I am currently in 10th standard (sophomore year) in India. I want to become an anesthesiologist from US and eventually settle over there. I know its extremely hard to get admission in colleges in US to study medicine, so, is it possible that if I graduate from a highschool in america, my admission chances would increase? Also, if I complete 9th, 10th and 11th in India and 12th in US, will I be eligible for high school graduation according to US government?

In the US the Federal government has nothing to do with education. This is controlled on a state by state basis by each of hte 50 states. Also, specific rules and regs are controlled by school boards which are local in each town.

If you have a senior year in a high school in the US if you can graduate depends on what you have studied in the last 4 years (there are academic requirements that you might not meet by going to school in India: usually 4 years of english literate, 4 years of social studies/government/history, 4 years of math, 4 years of science and 4 years of a foreign language - French and Spanish are the most common). I would think that to graduate from a US high school you might have to take a bunch of extra courses to qualify.

Separately, any college you would apply to would have to accept you based on your grades in these courses and standardized tests (SAT or ACT) and once accepted most colleges are very expensive. Even state universities can be expensive even if you qualify as a state resident.

Then you have to do well enough in 4 years of college (emphasis on science courses usually) to be accepted in Medical School (very competitive and very expensive). After 4 years of Medical School you have to enter a residency program (I believe 3 years for anesthesiologists) and then pass exams to be board certified.

So this will take 11 years of study after high school and despite scholarships, family support and small salaries for residents many new MDs have well more than $100K in student loans to pay off.

What you can do is certainly possible but it is a very long, difficult and expensive road. I think it might be easier applying to a US college direct from India (assuming you have top grades and have done well on the SAT or ACT test) and then make up for any special subjects you are missing while in college where the curriculum is much more varied than trying to stuff all of the high school requirements into one year.

But you really need to check with the guidance staff at your current school and the authorities at the specific US school you would be attending - since they can make any requirements that they choose. Be aware that there is a huge difference in local school districts - with some providing very strong educations and others sub par offerings. And when you apply to colleges which high school you came out of makes a big difference in your chance of acceptance.

(One of my college suitemates was the valedictorian in her high school - but in a very poor small town school in PA. When she got to a large state college in NY she found that her education was not up to the standards of most of the other students and she had to drop biology as a major since she wasn;t prepared, then drop creative writing and ended up in sociology which she hated. Typically the work in college is much more demanding than high school - so students that have to work hard in high school are at a huge disadvantage against those who got As all through high school without mucheffort - since they can easily up their game. She was already working very hard in high school - and thought she was learning a lot, but was really falling behind versus kids from more demanding high schools.)

All of your efforts should be directed to your studies in India... Your next goal would be to apply to US universities that are known for their science and pre med studies. There are over a hundred schools that will give you the proper preparation for acceptance into medical school... The Internet will help you narrow down cities and programs based on your preferences.

The only advantage to high school in the US would be for developing your language and social skills... Culture shock has affected foreign born students for generations and adjustment can be difficult. You can also find information on support groups at the colleges and student population of your country. This will help you decide...

Good luck with your studies...

>>Separately, any college you would apply to would have to accept you based on your grades in these courses and standardized tests (SAT or ACT)

Admission to medical school is primarily determined by college performance. Anything about high school is irrelevant - except perhaps for the few programs that offer 6 or 7 year combined BS/MD degree.

Most states in the US have some sort of graduation exam (usually taken in 10th grade and one has several attempts to pass) - in addition to course requirements.

And keep in mind that some of the top college in the US reject many HS valedictorians every year. That said, people get in to medical school in the US from colleges of all sorts - you don't have to go to Harvard to get into medical school

And don't ignore immigration requirements and financial considerations. College in the US is very, very expensive and many financial aid programs are not open to non-US citizens. Also, don't just assume you can move here, go to school, and stay and work. While I am not sure of specific immigration requirements, you can't just show up and stay.

Wishing you well in your plans and studies. You sound like a motivated person. Just make sure you check out all the details rather than just what you need to study in high school.

You have to live in your US state as a resident for one year to be considered "in state" for tuition purposes. So a senior year (12th) grade would get you in state, much lower tuition and also help you with your English.

All universities are getting more and more competitive. Like vincenzo mentioned getting great SATs and ACTs does not guarantee any acceptance.
Universities like diversity and being foreign gives you an advantage in my opinion over the American kid that applies with everyone else just like them from the same towns. That being said, being foreign and from an American town might make you different from all the kids coming from India.

Universities have all kinds of methods on how or why they accept students and there is no sure way to get in. I do think if you go to an undergraduate program in the US and do well, getting acceptance into medical school will be easier from the US than coming from another country. You will have to have top grades in order to get into the medical schools and you will have to score very high on the Mcats exam. That is the same for foreign students as it is for American students.

Not sure what paperwork or visas you will need but you should look into all that. Best of luck to you and let us know what you do!

I don't know that year in a foreign exchange program necessarily qualifies a student for in-state" tuition. In the very least, each state has it's own requirements. In Indiana, for instance, you cannot establish residency if you're sole purpose for being in the state (absent certain other factors) for educational purposes.

http://policies.iu.edu/policies/cate...t-status.shtml

I see the cost for becoming an anesthesiologist is extremely high. What do you think about becoming a nurse anesthetist? Also, someone mentioned above that if I spend one year in US, I will be considered ‘in state' which will help me with tution fees. Is it true? And, in order to increase my chances of getting accepted in an american college, where should I graduate my highschool from? India or US?

You can be accepted into a good American university from the US or anywhere. Every HS graduate can be accepted somewhere - the issue is how good the school is and what it will cost.

"In State" tuition is not as easy as it sounds. Being 18 and merely living in a state does not make you a resident of that state. One would have to prove "emancipation" from parents and having no other legal address. And even if one qualifies for "in state" tuition, college is still expensive.

Nurse anesthetist is a fine job - and one at which you can make a good amount of money.

If you are in 10th grade, that makes you about 15 years old. I admire you forward thinking. But few of us are doing today, as adults, what we imagined we would be doing at age 15. If I may offer some advice not included in your original question - concentrate on getting a good education at the high school and college level, whether in the US or in India. US high schools have formal "exchange student" programs - where you spend a year in the US under the guidance of an organization that does this.

Or study hard and do well in HS in India and apply to college in the US. There are many ways to go about this and many careers that could be in your future.

You asked "...I know its extremely hard to get admission in colleges in US to study medicine, so, is it possible that if I graduate from a highschool in america, my admission chances would increase?..."

Simply put, graduating from a US high school won't make it any easier. As others have pointed out the admissions process for most US colleges is very competitive and your success in getting accepted will based not on where you live or went to High School but rather how well you did in High School and how you rate in comparison to the thousands of other who are applying to that same college.

It is not impossible for foreign students to gain acceptance to a US college or university. It happens all the time. When I was in college 55 years ago I had several foreign students in my classes, when my kids were in college in the 1990's they both had foreign born students in their graduating classes and even today, I personally know of at least a dozen college students from foreign countries who are attending college in the US (you'll find out more on one particular person at the end of this response).

The one thing that all of these individuals had in common was they were all exceptional students in their homeland. So, first concentrate on getting good grades in High School where you now live. Second, while you are doing that continue to research what colleges and universities in the US offer the courses that will help you advance in your chosen career. Third, find out the respective admissions requirements for those colleges you think you would like to attend. Fourth, apply to the college or colleges you think best meet your needs.

Who knows, you may be as successful as our housekeeper's son. He and his family live in a country other than the US, he studied very hard in High School and was one of the top students in his class. He applied to a and was accepted and awarded a scholarship at a major US university. Prior to leaving for college he had never ventured more than 50 miles from his hometown nor set foot outside his home country.

Simply living in a state for 1 year and attending high school for just 12th grade will not grant you "resident status" for tuition purposes in MANY states. They are well aware of people trying to do that simply by moving from one state to another. And that is for a child living with their family.

As far as ease of getting admission to a school simply because you spend 1 year as senior and graduate, don't think that will get you much.

The only potential benefit to graduating from a US high school (if you can qualify for this which would be difficult) is if its a very prestigious high school that the college gives you extra credit for.

They have students from all over the country applying and most large college have lists of high school which are very demanding and product top students and other high schools (or even states) where the education is sub par and it's hard for students from those high schools to get into quality colleges.

(There are enough colleges in the US that every student that wants to go and can graduate from some high school will be able to go - but it will likely cost them a fortune.

I agree that I would concentrate on doing well in school where you are - getting top grades in difficult classes and being sure you do very well in the SAT or ACT exam. Also be aware that applying to college is expensive - there is a fee for every application as well as an extensive process including numerous forms and writing essays, etc.

Being from India can be an advantage IF all of your qualifications are top notch (easier to be 1 out of 2 from India than 1 out of 150 from NYC to get in) and you can sort out the finances.

As for the visa, my understanding is that if you are admitted to an approved college/university that will allow you to get a visa - providing you start early enough and don;t have any disabling factors. But I believe you have to reapply every year which means getting top grades. Universities typically help students they have admitted sort this out.

And yes, there are foreign students in almost every university. Even when I was in college in the last ice age we had 2 students from India in the engineering school - but they were cousins and came from a very wealthy family - were always tooling around campus in a little red sports car.

You have received good information here and I particularly agree with Garyt22. One more thing for you to consider though. India has some excellent medical schools. You could complete your medical studies there and be accepted to practice here after passing exams and serving an additional residency(s). There are many physicians practicing in the US who earned their medical degree in India.

I would work this all backwards. I would write a few US medical schools and ask what are the requirements from a student from India.

There are also a number of foreign born Indian doctors practicing in the US. You can write a few hospitals and ask what sort of credentialing do they require from a doctor schooled in India.

Many schools in the US are trying diversify their student body including foreign students. A search to which would also be helpful.

Hi Julia, I'm currently in a very similar situation as you and I was wondering what you're final decision was; If you decided to become an exchange student and graduate from a high-school in America, or finish school in India. Pls let me know.

My primary care physician is from India; her nurse is from India. The ophthalmologist that did my (and my wife's) cataract surgery is from India. There are dozens of medical professionals in the Seattle area from the sub-continent. Please continue your studies and come over here...you will be welcomed into the community.

To answer you basic question about graduating from a US high school as an exchange student. Yes, you can. And we have had a number of foreign students graduate from our high school. At least in our high school you are treated as any other transfer student whether it is another state or another country. Your prior high school record is reviewed to determine if your prior course works meets the requirements as to the numbers of hours of math, history, English, etc. If here for more than one year it is easier to adjust your high school courses to met the graduation requirements. Graduation requirements are set by the state and there is some variation from state to state. For my experience of a few years ago the Indian students coming from the British educational system common in India are generally ahead of our high schools in preparation.

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