“I’m an international student and have questions about the Common Application recommendation. I’m asking my chemistry teacher to write a recommendation for me but it’s not in English. What should I do if my teacher can’t complete the process in English?”

This is a good question that showed up in my College Confidential “Ask the Dean” inbox this morning. And the answer is fairly simple: All documents that are sent to U.S. colleges–transcripts, recommendations, etc.– must include official English translations. And the key word is “official.” No matter how good your English may be, you cannot translate the documents yourself or ask a parent or friend to do it for you. The translation must come from an authorized source. If you look for “official translation service” on the Internet, you will find many options, and most are accepted by U.S. colleges. If you’re not sure which service to select, feel free to email the admission office at one or two colleges on your list and ask for a suggestion. This can also be a good way to start a “relationship” with the staff member who oversees international candidates …. just be sure to use good judgment about how much future contact to make. (See http://www.usaeducationguides.com/borders/?p=116 )

The guidelines below come from Hostos Community College in New York, and they are representative of what most U.S. colleges and universities expect:

The International Admissions Unit of the University Application Processing Center (UAPC) accepts, as official translations, those done by one of the following:

Consulate or embassy of the country that issued the document; or translations verified by consulate or embassy of the country issuing the document.

Translations service or agency; or immigrant/refugee association.

Issuing institution.

Faculty member of a U.S. high school or university. In this case, the translation:

must be typed on school letterhead stationary;

must state that the translator is a faculty member and which department he/she is a member of;

must include a signed statement from the translator attesting to his/her familiarity with the foreign language.

The following translations are not accepted as official translations:

Those done by the student or member of the student’s family.

Those done by an individual unless they are affiliated with any of the organizations listed above.

Translations done by non-faculty school personnel.

Translations done by a notary public.

Official translations must meet the following standard:

All translations must be prepared using the same format as the original.

All information must be translated.

The translation must be verbatim.

No interpretation or evaluation of information should be included.

The translation must be typed and must be signed by the translator.

Of course, if your teacher believes that he or she is capable of writing the original reference in English, then you won’t need a translator at all. Hopefully, your teacher’s English skills are as good as he or she claims. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the unfortunate young lady from China whose music teacher reported to a college where I once worked:

“Lian began her piano lessons with me when she was a small girl of age 5. Now she grows big like a horse, and she is still under me.”

In an earlier installment of “Admissions Without Borders,” you might have read that your home nation can sometimes play a significant role in your fate at U.S. colleges. If you come from a country that commonly sends applicants to U.S. institutions, you will definitely face more competition that if you live in a place where U.S. applicants are rare.

This week the Chronicle of Higher Education published an updated list of “Foreign Students’ Places of Origins.” As in the recent past, India, with more than 100,000 of its students enrolled in U.S. colleges, remains the front-runner, with China and South Korea, right behind. Canada seems to have jumped ahead of Japan (which was #4 in the last list I posted). Other nations, such as Nepal and Vietnam, are moving up, too. Yet, some countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, seem to be sending fewer college students to the U.S. than in the previous year, while others (e.g, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam) are sending many more.

While you shouldn’t put too much weight on these figures, if you do happen to live in a country with a minus sign on this chart in front of enrollment growth (or in a country that sends so few students to the U.S. that it didn’t make the chart at all) this could work in your favor … at least a little bit.

Of course, also keep in mind that these are overall figures but may not be relevant to the college that you most want to attend, where international enrollment may not be accurately reflected in this table.

I write the “Ask the Dean” column for College Confidential. When the questions I receive seem to be of general interest, I post them on the CC Web site. But I’ve recently decided that questions from or about international students may reach a more appropriate audience if I post them on “Admissions Without Borders” instead. In particular, this one below addresses both the popular and complex topic of working in the U.S. after graduation as well as the always-confusing issue of differentiating one degree from another … in this case it’s the A.A. (Associate of Arts degree, which is the degree most commonly awarded by two-year collegs or programs) versus the AAS (Associate of Applied Science).

Here’s the Q&A:

QUESTION: I am going to be an international student in the US. I am planning on getting an Associates in Hospitality Management and then seek employment in the U.S. to pursue my career there. I already have industry experience both in the U.S. and my home city, Barcelona … Which degree do you think is better for me, an AS or an AAS? And second, as an international student who wants to seek employment in the U.S. after graduation, are community colleges an option or should I rule those out?Thank you so much. I really appreciate any advice you can provide.

ANSWER: As you may already realize, there are some opportunities available for international students to work in the U.S. when they are in college or for a limited time thereafter. But, in many cases, international students who come to the U.S. and expect to stay here indefinitely will be out of luck. Here are a couple Web sites that provide helpful information on avenues available to international students hoping to work in the U.S.:

http://www.highline.edu/stuserv/international/thunderworld/optCpt.htm

http://www.braintrack.com/international-studies-in-us-colleges/articles/working-in-us-after-college

As you’ll see, if you are able to obtain a visa for Optional Practical Training (OPT) following graduation, you are permitted 12 months in the U.S. after you’ve earned a degree and, possibly, an additional 12 months for each higher degree you earn subsequently.

Because the AAS is designed as a “terminal” degree (meaning that it’s intended for two-year programs that do no require additional study), you might be better off with an AA degree because this paves the way to further study (for a bachelors degree or beyond) which could then lead to additional OPT approval. You could earn your AA at either a four-year college that offers the AA (many do not) or at a two-year school (such as a community college). Community colleges are often the most affordable options for international students (when finances are a concern), but attending a two-year school would also require additional applications, should you decide to transfer to a four-year institution and aim for a bachelors degree.

You mention that you have already have experience in the hospitality industry. This will work in your favor when you attempt to remain in the U.S. because your prospective employers will be required to obtain a new visa for you. If the employer can argue that you have special skills that an American employee probably does not, it will be a big plus for you. For example, if you speak English and Spanish, that’s not very unusual in the U.S. But if you also speak Catalan, this will make you more valuable to an American employer, if he or she states that it is beneficial to the business or organization to have an employee with these uncommon language skills. Likewise, if you can develop a specialty or “niche” in the hospitality field that an American might not offer (e.g., expertise in Spanish wines or Catalan cuisine) then this would improve your chances of getting a long-term work permit as well.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide. Hopefully, the U.S. will offer you hospitality as an international student here as well as a hospitality degree.

The two biggest hurdles that many students face when hoping to attend college in the U.S. from abroad are:

MONEY

and LANGUAGE SKILLS

While financial need continues to be an obstacle that keeps international applicants from fulfilling their dreams, the language barrier has become easier to surmount, thanks to “Conditional Acceptance” options that are increasingly offered by U.S. colleges and universities.

“Colleges Extend Conditional Admissions to Pull In More International Students,” an article in a recent Chronicle of Higher Education by writer Karin Fischer, notes that a growing number of U.S. institutions are offering English-language training to candidates who are otherwise qualified for admission in order to improve the students’ English skills before they begin to take actual college classes. Sometimes the English course is offered by the college or university itself, sometimes by an affiliated language school. Those who successfully complete the language program are then able to matriculate at the host or sponsoring institution.

But, if you’re considering such a program, there are three warnings to heed:

#1) These programs are usually costly and rarely offer any sort of financial assistance. They are geared to families who can afford them or to students who have received scholarships from their home government or from some other source

#2) University-affiliated programs are not likely to provide a faster track to obtaining a U.S. student visa than a legitimate stand-alone language program might. (A stand-alone program is one that is not part of a conditional acceptance package.) If you are primarily interested in English-language training, then a conditional-acceptance college program is probably not for you.

#3) Many of the U.S. institutions that offer conditional-acceptance programs are not the well-known names that so many international students recognize. While this may, in some respects be a plus (because it opens foreign students’ eyes to broader and more realistic options), don’t assume that your conditional acceptance will be coming from Harvard, Princeton, or Yale!

If you’re an international student and you need financial aid to attend a U.S. college, you have a rocky road ahead. That message has turned up in “Admissions Without Borders” columns so many times already that most readers may be tired of seeing it. But what if you don’t need money to attend an American college? In fact, what if you have so much money that your family could afford to pay the tuition countless times over or perhaps donate a couple gymnasiums, dormitories or skating rinks with your name above the door? Would this help your admission chances at the most sought-after college or at any college that might not accept you based on your grades, test scores, and other merits alone?

The answer is a disappointing “Maybe.” Admission officials do not like to think that they are accepting an applicant in exchange for a large donation. But that’s not the same as saying that they don’t sometimes do it. So it’s important to navigate this maze with caution and discretion.

Big Mistake #1: Some prospective students–especially international students–assume that they can buy their way into any college in America. However, this is not true. Even a limitless amount of money and the VIP (”Very Important Person”) status that commonly comes with extreme wealth do not guarantee a spot in a U.S. school, especially if the applicant does not meet the minimum qualifications. However, for a borderline candidate, the prospect of a large donation (and more to follow) may ultimately make a difference in the admission outcome.

Big Mistake #2: Some prospective students–especially international students–assume that admission officials will recognize their family name or the name of the big corporation in their native country that a parent has founded or heads. This is not true either. Although admission officials are usually encouraged to “sniff out” what are known as “advancement pushes” (i.e., ultra-rich applicants) during the application-reading process, it’s easily possible for foreign students to slip through this filter.

So, on the outside chance that you happen to be an aspiring international student from an extremely rich family, what should you do to help boost your acceptance odds? Well for starters, define “extremely rich.” What may pass as “rich” in your native land may not be enough to make you an “advancement push.” While there’s certainly no exact number that forms the boundary between appropriately rich and not rich enough, you can probably consider a gift of one million dollars (U.S.) to be an amount that will make admission officials sit up and take notice. And if the college folks suspect that there’s even more where that came from, then so much the better.

But … you can’t simply call up an admission office and ask where to send the money and then inquire when your acceptance letter will arrive in the mail. As I mentioned above, admission folks like to act as if money doesn’t make a difference, and, in truth, there are never any guarantees that it will. So, if you want to get the word out that your application comes with a “dowry,” then you may have to engage in something of a more subtle “dance.”

One possible way to begin this delicate task is to involve an official from your high school. If you feel comfortable doing so, you could ask your school counselor, head of school or other administrator to contact the college or colleges you hope to attend. However, he or she shouldn’t call the admission office directly but, instead, should approach the fund-raising team, typically called the “advancement” or “development” office. (Look for contact information on each college’s Web site, and–if available–the name of the person in charge of “major gifts.”) Your advocate can explain that you are an applicant to this college and that he or she feels that the college might want to know that your family has considerable wealth, is prominent in your country, and is eager to provide significant financial support to whichever institution you ultimately choose. He or she should also point out that you have strong academic credentials that would make you a reasonable–if not stellar–applicant for this institution, and that the added bonus of your family’s support should make you an especially attractive candidate.

If there’s no one at your school who will serve as “middle man” for you, then you can ask a parent to contact the advancement office directly. Your advocate–or parent–can even ask if the college has any big projects pending that require funding and can then suggest that your family may be in a position to provide the required funds, once the cost of such projects has been explained.

But proceed with caution and discretion. You can’t make the offer of a donation sound like a bribe. You simply want to be sure that your family’s financial clout is on the college’s “radar screen.”

Once this contact has been made, it’s hard to predict what happens next. Your advocate may receive little more than a brief but polite, “Thanks for the information” or there may be ongoing contact from advancement staff or other college officials, and the advancement team may put pressure on the admission staff to accept you, although ultimately the admission officers will be the ones who make the choice.

Yet remember, just because your family can make a large donation to the colleges on your list, you may decide that you don’t want to travel on this road. Whether you end up at the university of your dreams or you land somewhere else instead, the experience may seem much more satisfying if you feel that you got in all on your own.

“The rich are different than you and me.”
~American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you live in a country with mandatory military service after high school, you may wonder how this requirement meshes with your U.S. education plans. Should you apply to American colleges after you’ve completed your military service or is it better to do it while you’re still in high school, with the hope that those colleges that admit you will allow you to postpone matriculation until your military obligation is complete?

Some college Web sites (as well as the highly unreliable grapevine!) may tell you that no college will allow a “deferral” of more than a year. In many cases, this is true. U.S. students commonly request a “gap year” to travel, to work, to engage in a research project or just to catch their breath before heading back to the classroom. In such cases, colleges are unlikely to grant more than a single year off to those who haven’t even officially enrolled. However, most U.S. schools will make an exception for students who must engage in military service before starting college and will allow a two-year deferral (and perhaps even more) while their future students soldier on.

According to a recent survey posted on the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) listserve, even the most selective institutions such as Princeton, Columbia, and Stanford will honor requests from admitted students from such nations as Singapore and Israel who need to complete their military service before beginning college. (Of course, getting into such schools is so difficult that the deferral may be the least of your worries! )

Young soldiers in Singapore will have time for football games and keg parties later

Why Apply First?

It often makes sense to apply to college when you’re still in high school, where you’ll have easy access to your teachers and counselors for assistance and recommendations. For many students facing military service, it’s also reassuring to realize that there’s a plan already in place when it’s time to return to civilian life.

But, on the other hand, there are drawbacks to this approach as well. Two years in the military can often change one’s perspective and goals. So the college that seemed so “perfect” at age 18 may not be what you want at 20 or 21.

And now, thanks to the Internet, it’s usually easy to track down high school teachers and administrators, even after you–or they–have moved on.

Note, too, that some colleges (e.g., the University of California system) will not grant any deferrals whatsoever. So always ask about such policies if you know that you will have to fulfill a military obligation before you can begin your college career.

Many international students who are hoping to attend U.S. colleges and universities worry that American admission officials won’t understand their transcript from a foreign high school.

If you’re applying to a U.S. institution that routinely admits international applicants, and if you come from a country that commonly sends students to America to attend college, your fears are probably unfounded.

And even if you are aiming for a lesser-known college in the U.S., or if your home nation is one that many Americans might have trouble finding on a map, you can rest assured that the admission folks who evaluate your transcript will make every effort to understand how it may differ from the more familiar domestic ones.

However, if you’re concerned that the admission committees at your target colleges may not fully understand the grading system in your country (or the education system overall), you should feel free to submit a brief explanation (in English, of course) that emphasizes the key differences.

You might also want to take a look at this pdf booklet, “Evaluating Foreign Transcripts: The A-Z Manual,” which was produced by the New York City Department of Education but is also used by many college officials throughout the U.S.

And if you think that the information herein doesn’t accurately clarify your own high school grading system, be sure to point this out to admission officials when you apply. You may not be able to convince them that a “Fail” you received in algebra was actually a good grade , but, in some instances where you suspect confusion, you should at least spur them to take another look.

Check out this recent “College Inc,” a blog by Daniel de Vise of The Washington Post: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/college-inc/2010/06/colorado_college_will_accept_a.html

Colorado College, one of the most selective liberal arts schools, announced Monday it would adopt an “alternate” testing policy that allows applicants to submit Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores in place of the SAT or ACT.

It’s significant because most top colleges require either SAT or ACT scores as a tool in what is, for them, a difficult sorting process involving thousands of applicants. SAT scores mean the same thing everywhere. Other items on an application — letter grades, grade-point average and such — vary from high school to high school.

A publicist said the new rules do not mean Colorado College is going “test-optional.” That term refers to a movement, encouraged by the advocacy group FairTest, toward colleges de-emphasizing SAT and ACT scores by not requiring them. The list includes Bard, Bates and Bennington colleges — that’s just through letter B — and a number of other estimable schools. If Colorado College were added to that list, it would rank among the most selective colleges not to require the SAT or ACT.

I suppose FairTest may claim Colorado College as one of its converts: by the advocacy group’s definition, a test-optional school is one that admits “substantial numbers” of students without using ACT or SAT scores.

According to the new policy, Colorado College will add a third option to the traditional ACT/SAT requirement. Instead of those tests, students may submit three exams of the applicant’s choosing from a list of “acceptable SAT or ACT sub scores, SAT II Subject tests, AP or IB exams, or the TOEFL test for international students.”

The three picks must include at least one math test and one verbal or writing test.

School officials say the reason for the change is to broaden the diversity of its applicant pool. The population of AP and IB test-takers is exploding, and it includes significant numbers of underrepresented minorities, immigrants and first-generation college applicants.

“This new policy encourages applications from a wider range of high-school students,” said Michael Grace, chairman of the college’s Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid.

Colorado College ranks 24th among all liberal arts colleges in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with an admission rate of 26 percent.

Although the change in policy is aimed at all Colorado College applicants, it may be especially helpful to international students who are more likely to have International Baccaulaureate and TOEFL results than SAT or ACT scores.

Be on the look-out, too, for other colleges that may be changing their testing requirements to stay in step with their “competition.”

Attending an American college or university can be very expensive and, often, simply applying can be costly, too.

Here’s a question I recently received from an international student:

Please can you give me a list of American universities with no application fee for international students?

Unfortunately, I don’t have such a list handy that’s geared specifically to international candidates, but I did find a couple lists of colleges with no application fees for anyone … or which waive the fee if you apply online. Here’s one of them: http://www.porcelina.net/freeapps/general.html I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but it seems like a good place to start. You can also check out this list of schools that accept the “Common Application” to see which ones don’t have an application fee: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/common2009_Grid.pdf

Note also that some colleges that do charge an application fee but will accept a “fee waiver” for domestic students from disadvantaged backgrounds will NOT accept such waivers from international candidates.

So, once you’ve honed in on the colleges that interest you, be sure to double check their Web sites to make certain that there really is no fee for international applicants.

Although it can be frustrating (and expensive) to pay a lot of money simply to apply to colleges that may ultimately turn you down (especially if you require financial aid), at least the application-fee requirement may force you to think extra hard about which colleges really are the best places for you rather than simply shooting random forms into Cyberspace with little regard to where they’re landing.

Yet, on the other hand, once you’ve reviewed the list of colleges that won’t charge you to apply, you may even stumble on a school that you hadn’t previously considered that might be a good spot for you and worth a closer look.

This week I received an interesting question from an international student and thought that my answer might be helpful to others of you as well.

Note that I referred to this student’s predicament as a “Catch-22.” That’s an idiom that harks back to a 1961 novel by American writer Joseph Heller, which later became a popular film. To summarize briefly: In the Heller story, combat pilots who are crazy are not allowed to fly on missions, but in order to prove this craziness, they must ask to be grounded in order to remain safe. But the grounding request itself indicates a sane mind, so then the pilot is required to fly. Thus, today, any inherently illogical situation may be known as a “Catch-22.”

When you read this prospective student’s question … and my response … you’ll probably see why I call it a “Catch-22.”

QUESTION: I’m a foreign citizen who’s looking for an international loan to be able to afford college. Since there is no guarantee of my loan application being approved, I was meaning to apply for my student visa only after securing a loan source. I was considering applying for the Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan plan, but the application itself there, however, requires me to submit a copy of my student visa or CIS form. Now, there’s no point of getting a student visa if I’m not even sure if I’m going to get the loan, and for another I have no idea what a CIS form is. Can you please help me with this?

ANSWER: In order to admitted to a U.S. College, you will need to either:

a) receive adequate financial aid from the college itself

OR

b) provide proof to the college (before you are accepted) that you have sufficient funds to enroll. Colleges will rarely accept students who “hope” to be approved for a loan in order to attend

So this may sound like a “Catch-22,” ( a “no-win situation”) and it actually is.

You will need to be accepted by a U.S. college before you can apply for funds from Sallie Mae. These funds are only for international students who are currently studying in the U.S. or who have already received an acceptance and have filed the appropriate paperwork to receive their student visa.

Sally Mae will also require you to have a “credit-worthy co-signer” (see http://www.salliemae.com/get_student_loan/apply_student_loan/cosigning_loan/cosigning_loan.htm ). So, once you do, your likelihood for being approved for the loan is extremely good, if your co-signer is indeed credit-worthy and meets all the other criteria, too (e.g., must be a US citizen or Permanent Resident).

This information, below, should explain your question about the CIS:

What is acceptable CIS documentation for a Smart Option Student Loan?

U.S. permanent residents and other eligible aliens must submit a copy of the front and back of their current Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-551 (Alien Registration Card). We do not accept expired cards.

If the student borrower does not have a current Form I-551, we will accept

a temporary CIS Form I-551,
a passport stamped “Temporary 551,” or
Form I-90 (Application to Replace Alien Registration Card), and a copy of the student’s passport.
International students must submit a copy of one of the following:

Student visa (type F1, H1B, J1, or M1). If the student is already in the U.S. and the expiration date on the student visa has passed, we require an I-94 with a future expiration date.

Valid passport with photo and current CIS Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) with any of the following classifications:

F-1 and D/S; J-1 and D/S; M-1 and D/S; or H1B
Public Interest Parolee (PIP)
Asylum status granted indefinitely
Refugee status granted indefinitely
Current CIS Form I-688B or I-766 (Employment Authorization) that entitles the student to work and attend school in the U.S.

For international students who do not yet have a valid Social Security number (SSN), we can accept the first loan application with an “administrative SSN” that will be assigned by Sallie Mae. For future loans, it is preferred that borrowers apply with a valid SSN, but if borrowers are not able to obtain a valid SSN, they may be allowed to use the administrative SSN for all future private loans with Sallie Mae.

Put the student borrower’s Social Security number on all CIS forms.

Per the CIS, all colleges and universities have a designated school official (DSO) who should be knowledgeable and up-to-date on CIS regulations. If you have any questions about the documentation required for a Smart Option Student Loan, please contact your DSO.

Confusing eh? The “Catch-22″ comes in because many students, like yourself, don’t want to proceed with US college applications until they’re sure they can secure appropriate funding, but the colleges won’t accept them without proof of these funds, and some loan providers (e.g., Sallie Mae) won’t provide funds without proof of acceptance.

So … if you need money to attend a U.S. college, your best bet will be to apply for the financial aid you require directly from colleges which offer it (which, admittedly, can be very hard to get for international students) or to seek out another type of loan–perhaps in your home country–that will not demand the documentation that Sallie Mae does. Once you have matriculated, you can look to Sallie Mae, if you wish, for additional funds.

You can also check out the Global Student Loan Corporation at http://www.globalslc.com/orgMain.asp?orgid=206 . I haven’t had any personal experience with this outfit, but I do know that you don’t need a U.S. co-signer, and you may be able to have your loan approved before you apply to colleges, which can help to eliminate a potential Catch-22 dilemma.