Neomerlin

Hi ! I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or to
inform me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a college in
California (US). What permissions do I need ? What is the local cost for a room per month
? Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a univesity or college and
a living place for this time ? Is anyone able to help me with this ? That would be more
than nice ! Thanks anyway, Greetings from Germany and have a nice day ! Merlin

Mark Carroll

Most larger colleges have literature that they give to international current and
prospective students with this sort of information in them. It might be worth contacting
the major Californian schools directly after browsing their web sites to see if they have
some standard stuff they can mail you.

Good luck.

-- Mark

Joachim Feise

Neomerlin wrote:
>
> Hi ! I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or
> to inform me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a
> college in California (US). What permissions do I need ? What is the local cost for
> a room per month ? Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a
> univesity or college and a living place for this time ? Is anyone able to help me
> with this ? That would be more than nice ! Thanks anyway, Greetings from Germany and
> have a nice day ! Merlin

You first need to apply at a university. Once you are accepted, they will send you all the
information about visa, etc. you need. You also need to provide proof that you have
financial support, since universities in the US, unlike in Germany, require you to pay
tuition ("Schulgeld").

As far as living costs are concerned, these vary from place to place. Most universities
provide dorms or student apartments, but there may be waiting times. And the general
living costs are very varied as well. For example, living in a big city like LA is
probably more expensive than living in some lesser known cities.

-Joe

Sylvia Ottemoeller

Neomerlin wrote:

> I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or to inform
> me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a college in
> California (US).

Here are websites designed to assist prospective foreign students:

http://www.edupass.org/ http://www.embark.com/default.asp
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/studyus.htm
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaover.htm

Here is a list of just about all the schools in the U.S., organized by state:
http://www.utexas.edu/world/univ/state/

> What permissions do I need ?

You need to choose a school (or a few schools) to apply to, get admitted to a school of
your choice, show the school you have enough money, have the school issue Form I-20, get
an F-1 visa stamp at a U.S. consular post, and enter the U.S. in F-1 status.

What is the local cost for a room per month
> ?

It varies from place to place. For a room in a private house, near UCLA (but not near
enough to walk to school), maybe $500 to $600 per month.

> Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a univesity or college

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaweu.htm lists about 17 advising centers all
over Germany. See also http://www.educationusa.de/.

and a living place for this time ?

The schools usually have housing service pages, for example http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/in-
tl/DISC/Services/New%20Housing%20Website/New_Housing_Page.htm, http://www.cho.ucla.edu/.
Usually, international students plan to arrive in the U.S. a few weeks before school
starts, stay at a hotel or youth hostel for a few days, and quickly find a room to rent.

> Is anyone able to help me with this ? That would be more than nice !

Neomerlin

Thanks for your tip, but I've allready done that. Are there any further infos you have
about permissions to stay in US ? Thanks anyway ! Merlin

Mark Carroll schrieb:

> Most larger colleges have literature that they give to international current and
> prospective students with this sort of information in them. It might be worth contacting
> the major Californian schools directly after browsing their web sites to see if they
> have some standard stuff they can mail you.
>
> Good luck.
>
> -- Mark

Neomerlin

Thanks for your information, Joe ! I allready have a brochure from the SMC (Santa Monica
College) - I have chosen this College, because there are many subjects that would go along
with my will to study Film and be later on a movie-director. I saw in your e-mail header,
that you're from the UCI, so .. are you a student, or a teacher in there ? You have a
German Name .. do you speak German ?
- Ich hab mir mal die Zulassungsinformationen für die UCI durchgelesen. Im speziellen
die für Ausländische Studenten. Da stand drin, dass nur Studenten mit herrausragenden
Leistungen akzeptiert werden - wie darf ich herrausragend in deutschen Noten
verstehen ? Würde da überhaupt eine 3 reichen, als ABI Schnitt ? Danke & Thanks for
your help ! Merlin

Joachim Feise schrieb:

> Neomerlin wrote:
> >
> > Hi ! I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or to
> > inform me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a college in
> > California (US). What permissions do I need ? What is the local cost for a room per
> > month ? Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a univesity or
> > college and a living place for this time ? Is anyone able to help me with this ? That
> > would be more than nice ! Thanks anyway, Greetings from Germany and have a nice day !
> > Merlin
>
> You first need to apply at a university. Once you are accepted, they will send you all
> the information about visa, etc. you need. You also need to provide proof that you have
> financial support, since universities in the US, unlike in Germany, require you to pay
> tuition ("Schulgeld").
>
> As far as living costs are concerned, these vary from place to place. Most universities
> provide dorms or student apartments, but there may be waiting times. And the general
> living costs are very varied as well. For example, living in a big city like LA is
> probably more expensive than living in some lesser known cities.
>
> -Joe

Sylvia Ottemoeller

I posted a reply earlier but it seems not to have come through.

Neomerlin wrote:

> I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or to inform
> me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a college in
> California (US).

Here are some sites which may help prospective international students:

http://www.edupass.org/ http://www.embark.com/default.asp
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/studyus.htm
http://travel.state.gov/visa;foreignstuden.html
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/howdoi/academic.htm
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaover.htm

For Germany:

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaweu.htm, which contains information and
websites of several educational advising agencies in Germany.

> What permissions do I need ?

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/undergra.htm lists the steps you must take.
Briefly: apply to a school, get accepted for admission, show the school you have funding,
get the school to issue Form I-20, apply for an F-1 visa at a consular post, enter the
U.S. in F-1 status.

What is the local cost for a room per month
> ?

It varies a lot. Perhaps $400 to $600 per month in Los Angeles for one room in a
private house.

> Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a univesity or college and
> a living place for this time ?

For help in selecting a college, try the advising centers in Germany. Here is a survey
which may or may not be helpful: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm.

Here is the kind of thing you can find to help with housing information:

http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/intl/DISC...using_Page.htm
http://www.cho.ucla.edu/ http://www.cho.ucla.edu/housing/rrate.htm

This is what most international students do about housing: Arrive a few weeks before
classes start, stay in a hotel or youth hostel for a few days, immediately search for
housing. There are usually plenty of roommate listings by people just like you who would
like to share an apartment or something like that.

> Is anyone able to help me with this ? That would be more than nice ! Thanks anyway,
> Greetings from Germany and have a nice day !

Joachim Feise

Neomerlin wrote:
> =

> Thanks for your information, Joe ! I allready have a brochure from the SMC (Santa Monica
> College) - I have chosen this College, because there are many subjects that would =
go
> along with my will to study Film and be later on a movie-director.

That actually is next to LA, so a quite expensive area.

> I saw in your e-mail header, that you're from the UCI, so .. are you a student, or a
> teacher in there ? You have a German Name .. do you speak=
German
> ?

Graduate student, originally from Germany...

> - Ich hab mir mal die Zulassungsinformationen f=FCr die UCI durchgelese=
n. Im
> speziellen die f=FCr Ausl=E4ndische Studenten. Da stand drin, dass nur =
Studenten
> mit herrausragenden Leistungen akzeptiert werden - wie darf ich herraus=
ragend
> in deutschen Noten verstehen ? W=FCrde da =FCberhaupt eine 3 reichen, a=
ls ABI
> Schnitt ?

I keep it in English here, for the newsgroup. I don't know the exact acceptance
requirements for undergraduates at UCI = for foreign students. I did my undergraduate work
in Germany. But I guess that your grade (a C in US notation) wouldn't cut it (don't
despair, I had a C in my Abitur as well). In general, you would need to take a test called
the SAT (Scholastic Asse= ssment Test) and the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign
Language). You can usually get brochures on these tests by your local Amerika Haus
(addresses are here: http://www.usembassy.de/gaci/index.htm) or directly = from ETS
(http://www.ets.org/).

Cheers, and good luck, -Joe

Neomerlin

Hi Sylvia ! The information and links you gave to me were very helpfull and I am now
seeing forward to get my TOEFL test done and be accepted at Santa Monica College (SMC), or
do you know a better college to study Film and Cinematography ? Thanks for all the help
till yet and I hope we can stay in contact, Greetings, Merlin

Sylvia Ottemoeller schrieb:

> I posted a reply earlier but it seems not to have come through.
>
> Neomerlin wrote:
>
> > I have a - for me - really important question : Is anyone able to help me, or to
> > inform me about the things i need to know, if I want to begin a study at a college in
> > California (US).
>
> Here are some sites which may help prospective international students:
>
> http://www.edupass.org/ http://www.embark.com/default.asp
> http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/studyus.htm
> http://travel.state.gov/visa;foreignstuden.html
> http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/howdoi/academic.htm
> http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaover.htm
>
> For Germany:
>
> http://exchanges.state.gov/education/advise/asaweu.htm, which contains information and
> websites of several educational advising agencies in Germany.
>
> > What permissions do I need ?
>
> http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/undergra.htm lists the steps you must take.
> Briefly: apply to a school, get accepted for admission, show the school you have
> funding, get the school to issue Form I-20, apply for an F-1 visa at a consular post,
> enter the U.S. in F-1 status.
>
> What is the local cost for a room per month
> > ?
>
> It varies a lot. Perhaps $400 to $600 per month in Los Angeles for one room in a
> private house.
>
> > Are there any institiutions, which could help me with finding a univesity or college
> > and a living place for this time ?
>
> For help in selecting a college, try the advising centers in Germany. Here is a survey
> which may or may not be helpful: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm.
>
> Here is the kind of thing you can find to help with housing information:
>
> http://www.saonet.ucla.edu/intl/DISC...Housing_Page.-
> htm http://www.cho.ucla.edu/ http://www.cho.ucla.edu/housing/rrate.htm
>
> This is what most international students do about housing: Arrive a few weeks before
> classes start, stay in a hotel or youth hostel for a few days, immediately search for
> housing. There are usually plenty of roommate listings by people just like you who would
> like to share an apartment or something like that.
>
> > Is anyone able to help me with this ? That would be more than nice ! Thanks anyway,
> > Greetings from Germany and have a nice day !

Neomerlin

Hi Joe ! Thanks for you kind help and information. The links to the TOEFL institute helped
me a lot and i'll soon get my test done in Frankfurt. After that I hope beeing accepted as
a student at the SMC (Santa Monica College). Do you know something about this college ? As
you might have read, I want to study Film and Cinematography - do you know a better or
good college to do this ? I hope we also can stay in contact, Greetings, Merlin

Joachim Feise schrieb:

> Neomerlin wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for your information, Joe ! I allready have a brochure from the SMC (Santa
> > Monica College) - I have chosen this College, because there are many subjects that
> > would go along with my will to study Film and be later on a movie-director.
>
> That actually is next to LA, so a quite expensive area.
>
> > I saw in your e-mail header, that you're from the UCI, so .. are you a student, or a
> > teacher in there ? You have a German Name .. do you speak German ?
>
> Graduate student, originally from Germany...
>
> > - Ich hab mir mal die Zulassungsinformationen für die UCI durchgelesen. Im speziellen
> > die für Ausländische Studenten. Da stand drin, dass nur Studenten mit
> > herrausragenden Leistungen akzeptiert werden - wie darf ich herrausragend in
> > deutschen Noten verstehen ? Würde da überhaupt eine 3 reichen, als ABI Schnitt ?
>
> I keep it in English here, for the newsgroup. I don't know the exact acceptance
> requirements for undergraduates at UCI for foreign students. I did my undergraduate work
> in Germany. But I guess that your grade (a C in US notation) wouldn't cut it (don't
> despair, I had a C in my Abitur as well). In general, you would need to take a test
> called the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) and the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign
> Language). You can usually get brochures on these tests by your local Amerika Haus
> (addresses are here: http://www.usembassy.de/gaci/index.htm) or directly from ETS
> (http://www.ets.org/).
>
> Cheers, and good luck, -Joe

Brian Clontarf

1) Secure a valid German pasport and non-immigrant visa (F-1).

2) Contact the college of your choice. Once you decided which college, obtain an I-20 from
the institution of your enrollment.

3) All colleges have student help that will guide you to housing, employment, student
loans, etc.

4) Your non-immigrant visa is valid for the duration of your study.

Adolph Riesterer-Becker

Joachim Feise

Neomerlin wrote:
>
> Hi Joe ! Thanks for you kind help and information. The links to the TOEFL institute
> helped me a lot and i'll soon get my test done in Frankfurt. After that I hope beeing
> accepted as a student at the SMC (Santa Monica College). Do you know something about
> this college ? As you might have read, I want to study Film and Cinematography - do you
> know a better or good college to do this ?

Sorry, I don't know much about that college, or about other colleges in your field of
interest. I could tell you a lot about Computer Science colleges, though

Cheers, -Joe

M. Helmet

    >
    >
    >

USC and UCLA are two very good schools where you can study film and cinematography.
They're both located in Los Angeles.
--
Magnus