There are two simple housing options for college students: on-campus and off-campus.  Colleges and Universities provide room and board for their students in dormitories for an additional charge.  This is a good option for many students who want to save on transportation costs, and some other living expenses.  Since most dormitories are located on or near the campus, students can walk to their classes.  Whether living on campus is more or less expensive than living in an apartment not affiliated with the campus depends on the college.  Many colleges offer meal plans with the housing costs, which can be a very good deal compared with the costs of eating out.  Some students enjoy the experience of living off campus.  It is often very easy to find fellow students in an area near your college who are looking for a roommate to share expenses.  Look into your housing opportunities once you are accepted to a college because where you live can greatly impact your social life.

OTHER RESOURCES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

There are many resources available to international students looking to come to the United States for education.  There are several organizations dedicated to helping you get an American education.  The following two are a good starting point. 

Ø     International Education Services (IES) describe themselves as “An agency dedicated to assisting students from all parts of the world who wish to study in the United States and Canada.”  They provide placement services, and have two major publications:  Foreign Students Guide to American School, Colleges, and Universities, which is a yearly reference guide available to academic advising centers and interested students, and American Education Magazine which is an annual publication distributed with the Guide.  For more information, see www.ies-ed.com/html.

Ø     International Student Placement Services of America (IPSA) specializes in placement services for international students for colleges and universities, high schools, housing, scholarships and placement and other student needs.  For more information, go to www.ipsausa.com.

In the United States, there is no Federal or State mandated standardized testing for students.  Whether a student passes to the next grade depends primarily on the discretion of the faculty at the student’s school.  Because of this, private organizations have developed standardized tests to gauge a student’s knowledge at a national level. 

Ø     The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is the most well- known.  The test is a three-hour, multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical abilities.  It is administered by an organization called the College Board, so the test is often referred to by that name as well.  Most colleges and universities require the SAT as part of the application process.  It is wise to take the SAT in your junior year of High School.  Many High Schools offer courses in SAT preparation, or will be able to refer you to a preparation course in your area.  Other tests that may be required or encouraged are the ACT, ACH, or AP tests. 

Ø     Scoring the SAT

The SAT has a maximum of 1600 points (800 for the verbal section and 800 for math), the national average is usually around 1050 to 1100 points, so anything above that is very good.  There are seven testing dates per year, and the deadline for registration is approximately one month prior for tests in the United States, and approximately two months prior to the testing date for international registrations.  Consult the College Boards website at collegeboard.org to get the specific deadlines.  Keep in mind that for international registrations, the registration needs to be received by the deadline.  You should register as soon as possible, since many locations may reach capacity before the deadline.  Check the website for the current fees for the SAT, which include a basic registration charge, and may include additional charges for international registrations.  SATs are available to take in most countries.

Ø     The ACT is administered by ACT, Inc., a non-profit organization that administers hundreds of tests in addition to the ones used in college admissions.  The ACT test measures English, Mathematics, Reading and Science Reasoning skills on a scale of 1 to 36.  The national average is around 20 points.  The ACT offers international testing as well.  More information can be obtained at http://www.act.org

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) program provides English proficiency testing services for international students planning to study in the United States, Canada, or other countries where English is used in an academic environment. The TOEFL test is available worldwide. Educational Testing Service (ETS) develops the test under the direction of the TOEFL Policy Council, a board comprised of professionals drawn from the higher education community.  As with many other forms of standardized testing, the TOEFL is gradually moving towards a computer-based form.  Many testing centers, in fact, only offer the test to be taken directly on the computer.

COMPLETING COLLEGE COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL

The Advanced Placement tests are administered by the College Boards, and allow High School students to take college level courses during their junior or senior year to earn credit or placement in colleges.  The test is currently offered in 19 different subjects and is scored on a 1 to 5 scale.  Consult your college of choice, since not all colleges accept advanced placement scores, some only accept those with a score of 5, some 4’s and 5’s and others accept scores of 3 or higher.  For more information on Standardized Testing, visit the Educational Testing Services site at http://www.ets.org.

Ø     Public schools are funded by State and local taxes, and do not charge for tuition.  All taxpayers pay for public school whether they have children in public school or not.  Local officials run public schools.  Which public school your child will attend is based on what school district you live in.  Because of this, one of the most important factors to look into when deciding where to live is the quality of the schools there.  This may require some extensive research before moving, but it may be very worthwhile.  The public may attend school board meetings.  One thing to check into when researching a school district is the length of the school year. 

Ø     Private schools charge tuition, and are not subject to public control.   Many, but not all, private schools are parochial, meaning they are supported by a religious community.  The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that religious education in public schools is unconstitutional.  Many parents seeking to have their children educated in their religion choose parochial schools for this reason.  Also, smaller class sizes in private schools give children more specialized attention.  Many private schools have excellent reputations because they can be more selective in accepting students and hiring faculty.  Many private schools are willing to personally meet with the parents of prospective students to see if the school will be a fit.  Private school is also an attractive alternative to many parents who dislike the politics involved in the procedures of the local school boards.  The decision between public and private schools depends on both personal values and economics.  Private schools generally run between $4,000 and $8,500 per year.

THE SCHOOL CALENDAR

Once upon a time the academic year was easy to understand.  Parents had an easy time planning vacations and activities based on the simplicity of their children’s school calendar.  The day after Labor Day (first Monday of September), the young ones went off to school, they got about two weeks off around Christmas, a week in the spring, and left for summer vacation in the middle of June.  Some schools do still operate this way, but it is becoming increasingly uncommon.  Limited budgets and a growing number of students have led many districts to change to a year round schedule which would limit the percentage of the students who are in class at a particular time.  In a year round schedule, not all of the students have their vacations at the same time.  As a parent, you may have two or more students in the same school, or even in the same grade, but that will not necessarily mean they will be on the same schedule. There are several different plans for year round schools.  An abridged description of the most common plans follows. 

Ø     The most popular plan, the 45-12 plan, divides the student body into four tracks which are on an alternating schedule of 45 days of school, followed by fifteen days of vacation.  Under this plan, only 75% of the student body is attending at any particular time.

Ø     Concept 6 is a plan in which the calendar is divided into six two-month blocks.  Students are divided into three tracks and attend school for two consecutive blocks, followed by a vacation blocks.  This can allow for a one-third increase in enrollment, however, a third of the student body will get no summer vacation.

Ø     The quinmester divides the academic year into five 45-day terms (quins), with students attending for four of the five quins.  It is important to understand how your school schedule will work, since it can affect family life, especially as it applies to vacations or childcare.