virtual game preserve. Has to be when the neighborhood is loaded of Hollywood people.

San Francisco State and Golden State University are in the city. Last time I saw the campus of Golden State, the campus was in a nice area of the city with a lot of private homes. Do not know much about their curriculum.

San Jose State and Sonoma State are outside of San Francisco. Lots of Pinoys in San Jose State. My friend sends her daughter to Sonoma State and said that the school is good. Located in the wine region of Sonoma county.

Sacramento is the capital city of California but a good traveling distance San Francisco. I do not think you will be able to commute 4 hours each day just to go to school. Like I said, UC Santa Cruz and Davis are good school but a step or two behind Berkeley. Davis has a very good program in winery.

[rabbaddal]

Originally posted by YFU'ER

Pepperdine is a virtual game preserve. Has to be when the neighborhood is loaded of Hollywood people.


Now this is something worth commuting 16 hours every day for.