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Old 08-05-2009, 09:56 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,965 times
Reputation: 10

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Sorry about title, not really good with those. here is my story.

I currently live in Canada and I'm thinking of moving down to LA to possibly attend USC or preferably Caltech i understand that i will need to get accepted by either of the schools first then get a student visa to be able to actually move but i'm still not sure if i wanna do this or not... I'm mainly thinking of moving because of the better education that i will get(hopefully) and the end result which might be a good job opportunity and of-course cuz its LA d0h...

#) not sure if this question can be answered by this forum or not but I'm going to ask it anyway, i know that if I'm coming straight from high school i need to take the SAT s to be qualified to get in or not, but what im doing right now is attending a university and doing first year general engineering so my plan is just to simply transfer and specialize in a second year program, will this be possible? either way i will have to talk to USC or CALTECH about this... before anything.

1) is this a good idea? i mean is it really reasonable? meaning if lets say perhaps i just stick around and finish my degree here and move afterwords if that is even possible(work visa or something?) ?

2) what kinda of money will i need to get me settle at the start and perhaps what is the ideal amount that i will need per year for school?

3) will rent be an issue, i would probably want something close to the school but of course something that's is ideal for its location and its cost. i'm not really a dorms person but if i have it then i must.

4) anything else i need to consider or worry about? i just feel like i need to know everything before i do anything... i don't wanna just move and get stuck or face issues that i don't know about.



thanks,
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Old 08-05-2009, 10:48 PM
 
10,629 posts, read 26,660,945 times
Reputation: 6776
These are almost all issues that you're going to need addressed directly by the schools. Some of it - requirement for transfer students, for example - should be readily available on their website.

If you want to live in California I think you're currently far more likely to be able to do it as a student than you would be as a new graduate. Your plan sounds reasonable, assuming you can get in and afford it. You'll also make contacts, can do some internships while a student, and generally possibly network your way into a US-based job post-college.

USC has a lot of student housing nearby, and students live in a lot of other areas as well. Caltech is located in Pasadena, and sort of straddles an area which on one side has very expensive homes and the other has a bigger mix, including some relatively affordable student options. Either way I would think (but don't know) that you could find something on your own (or with roommates) off-campus that is cheaper than the campus dorm options. As far as how much money you'll need for a year, that depends on a lot of factors; besides rent you'll need a security deposit for your apartment, some cheap furnishings (you can cut down on that if you get a roommate), money for food, health insurance, possibly a car and insurance (you can get by without a car, but if you do plan on keeping one you'll want to factor in all the related costs), etc.

A lot of international students attend USC and Caltech (and the other LA schools), including many Canadians. If you want to live in LA and if those schools are a good fit for your educational needs then by all means at least apply and see what happens. Good luck!
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Old 08-06-2009, 12:45 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,965 times
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Thanks a lot for the info, i will defiantly apply and do some more research, i just needed a general thought if this is ideal or not and now i got it thanks a lot again. =D
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Old 08-06-2009, 10:38 AM
 
1,465 posts, read 5,135,943 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k4r1m View Post
..., i will defiantly apply ..
I sure hope you meant you will definitely apply.
Good luck and I hope you get here.
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Old 08-07-2009, 07:50 AM
 
1,156 posts, read 3,773,227 times
Reputation: 778
Well, there is also the out of state tuition issue, which is abominably high.

Good luck, especially if you can get into Caltech. That is one darn great school.
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