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Hi. Just back yesterday and already want to get on the plane and go back, the weather is all dull and COLD!
I love the country and have been twice now.
I know its probably gonna be impossible for me to immigrate.. So are there alternative routes that I can take so I could maybe live there temporary to see what it is like? Maybe a year?
I will be on a gap year this year and won't be doing much so perhaps I could do something then?
I have looked into the scolarships but I cannot understand how they work, all I see is sports scolarships! I am not interested in sports and would like to do something more interesting like meteorology.
I wonder what are the grades at a level to get into these scolarships?
Hi. Just back yesterday and already want to get on the plane and go back, the weather is all dull and COLD!
I love the country and have been twice now.
I know its probably gonna be impossible for me to immigrate.. So are there alternative routes that I can take so I could maybe live there temporary to see what it is like? Maybe a year?
I will be on a gap year this year and won't be doing much so perhaps I could do something then?
I have looked into the scolarships but I cannot understand how they work, all I see is sports scolarships! I am not interested in sports and would like to do something more interesting like meteorology.
I wonder what are the grades at a level to get into these scolarships?
To get these scholarships, you need to have excellent grades. To get the most money you need lots of A's. Also, your studies will have to be entirely self-funded if the UK does not pay for students to study overseas, in the US on an F1 visa. You also cannot hold a job outside of campus, and that is only part time. So, you're looking at either needing a lot of scholarships, or your parents footing the entire bill every semester and month for living expenses. the cheaper, and easier, option would be to go to university in, say, England, and apply for any study abroad opportunity in the US. The visa work is easier, accommodation will be provided by the university on-campus or you live off-campus but with university assistance. I always recommend to foreigners the study abroad route, it has the least amount of headaches, and credits will transfer to your program back in the UK.
So, my recommendation is, research unis in the UK, and pick the one that has the study abroad programs you are most interested in
Scholarships for international students are pretty rare. I suggest you find out what colleges in the US teach meteorology, then speak with the international programs admission folks to see what, if any, scholarship money might be available. Since you will be coming here without a sponsor, don't be surprised if the university requires you to prove that you have 10,000 US dollars in a bank account for your use.
Now, I'm not an expert on UK education financing, but it appears that government student loans/scholarships are only granted for studies at UK courses - if I were you I would get in touch with https://www.gov.uk/browse/education/student-finance and ask them. There are also some US lenders that will provide student loans, although it appears many require a US citizen/permanent resident to co-sign. Here in Norway, we are very fortunate to have a system that recognizes accredited universities abroad and grants financial support for overseas courses.
When you are looking at US schools, don't scoff at community colleges, which usually are much less expensive than "brand name" schools. They offer 2-year Associate degrees which can count toward a 4-year Bachelor - you'd need to transfer to another school and apply to extend your F-1 obviously. In my experience it is NOT hard to get good grades at a community college, although of course it's not going to look as bright and shiny on your resume as an Ivy League school. Before you apply, you must make sure that the school is SEVIS-approved, as well as make sure that you understand all the legal/formal requirements for applying for an F-1 visa.
On an F-1 student visa you can also work a limited amount of hours after the first year or so, and full time during school breaks (summer, spring break etc.) IF you get authorization from INS first. Don't count on financing your stay in this fashion - first of all USCIS will deny your visa application if you don't have enough money in the bank to support yourself, and the pay you will receive isn't likely to amount to more than beer money.
When I went to school in the US, you could apply to extend your stay for a certain amount of time in order to get "practical training" (i.e. work) in a job directly related to your degree - the Optional Practical Training program (OPT). After perusing USCIS' website I'm a little confused as to whether this is still in effect, so you should ask USCIS directly. In any case, it is possible to apply to adjust your status if you were to receive a job offer, or if you manage to charm someone special with your Irish accent.
Feel free to PM me if you want ramblings from my experiences
Now, I'm not an expert on UK education financing, but it appears that government student loans/scholarships are only granted for studies at UK courses - if I were you I would get in touch with https://www.gov.uk/browse/education/student-finance and ask them. There are also some US lenders that will provide student loans, although it appears many require a US citizen/permanent resident to co-sign. Here in Norway, we are very fortunate to have a system that recognizes accredited universities abroad and grants financial support for overseas courses.
When you are looking at US schools, don't scoff at community colleges, which usually are much less expensive than "brand name" schools. They offer 2-year Associate degrees which can count toward a 4-year Bachelor - you'd need to transfer to another school and apply to extend your F-1 obviously. In my experience it is NOT hard to get good grades at a community college, although of course it's not going to look as bright and shiny on your resume as an Ivy League school. Before you apply, you must make sure that the school is SEVIS-approved, as well as make sure that you understand all the legal/formal requirements for applying for an F-1 visa.
On an F-1 student visa you can also work a limited amount of hours after the first year or so, and full time during school breaks (summer, spring break etc.) IF you get authorization from INS first. Don't count on financing your stay in this fashion - first of all USCIS will deny your visa application if you don't have enough money in the bank to support yourself, and the pay you will receive isn't likely to amount to more than beer money.
When I went to school in the US, you could apply to extend your stay for a certain amount of time in order to get "practical training" (i.e. work) in a job directly related to your degree - the Optional Practical Training program (OPT). After perusing USCIS' website I'm a little confused as to whether this is still in effect, so you should ask USCIS directly. In any case, it is possible to apply to adjust your status if you were to receive a job offer, or if you manage to charm someone special with your Irish accent.
Feel free to PM me if you want ramblings from my experiences
I briefly looked at that site but to be honest I really would not have a clue where to go. I'm only looking at this to see what my options are as it is something that I would try but for me at least I don't actually really know where to study in America.
I feel as though I would prefer somewhere near NYC (not NYC itself) as it isn't that far from home meaning that if there were an emergency I could just hop on a plane there and then.
However, I am not in the bracket of a household income of £25,000 but at the same time could not afford $50,000 a year and would not put my parents in that position. I am only going to go into this if they pay most of the bill or reduce it by like 70% so that it is cheaper than the UK lol as my parents said they would go for the £9,000 ($20,000?) one in the UK.
For me i'm not interested in Harvard and would never get the grades for it anyway, for me I am more interested in places that are kind of middle of the road? What kind of grades would you need?
I am a kind of person that could get 3 B's at A level of perhaps 2 B's and an A but i'm not sure if I would get 3 A's.. But I notice in the US for me myself I would get into more courses with my grades than in the United Kingdom, here in the United Kingdom it is extremely competitive and a lot of the courses are asking for ridiculous grades such as 3 A's and 3 A*'s - which in most subjects is very hard to gain. I feel over there they recognise you're qualifications more than here...
For me I think i'm ahead of community college level as i've just finished my a levels. Like I said though I would like to think that I was mature enough not to put myself into dangerous position..
I don't know where the obsession with being "close to home" comes from. If something happens overseas, there's nothing you can do about it anyway, and "hopping on a plane" isn't really an option if you're on F-1 status in the middle of the school year.
However, there are plenty of hub cities with international airports, that will likely have flights to where you live. Dallas/Fort Worth, Memphis, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Denver etc. all could be viable candidates. Don't limit yourself to one or two metro areas on the East coast.
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I don't actually really know where to study in America.
Wrong question You need to figure out what to study in America, and then find the best school for that subject that you can afford.
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would not put my parents in that position. I am only going to go into this if they pay most of the bill
It's your education - you finance it, don't rely on your parents. Work, save up money, get a student loan to cover the rest. It's an investment in your future, treat it like that, not like an extended vacation.
Scholarships for undergrad work are rare, but scholarships for graduate school are very common and the norm, except for the professional schools ie medical, dental, pharmacy, and law. Engineering, science, liberal arts masters and phd's offer 100% tuition and a stipend of around 2k a month.
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But I notice in the US for me myself I would get into more courses with my grades than in the United Kingdom, here in the United Kingdom it is extremely competitive and a lot of the courses are asking for ridiculous grades such as 3 A's and 3 A*'s - which in most subjects is very hard to gain. I feel over there they recognise you're qualifications more than here... 
You need to figure out what to study in America, and then find the best school for that subject that you can afford.
