Question: I am a high school senior and I want to go to America to study aerospace engineering, but my school grades are in 70s. I did the SAT and I got 1500 but now I can't afford the fees of a university and I found out about community colleges. My question is can I go to a 2-year community college and transfer to an aerospace university?

It is definitely possible for a student who is successful at a community college and who takes the appropriate prerequisite courses to transfer to an aerospace program at a four-year university in the US.

BUT … the bar is set VERY high for international students who require financial assistance. Right now, your GPA and SAT’s are too low for you to be considered for a scholarship at any US college or university, if you are not a US citizen or Permanent Resident.

However, if you are an outstanding student at your community college, regardless of your current grades and test scores, it’s possible that you will be able to earn a scholarship when you apply to transfer to a four-year school. But do know that this is a big long-shot. If you will require significant financial aid when you transfer and cannot cover your college expenses yourself, then you may be out of luck.

(posted 7/24/2012)