# Study in Texas



## Joelee (Mar 23, 2011)

my brother is 16 year old living in Vietnam, not he want to study in Texas, but we do not know much about American education system. so could you all tell me what should i do for him, and which school can he study at Texas?


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## Joelee (Mar 23, 2011)

my brother is 16 year old living in Vietnam, now he want to study in Texas, but we do not know much about American education system. so could you all tell me what should i do for him, and which school can he study at Texas?


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

International Student Services, Texas A&M University

Texas A&M is only one of the options. Have him read through the information for international students to learn a bit about what is needed to study there.

All Vietnamese expats I met over the years supported each other. I would Google for Vietnamese groups and/or churches in the area of Texas your brother is interested in and contact them.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It could depend a bit on exactly what he is planning on studying. If he's looking to attend public high school in Texas, that's going to be difficult. If he wants to attend university there, it's probably much more do-able, though still expensive.

Does he have a school picked out in Texas? If not, what subject does he want to study (assuming university level studies)? 

Is there are particular reason for choosing Texas? That could also affect how easily he can or can't get a student visa.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Joelee (Mar 23, 2011)

my brother is finishing class 9 in Vietnam in this June, so could he study at high school or university? i think that he just can join high school level. hope all you provide me some name of school for options and how he apply for that school and as well how much is the school fee during studying in US?


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

As your brother is 16, he would be in either 11/12th grade in the US. Why not tell him to look into universities instead of high schools. He needs to look into the universities who offer the best courses for the subject he wants to major in. Once he finds the universities that he is interested, then he should contact the admissions advisor (there might be an international students admissions advisor) and they will provide him with all the information he would need.

Just make sure that the university is legit as there was a university/college in California that was closed down because of fraud and student visas that they were able to obtain for the international students were invalid and those students lost the money they paid for tuition.


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## Joelee (Mar 23, 2011)

nat21 said:


> As your brother is 16, he would be in either 11/12th grade in the US. Why not tell him to look into universities instead of high schools. He needs to look into the universities who offer the best courses for the subject he wants to major in. Once he finds the universities that he is interested, then he should contact the admissions advisor (there might be an international students admissions advisor) and they will provide him with all the information he would need.
> 
> Just make sure that the university is legit as there was a university/college in California that was closed down because of fraud and student visas that they were able to obtain for the international students were invalid and those students lost the money they paid for tuition.


thanks! 
but i think the Vietnamese education system is different from the US education system, can my brother study straight away at Uni? or he has to take a high school level before Uni?
by the way, could anyone tell me some good high schools in Texas which my brother can enroll in? and how much is the school fee normally?
cheer!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

At age 16, he's going to be an unaccompanied minor unless a parent or other guardian is going over on an immigrant or work visa and could take him as a dependent. Other than that, you'd have to look at boarding schools, where he would live at the school. 

I found a website that lists some boarding schools in Texas here: Texas/TX Boarding School - Boarding School Review
You'd have to contact the schools directly to ask about what facilities they have for foreign students. (Given that your brother probably wouldn't be able to return home for school holiday periods.) There's a link on the site for international students.

But be very careful. There are scams out there for boarding schools, just like for anything else involving foreigners, visas and money.
Cheers,
Bev


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## nat21 (Oct 10, 2010)

Joelee said:


> thanks!
> but i think the Vietnamese education system is different from the US education system, can my brother study straight away at Uni? or he has to take a high school level before Uni?
> by the way, could anyone tell me some good high schools in Texas which my brother can enroll in? and how much is the school fee normally?
> cheer!


Your brother might have to take the S.A.T's and the TOEFL (test of English as a Foreign Language) and complete the Vietnam equivalent of the American High School. 

Texas is a very large state, you need to decide where in state he will be before looking into schools and most public high schools don't charge a fee. However, what public high school someone goes to depends on what district they live in. You will also have to consider living expense. On another note, no one is really going to give you the names of "good high schools", we will help out general information but you and your brother will have to do your own research and see which schools would be best for him.


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## Joelee (Mar 23, 2011)

thanks all,
my brother may study in one of there schools:
1. Norh Dallas,
2. Burton Adventish Academy,
3. Griffin School,
4. River Oaks Academy 
all in Texas
hope you all give me some useful comments about those schools.
cheer,


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

Joelee said:


> thanks all,
> my brother may study in one of there schools:
> 1. Norh Dallas,
> 2. Burton Adventish Academy,
> ...


Hope I can help....
1. North Dallas - is in Dallas, which is in Northern Texas
2. Burton Adventish Academy -is in Arlington, which is near Dallas, Texas, also in North Texas
3. Griffin School - Griffin is in Austin which is central Texas
4. River Oaks Academy - is in Houston, Texas (my hometown), which is South Texas. 
Some of the schools listed above are for younger children and not for 16 year olds... some of them might have affiliated schools for young adults, but I don't know.

Texas is huge so you need to figure out where you want him to live. That being said, Houston (south Texas) has the largest Vietnamese population in Texas and it is here where your brother might find living more comfortable at first as he would probably want to be around stuff that he is used to (but still different). 

I don't think your brother is going to be able to come to Texas being so young and to finish high school unless your family has immigrated to the state or if he has family in the state that can or is willing to take legal guardian-ship of him (meaning they will take full responsibility for him and his costs). 

Let us assume that he does come to Texas for high school. Most public schools are free as they are paid for by the state (via tax payers). There are some good public schools and there are some bad ones. It will all depend on where he lives as the schools are zoned by city and then my county and further-more by sub-divisions/sections. 
Private schools, as the ones you mentioned above, have special requirements. Some are religious based (Burton), require entrance exams, and most of them are expensive (costing as much as university tuition).

Again, let us assumed that he is attending a decent school or he is paying to attend a private school. Prior to completing high school, your brother will need to take a few tests; they include the SAT's, the ACT (not always required), and the TAKS (Texas graduation requirement). Soms universities may require an English test (to make sure you can understand and converse at the college level) and also a Math test (more so for majors like accounting and engineering). 

If your brother can complete all that, then it is just a matter of applying to schools and paying for them. Out of state (Country) tuition is not cheap (it is usually double the cost of what in-state residential tuition is. 

I hope I have not discouraged your brother from trying to come (cause I am not), but I hope you and your family do a lot of research into what is involved in coming to the states to study. 

Some of the big universities that do admit foreign students are:
University of Texas - Austin
University of Texas - Arlington
University of Texas - Dallas
University of Houston - Main
University of Houston - Downtown
University of Houston - Clear Lake
Texas A&M - College Station
University of North Texas

All of the above universities are public and have their own websites... there are many more universities, but I listed the biggest ones that have money and I know have a large foreign population. 

Also, consider Community Colleges. They are cheaper and have decent hours and schedules for classes. This will also help if your brother is trying to get his bearing in the first year or so.... most of the big community college coursework will transfer to the the major universities. 

For a more complete list --> Texas Colleges and Universities


Hope I helped....


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

Oh, and Good Luck...


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## Zoom (Jul 7, 2008)

OK, now I'm here to tell you the honest (but maybe painful) truth. Most of Texas is a pretty horrible place full of cowboys and people that don't like anybody that isn't just like them. We call them "********" (long story) but they really are mostly that way. Texas is ALMOST a separate country disconnected from the rest of the USA. With that said the amazing exception is the wonderful city of AUSTIN (the only Texas city I would even consider living in). It's a liberal city full of open minded, accepting people. Very large art and music community with a great downtown that shuts it's streets to cars on weekend nights and has great live bands/music blasting out of all the bars. Wonderful food, great people, liberal vibe.... only place in Texas to even consider, believe me, I've been ALL OVER the state numerous times. Zoom


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## Donna- (May 5, 2011)

Zoom said:


> OK, now I'm here to tell you the honest (but maybe painful) truth. Most of Texas is a pretty horrible place full of cowboys and people that don't like anybody that isn't just like them. We call them "********" (long story) but they really are mostly that way. Texas is ALMOST a separate country disconnected from the rest of the USA. With that said the amazing exception is the wonderful city of AUSTIN (the only Texas city I would even consider living in). It's a liberal city full of open minded, accepting people. Very large art and music community with a great downtown that shuts it's streets to cars on weekend nights and has great live bands/music blasting out of all the bars. Wonderful food, great people, liberal vibe.... only place in Texas to even consider, believe me, I've been ALL OVER the state numerous times. Zoom


I respectfully must forcefully disagree with Zoom. I have lived in several communities in North Texas, central, and the Houston area, and while some ******** may be wary of strangers, and there are some mean people in any backwater town, it is not a Texas thing, it's an ignorance thing you find in every state's back water towns. 

Anywhere in Texas with a good university in a bigger city will be a fine place for a foreign student from Vietnam. I have also gone to both community colleges and universities in the Houston and Dallas areas, and had a lot of Asian friends in both. There are strong Vietnamese communities in both Dallas and Houston areas, and in general are more highly educated than the general population because they go to school, study, and get degrees and professions. 

Near Dallas, the city of Irving has North Lake College which was (and may still be) the #1 community college of entry for foreign students. It has a nurturing, supportive atmosphere and is a good place for young people to gain some maturity, also to make good grades, join Phi Theta Kappa and win honors scholarships to universities to help pay the tuition. The Dallas area has many excellent universities for transfer after the Associate degree, like:

University of Texas, Dallas (tuition is in line with other public universities, good general academics and professional studies)
University of Texas, Arlington (ditto, campus is large and businesslike, lots of medical students and those with professional interests)
University of North Texas (not sure about cost but not as high as some private universities, a lot of art, music, marketing degrees come out of this school)
Texas Womens University (not only for women, men go there too. Tolerant and supportive atmosphere I've been told)
Southern Methodist University (private tuition is high, but many scholarships given. Excellent academics, Cox business school, Dedman school of law, pre-med, art history, anthropology, Meadows school of the arts, offer Masters in game development)
University of Dallas (in Irving, expensive private Christian school, academics solid, MBA, theology. some scholarships, and small, warm atmosphere) 

In the Houston area, the community colleges are very good academically but the student has to want to learn or when they transfer to university it's a shock how much harder they have to study. Houston Community College, and San Jacinto community college systems are in the southeast Houston area with a high Asian population in the Scarsdale area. 
University of Houston is also near there, and is a big draw for Asian students and other foreign students. I had many friends from Vietnam going there. Texas Southern U is also a possibility but UofH is academically just a better bet, and big on diversity. There are a lot of small private universities but more in a religious niche and expensive, for example Houston Baptist University. If there's money for tuition, Rice University in Houston is excellent but picky about enrolling the academically best students and only 10% of applicants can squeeze in. 

What will he do about getting to and from school? 

In Texas everything is spread out, and the average 10 minute car trip to school could be a 4 hour walk in 100 degree heat, so he needs some transportation arrangements. 

Transportation is a bigger issue in Houston, Austin and other areas like Abilene (Abilene Christian U) or College Station (Texas A&M) than in the Dallas area. You MUST if you live in Houston, Austin, etc. either live in walking distance to school or a bus stop, or be able to drive, bike, or walk everywhere on your own. Taxis are expensive and unreliable. If he lives near a Houston Metro bus stop, it will get him to the schools, but the routes are limited to the main Houston area. 

The Vietnamese community in Houston is more spread out everywhere now but still has a main area in South Houston near Scarsdale Road (some Metro bus to and from UofH and downtown), and way out west Houston which is really too far for a daily commute to UofH unless he drives or finds a place near a bus stop. 

In Dallas-Fort-Worth, the Dallas Area Rapid Transportation system has bus stops every block or so, all over Dallas, most of Irving, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area has many, and there's a commuter train with many stops between Dallas and Fort Worth. If I knew I would be dependent on public transportation I would strongly consider the Dallas/Irving area. There are many excellent community colleges and universities, shopping, entertainment, and an excellent DART system to get there. The Irving or Carrollton suburb areas have a strong Vietnamese community but so do other nearby like Garland and Richardson. 

In the Austin area, if he can live close to school and get himself there or to the bus stop, UT and ACC are fantastic schools and the friendly atmosphere is great. The bus is not the greatest but it does run to the main schools and living areas. For details I hope someone who has lived there recently can fill in more. 

I may lean toward Zoom's precaution if he was considering Amarillo or Wichita Falls, just because it's no fun to seem like the only person like you in the whole town. Also I do agree that Austin is a wonderful area and the community is just so nice, tolerant, and friendly. 

To sum it up, I think I'd pick the Dallas area if he will be dependent on the bus, but either Dallas or Houston for excellent education, nearby Vietnamese people and shops, and will be driving. I personally would go to school in Dallas, get a job in Houston, and raise my kids in Austin, if I could do whatever I wanted. But I'd probably retire in Fiji.


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## xchaos777 (Dec 15, 2010)

That's some harsh words for Texans, Zoom. Not to mention entirely inaccurate. Unfortunately, I am a Texas Gentleman...to a fault. Can't seem to shake even when I know I should on occasion. You got the right vibe for Austin...but I can show you great areas and people in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston as well.

As said earlier, every state, every country for that matter, will have people you won't see eye to eye with....it's all about your exposure.


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