petitefrancaise

This is a long shot...
my Italian neighbours here in Austin want to send their child back to Italy to PUBLIC university. Their child is currently studying at the same high school as my kids, she is 9th grade and on the Pre-IB programme.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has done this with their children - sent them to Italy using IB or AP exams taken in the USA. Please, I don't need to know about regulations or how it should be theoretically possible, I'd like to hear from someone who has actually done it.

thanks!

morpeth

In our case of one child we went through application process and child was accepted, but at last moment child changed course. The child went through AP route but would have had to spend six months learning Italian to academic level. Our experience was very positive as they seem to encourage foreign students, but it is extremely bureaucratic- we found we had to double check everything we were told much more so than in USA. Tuition extremely affordable, and since the location not Milan or Rome ( we chose Trieste) living costs very reasonable.

I have read news articles that some universities ( I think in Milan or Turin) depending on the major are switching over to teaching more and more classes in English.

The best advice I could give based on our experience :

1. Start investigating the process far in advance ( we started in 10th grade) of investigating the procedures etc so that in 11th grade it is clear the requirements and timetable. Watch for inflexible or confusing deadlines.
2. Encourage the student to take as many AP classes as they can and of course study hard, Italian students we met going to university were far ahead of American students.
3.For living costs we found listening to the university advice very helpful as when we looked into ourselves we over-estimated the requirements.

We did look at the IB route but preferred the AP classes at least for the university in Trieste where our child was accepted.

Interesting we did look briefly at the university in Milan, the fellow there strongly advised any American student first get an Associates degree before attempting Italian university. Our child had enough AP, dual credit, and CLEP credits he could have done this fairly quickly but looking at lifestyle, costs, we preferred the university in Trieste.

One issue if they are Italian is whether their child would be applying as an Italian or as foreign student, and carefully look at which is preferable.

petitefrancaise

Brilliant. Thanks.