Has anyone been here and done this?
My son has just completed his maturità at a liceo classico and wants to go to a US university. He is a dual national (IT-USA) and bilingual.
I imagine rules vary from one school to another, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has recent experience.

I do not have direct experience with this, but I work in the International Education Dept. at a Community College just outside of Chicago. We have students coming in all the time like that. I have a student helper in my office who came from Germany. All he did was contact the college and they helped him get all of the paperwork in gear.

I'd say just look at some colleges and contact their international student depts asking them what the process is.

My sister works at a college in Cleveland. I know she talks about a lot of students from other countries.

Thanks for the replies. My son is an "international student" in the sense that he's completed his high school education in Italy. I was curious about US citizens returning to the US for college after growing up abroad.

Why not contact one of the International schools? They maybe able to put you in touch with parents of kids that have done this. We are doing this from Italy but only to the UK, plus there is a good chance my son will be able to go to a US college from his senior school in the UK, something which is becoming very common in the UK.

quote:

Originally posted by steve:
Has anyone been here and done this?
My son has just completed his maturità at a liceo classico and wants to go to a US university. He is a dual national (IT-USA) and bilingual.
I imagine rules vary from one school to another, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has recent experience.

Your son should contact the university(s) of his choice to see what they have to offer. I have never heard of a college or university in the US not accepting international students. Also, there many schools offer good financial aid.

If you send your son to college here, be sure that he attends a great school. He would be wasting time and money by going to a no-name school when the universities in Italy cost little and prepare students fairly well. Your son could always go to grad school in the States, where he would get plenty of scholarship money.

Dear Simo

It may be true that Italian universities are not expensive compared to American schools, but it's difficult to explain away today's well-organized entrance exam cheating scandal here as unrepresentative of a fairly rotten system. Sure, kids cheat on tests everywhere; but in Italy it's the odd student who doesn't. I'd prefer my son succeed or fail on his own merits.

I would guess that your son is in an enviable position in that he is an American citizen with an international background (that whole diversity thing). If he's done well at his liceo, my guess is that he will have many universities from which to choose, including the Ivies. What a wonderful opportunity you have given him!

My Italian Landlady's son has just started at Oxford, so it definitely can be done.

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Originally posted by alyson:
My Italian Landlady's son has just started at Oxford, so it definitely can be done.

When did Oxford move to the US??

quote:

Originally posted by steve:
Dear Simo

It may be true that Italian universities are not expensive compared to American schools, but it's difficult to explain away today's well-organized entrance exam cheating scandal here as unrepresentative of a fairly rotten system. Sure, kids cheat on tests everywhere; but in Italy it's the odd student who doesn't. I'd prefer my son succeed or fail on his own merits.

Sounds like a valid reason. Just be sure to send him to a great school, not just some State dump. I was in your son's same position a decade ago (perfect bilingual, dual citizen, etc.). I attended a top school for undergrad and still found the Italians joining me for grad school to be much more prepared. I eventually excelled, but I would have busted my chops much less for the same degree had I been "formed" in the Italian university system.

Of course, there are always the geniuses who do well no matter where they study. If that's your son, more power to him.

Good luck.

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Originally posted by Gil:

quote:

Originally posted by alyson:
My Italian Landlady's son has just started at Oxford, so it definitely can be done.

When did Oxford move to the US??

Ha, ha, ha! I hope you know I meant that moves to good Universities around the world can be done from Italy with an Italian education. I would assume Oxford to have similar entrance criteria to the Ivy League. In fact many kids in the UK are going out to Harvard, MIT et al as it's easier for them to get in there than Oxbridge.

But then if you really thought Oxford had moved maybe that's WHY the US uni's want UK kids !