留学动态

　　美国社区学院在美国学生及国际学生人数方面正在增加中，因为他们在社区学院中享受到优越学校、强力英语课程、较简易的入学标准、及有品质的教学与指导特色。愈来愈多的学生，以美国社区学院作为出国留学的高等教育选择，但仍有许多学生不很了解社区学院的角色。了解美国社区学院可协助学生了解“2+2”的简单观念。

　　几乎所有美国大学均欢迎从社区学院转入的学生，其运作说明如下。某位学生在社区学院拿了首两年的学士学位课程（副学士学位），然后可转学到四年制大学以便完成第三及第四年课程，故此学生从四年制大学得到一个学士学位。这就是“2+2”的两年社区学院课程，加上四年制大学两年课程相等为一个四年制学士学位的由来。当然， 如果学生入学前没有TOEFL或SAT/IELTS等语言成绩，从语言课程读起将会比四年更久一些。

案例如下：

　　举个例子也许可帮您了解“2+2”的过程。几乎是三年前，郑博清同学从北到接近西雅图的绿河社区学院研读。他从ESL班的最基本课程读起。他非常用功，因此跳了一个级别而在九个月内完成ESL课程。接着和其指导教授小心的选择所修课程，郑博清将于两年内完成他的两年副学士学位。郑博清的GPA3.8的高平均成绩，将可让他进入位於西雅图的华盛顿大学和其他几所他想申请的顶尖大学。郑博清想转入的大学也接受他在绿河社区学院的学分，承认他为三年级的大学生。郑博清计划两年内于此大学完成他的传播艺术学士学位。

　　并非所有社区学院的学生均转入四年制大学就读。某些学生只是想学习一些工作技术以便赚取更高薪金。社区学院提供优越的工作训练课程（称之"职业培训"课程）。职训课程包括飞机与直升机飞行员训练、工业技术、国际商业、幼稚教育、秘书技巧、地理资讯系统、森林学、及其他许多专业。

　　美国社区学院非为每个人设计的。托福成绩具高分（550+）与拥有优越学术成绩的学生，通常直接申请进入四年制大学，除非其托福成绩低于550。果真如此，他们也许选择一所社区学院就读以便改善托福及研究所（GRE、GMAT等）成绩。总而言之，学生总是相信"著名"大学（哈佛、史丹佛、华盛顿大学等此类的学校）享受名校之便。


美国社区学院的十大优势如下：

1、进入美国大学的法门
　　社区学院毕业生可转学到顶尖大学以完成学士学位。举例说明，从绿河社区学院毕业的外籍生，已转学到华盛顿、密西根、威斯康辛、德州、南加大及加州大学的有许多。几乎所有美国大学接受从社区学院转学的"2+2"系统。

2、强力英语课程
　　需改进其英语能力的学生，可藉此从社区学院的优越ESL课程中受益。社区学院的ESL班学生，无托福成绩亦可很容易晋升到大学学术课程。

3、开放性入学
　　和大学比较下，社区学院通常拥有较快及较容易的入学过程。大部分大学只允许外籍生每年入学一次，而社区学院通常每学期均让学生入学，有的一年可以四次入学。

4、申请办理时间短
　　大部分的社区学院对ESL学生，不需托福成绩即可让他们研读学术课程，反之大学学院通常需要学生托福成绩在550到600之间。一般大型大学从申请到开课的时间，需要约六个月或更多的时间，要申请奖学金的话， 一般要提前一年申请；在社区学院，通常只需不到一半的时间。

5、学费便宜易申请入学
　　社区学院的学费，较四年制州立大学便宜，而且更比私立大学便宜将近八成左右。在社区学院的学费总平均学费水平是一般大学学费的一半还不到, 每年学费平均5000-8000美元，所以，一个 "2+2 " 的计划可大幅降低学生取得一个美国学士学位的花费。
　　社区学院的申请入学条件要求，一般都比四年制大学较低，所以学生较易申请入学。社区学院一般都会开设一些密集式英语课程（ESL），供语言能力未合乎水平的学生修读。海外学生也可以利用在社区学院读书的两年时间，一面增进自己的英文语言能力，一面适应当地的文化与生活，以便应付最后两年的大学生活，而无须一开始就面对大学密集的功课压力。

6、专业实用灵活竞争力较小
　　除了语言强化培训外，大多数社区学院多种类型的课程：学士转学课程、职业技术教育及社区服务（包括成人继续教育和工商业的培训与再培训）； 美国公立的社区学院是被美国各州认可的高等教育机构，社区学院颁发的最高级学位是学士学位。除了二年制文科副学士、理科副学士和应用科学副学士学位以外，还颁发一年制职业技术教育证书。学生可全职或兼职读一年也可以读二年的专业。
大学里，学生之间的竞争极大，令语言能力较差的海外学生经常处于劣势。但由于社区学院采取小班制的关系，强调互助互勉的精神，竞争压力相对也较轻。

7、优越小班教学与细致服务
　　在美国四年制大学部， 一堂大学课程人数可以非常多。有时则是研究生授课而非教授，因为教授通常忙于参与研究计划。在社区学院，一班学生人数通常较少，且是教授而非学生授课。
社区学院多采小班制，每班的人数一般都不会太多，大约20人左右，让教授能留意个别学生的进度，给予适当的帮助。而在四年制大学里，每班的人数通常很多，教授很难逐一认识学生，所以无法留意到个别学生的发展。学生遇有任何问题，都必须主动向教授发问，初到贵境而较为内向腼腆的东方学生有时未能适应。
另外，社区学院的指导教授与老师会在各方面协助学生，包括学术、个人事务、住宿、课程选择、及转学到好的大学等。每个社区学院都有转学中心提供细致的指导和服务。

8、政府的直接支持
　　美国高等教育在教学品质方面，拥有极高的世界性声誉，美国社区学院也是如此。美国社区学院85%都是公立学院，社区学院的财政支持主要来自于政府的公共税收并得到美国政府各州政府和当地工商界和社区的大力支持。当然， 有的非公立的社区学院也因在其各自的专业、课程、师资和服务上也有非常优秀的一面。

9、留学担保资金低
　　在申请美国签证过程中，由于美国社区学院的学费低廉， 因此申请美国社区学院的留学担保资金相对与美国大学而言要低很多。

10、签证同等机会??
美国政府对名牌大学和社区学院的录取通知书都是一视同仁。只要社区学院录取的学生签证资料、签证问答以及学习计划合理，同样可一次性获取美国签证。 

留学专家建议

　　对希望在留学美国的中国学生而言，可以考虑社区学院或大学两类学校。具体需要根据自己的： 学术成绩、英语成绩、家庭经济承受力、时间而事实求是选择。

　　无论如何，对许多中国学生而言，选择一所美国社区学院就读是个非常明智的抉择！

Community Colleges For International Students

Andrea Insley,

Seattle Central Community College, Washington.

More international students are attending community colleges, which offer a popular alternative for completing the first two years of a Bachelor’s degree. They see community college as a starting point in their effort to earn a four-year or graduate degree from a U.S. university. These first two years are designed to provide a strong foundation of general knowledge before a student begins concentrating on a major field of study.

Transfers and Training

In fact, many university advisors recommend that students attend community college “college transfer” programs first, then transfer to universities for the final two years. Students transfer or use their credits from community colleges to earn a four-year degree.
In addition to college transfer programs, community colleges offer a wide range of vocational (job-training) programs. These train students in hundreds of careers from Business Administration and Computer Programming to Nursing, Fashion Design, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Secretarial, Commercial Photography, Engineering or Advertising Art. Students who complete these courses earn degrees or certificates.

Helping the Local Community

Community colleges meet the educational and vocational needs of local communities. Usually a state government runs them. By maintaining an “open door policy” with low tuition costs and few entrance requirements, community colleges have offered many U.S. citizens a chance to get a college education.

How does a Community College Differ from a Four-Year College or University?

• Admission is easier.
  TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores and academic requirements are usually lower for admission to community colleges than to four-year institutions. Many community colleges also offer ESL (English as a Second Language) programs for students whose TOEFL scores are too low.
  Costs are less.

Tuition at community colleges can be as much as 20% to 80% less than at four-year colleges and universities, particularly if the four-year school is private.

• Student population is often smaller than four-year schools.
  Teachers and advisors are able to provide more one-on-one attention to students. Many U.S. and international students say that attending smaller schools for the first two years helped them make a good transition into larger four-year schools for the final two years.
• Classroom environments are more supportive.
  In the U.S. educational system, students compete for good grades. International students who do not speak English fluently are at a disadvantage. Often, they do better and feel more comfortable in smaller classes where there is less competition.
• Adjusting is easier.
  Two years at a community college can help an international student improve language skills and grow accustomed to the U.S. educational system and way of life.

Transferring to a New University

Ken Bus,
Director of the International Students Program
Glendale Community College, Arizona.
Glendale is one of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
One of the great strengths of American higher education is the ease with which students can transfer from one college or university to another. It is not unusual for a student from California, for example, to transfer to Michigan, or for someone attending a small private college to transfer to a large, comprehensive public university.
Students who attend a community college to complete lower division general education requirements can transfer to a university where they can take upper division courses and thereby complete a bachelorís degree.

Importance of Accreditation

Transfer from or to institutions that are not regionally accredited is not recommended. If a student attends an institution that lacks regional accreditation, there is a risk that the courses completed will not transfer to an accredited institution.
Making Transfers Easy
Many colleges and universities have special arrangements known as "articulation agreements" with other institutions.
Generally speaking, such agreements allow "seamless" transfer with little or no loss of credit and time. For example, engineering students may study for three years at the undergraduate level at one college, then transfer to another college for two more years and receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at the end of the five year program of study. Sometimes such arrangements are known as a "3+2" program because they are designed and completed in a total of five years.
Community colleges often have articulation agreements with four-year colleges and universities. The ten Maricopa Community Colleges in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area have worked very closely with the three public universities in Arizona to make sure that its courses will transfer to the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.
All the 106 California community colleges have articulation agreements with the California State University system and the University of California system. This means that if a student successfully completes the general education requirements for CSU or UC at Santa Monica College, for example, he or she can transfer and complete the last two years for the bachelor's degree.

Don't allow some of the drawbacks of transferring to deter you. If you plan ahead, a transfer can be an excellent way to accomplish your educational goals and enrich your experience with American higher education. Just as shifting gears in a car is a way to get more speed and power from the engine, transferring from one college or university to another can propel you to greater accomplishments.

Tips for Transfers

• There is usually a maximum number of credits you can transfer towards a degree at a college or university. You should find out what that limit is well before transferring.
• Some colleges and universities offer special freshman or college English classes for students whose native language is not English. These special ESL classes may be accepted for transfer or they may not. Find out before you transfer.
• Credits transfer; grades do not. There is usually a requirement to have a certain minimum grade point average (GPA) in order to transfer; however, the GPA earned at one institution does not affect the GPA at another.
• Colleges and universities usually have general education requirements. A course that is required at one institution may not be required at another. Such courses might transfer, but the credit earned is not necessarily going to apply to degree requirements.