The study abroad path we chose was uncommon and adventurous. With no time to waste, we decided to attend a U.S. community college for the first 2 years and then transfer to a 4 year university. It was unheard of in the international student community and too risky to most. However, without the requirement for SAT, TOEFL, and other redundant test results which would normally take a year to complete, it only took us 3 months from applying to being accepted and getting a visa to enter the US. Plus, we prepared everything ourselves.

December 24th 2015, I came to the US with 2 suitcases. One of my limited knowledge about the U.S. was that services are super expensive, so I shaved my head before coming here to save a barbershop visit. School started in January 2016, a placement test sent me to start with ESL classes. There were 4 levels of ESL, it would normally take 1 semester for each level. Not wanting to waste time, I put double or triple the effort trying to pass ESL as soon as possible. Summer 2016, I passed all 4 ESL levels and started taking college courses.

Community college offered me the most in my entire study abroad journey. The purpose of community college in the U.S. is to allow students to take the first 2-year equivalent of university’s general education courses and prepare them for college transfer. Luckily, the courses offered there were Chinese middle to high school level, so I had more time to explore. Summer 2016, I started my first school club: The Rubik’s Cube Club, teaching students how to solve rubik's cubes and math and science related subjects. I also had my first job there as a school librarian. Having had a year of running my club, a rare opportunity raised: Student Government Association(SGA) Re-election. With my good relationship with the SGA as a club president, I became a candidate. 1 month later, I was the first international student to ever be elected as an SGA member at school. I hosted weekly meetings with the school president and board members to discuss a range of topics from college planning to student life. I also became an advocate for the school's international student community.

On the other hand, I also built strong connections with professors. My physics professor was my favorite at the community college. Every week, I would attend his office hours, discuss topics within and outside of the subject area; and we would also try out different restaurants together. With a median class size of 18 students, there were a tremendous amount of opportunities to get to know professors on a deeper and personal level.

In the meantime, I started volunteering for a local fire department. My original goal was to be an oncologist, and being an Emergency Medical Technician(EMT) was one of the best options for me. It turned out, almost all of the fire departments on Long Island, New York were run by volunteers; and each fire department had their own ambulances and EMTs. I obtained my EMT license and started transporting patients to hospitals within 10 months of being in the U.S. The fire department also gave me a first hand experience of Americans’ suburban lives. With all the experiences and connections I had with SGA, professors, and the fire department, it was time for me to transfer out.
Fall of 2017, I started my transfer applications. With my 3.9 GPA, a rich extracurricular background, and 3 strong recommendation letters from the school president, fire department captain, and my physics professor, I got accepted to UCLA and most of the universities I applied to ranged between top 20 to 100. In about 2 years, my life changed from being pre-determined to being accepted to the No. 1 public university in the U.S., community college changed my life.

There is another aspect I want to discuss at the end: finance and scholarships. Attending community college was the most affordable option for international students. ESL class cost $1,700/semester and college courses cost <$7,000/semester including health insurance. 2 years of community college cost me less than $30,000. In addition, unlike 4-year universities, scholarship opportunities at community college were open to every single student. Being a good student would pay off. By the time I graduated, I was honored with $14,000 in scholarships and SUNY Chancellor’s Award - the most prestigious award in the New York State University System. That being said, compared to an average of $50,000/semester tuition at a 4-year university, I saved a total of $85,000.

Having the benefits of affordable tuitions and scholarships, having more time to enrich extracurricular activities, a closer connection with professors and students, and opportunities to transfer to the top universities, I want to share this community college path with whoever is struggling with U.S. college application or is debating if studying abroad is a good option. I was just an average high school student in China with no plan of coming to the U.S.. If it worked for me, it will work for you.