myUface Blog

Are you looking for a high quality education in the United States, but don’t want to spend four years away from home or hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition?  Community colleges might be the answer you’re looking for.  Community colleges generally offer two-year degrees, called “associates degrees,” in a variety of fields.  Generally speaking, community colleges provide education in emerging technologies or in technical skills.

Dr. Jill Biden, an instructor at community colleges herself, and the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, toured some community colleges alongside President Obama, and had this to say:

Every day in my classroom I also see the power of education to break down barriers and to open students’ eyes to the possibilities around them.

I saw that power again as President Obama and I toured several high-tech classrooms and spoke with students who are being trained in cutting-edge and emerging technologies to meet the workforce needs of their region. There is no doubt that the education gained on [community college] campuses . . . will provide the knowledge that will power the American and global economies of the 21st century.

I have always said community colleges are one of America’s best kept secrets – and I am so pleased that now we have a president who is highlighting their contribution, making a historic commitment to higher education, and bringing more and more students to [community] colleges . . . so they, too, can gain the skills and the confidence they need to succeed in a new era.

You might want to consider a community college for your U.S. education.  Barack Obama certainly thinks so!

In today and tomorrow’s post I’m going to speak very briefly about two supposed reasons not to study in the U.S.  Occasionally I’ve heard these from  students.

Reason #1:  It’s too hard to get a visa

Verdict: FALSE

You do hear about a number of international students who don’t get visas to the U.S.  The process also seems complicated, filled with all kinds of strange-sounding documents like I-20s.  The truth is, though, when you hack through all the confusion, the process of getting a U.S. visa is really quite simple:

1. You apply to a university in the U.S.
2. The school accepts you and send you some documents you need to apply for a visa
3. You apply for a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy, and go to the interview with the necessary documents
4. The embassy approves your application and puts a visa in your passport
5. You get on a plane for the U.S.

Now, there are certain steps of the process which do present real difficulties for large numbers of international students.  Quite often the above scenario can become much more complicated (and throughout the year we’ll talk a lot more about visas).  But for the majority of international students the process – though long – ends in success. It’s also worth mentioning  here that many think the Obama administration may be more open to international students.

The bottom line is that, for most students,  if you’re serious about studying in the U.S., the visa process is more of a hassle than a real disadvantage.

For Your Consideration:

Have you hear horror stories of students not getting U.S. visas?  Please share them with us!

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?