Location: Los Altos Hills, California
Type: Community college
About:
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and is one of the largest community college districts in the US. For more than 50 years, Foothill-De Anza has demonstrated excellence and innovation in academic programs and student services. The colleges are active members of the League for Innovation in the Community College, a national consortium of leading two-year institutions.
Both Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino offer an outstanding, affordable education. Each college has its own personality and both have a rich array of academic programs. Faculty and staff are dedicated to helping students from all walks of life achieve their educational goals, whether that’s upgrading skills, training for a career or preparing for university transfer.
Foothill-De Anza Community College District has an impressive record of their students going on to further their success: 140 FHDA international students accepted to UCLA, 94 to UC Berkeley, 344 to UC San Diego, 385 to UC Davis for Fall 2015; 72 to USC for Fall 2014! Our students were also accepted to MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Purdue, NYU, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and more!
Gap year and short term study options are available at Foothill College or De Anza College in their ‘U.S. Experience @ FHDA program’.
Fast Facts:
- #1 Ranked Community College District in California for transfer and graduation (edsmart.org)
- #1 for the most acceptances and matriculation to the University of California (UC) system!
- Guaranteed admission agreements with 18 universities, including 6 UCs
- Affordable tuition of $6,800 per year
- Flexible admission, 3 times a year, with no SAT requirement even when transferring to most prestigious universities
- Short term study programs are available (3,6, or 10 months) through our U.S. Experience @ FHDA program
- Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, just south of San Francisco and near 6000 technology, medical, and creative companies
- 100% of our classes are taught by full professors and class sizes are small, often with 20 students or less
- Plenty of on-campus resources such as a Health Services Center, free tutoring, university transfer center, peer mentoring, an international alumni network, honors programs, learning communities, campus abroad programs, Disability Resource Center and more!
- Over 70 clubs available on each campus including cultural, academic, sport, recreational, community service, and other special interest organizations
- Alumni include Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc.
- Surrounding communities among the safest in the United States
- 3,600 international students from 109 different countries representing a 10% international student population
- Ranked #1 in transfers to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems
- Ranked #1 in California for graduation and transfer rates by collegemeasures.org, an organization supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (2016)
- Foothill College named the safest community college campus in California and #2 in the nation (statecollege.org)
- De Anza named as the top large community college in California and Foothill named as the top medium size community college in California (edsmart.org)
- Ranked #2 in the nation for educating international students (IIE Open Doors)
Athletics:
The Foothill College athletics team are known as the “Owls”. Foothill is a member of the Coast Conference of the California Community College Commission on Athletics.
Men’s teams: Basketball, football, soccer, swimming, and tennis.
Women’s teams: Basketball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, sand volleyball, and water polo.
Foothill College athletics team information: https://foothill.edu/ath/index.php
The De Anza College athletics team are known as the “Dons”. De Anza is also a member of the Coast Conference of the California Community College Commission on Athletics.
Men’s teams: Badminton, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and water polo.
Women’s teams: Badminton, basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.
De Anza College athletics team information: http://www.deanza.edu/athletics/
School Information:
Programs:
The most popular program is the transfer program (2+2), in which students complete their general education and prerequisite requirements with Foothill or De Anza before transferring to the university of their choice. This is typically done by completing about 2 years at Foothill or De Anza and then 2 years at the university. After 4 years, the degree is awarded by the university. There is counseling, a transfer center, support, and guaranteed/preferred admissions in place to ensure that students are successful. About 90% of students are in this program.
Both colleges also offer certificate and Associate Degree (2-3 years) programs.
Short-term (3, 6, or 10 month) programs are available through the U.S. Experience @ FHDA courses. Students can choose from the regularly scheduled courses available (they may need a placement test or transcripts to waive pre-requisites for higher level courses). Additional activities, field trips, and community service opportunities are also a part of this experience.
Foothill College programs: https://foothill.edu/programs/programs.php
De Anza College programs: https://www.deanza.edu/courseinfo/majors.html
Housing:
Both Foothill and De Anza colleges offer prearranged homestay or off-campus student apartments through our partner ISP. The rates for the prearranged housing vary depending on whether the student would like meals included or not. The International offices also provide housing assistance for students who would like to choose their own off-campus housing.
More housing information: https://www.isphomestays.com/
Entry Requirements:
- Complete, sign, and submit the international student application form on their website with a copy of your passport and a recent photograph.
- Submit proof of English proficiency: TOEFL 61 iBT / 500, IELTS 6.0, iTEP 4 or EIKEN 2A.
- SAT/ACT is NOT required.
- Submit a financial statement – an original bank letter (dated within the last 6 months) verifying a minimum of the total estimated cost.
- Submit original secondary and post-secondary transcripts, including U.S transcripts. All documents must be in English **UStudy can help with translating transcripts and converting to US equivalent grades.
- Pay the $75 USD Application Fee (non-refundable) and $75 USD Shipping Fee.The shipping fee will only be charged if we send documents outside of the United States.
More information about admissions for international students: http://www.foothill.edu/international/ad.php
Tuition & Fees:
Estimated annual expenses for international students (costs are similar for both colleges)
Tuition & enrollment fees (based on $187 per unit & 12 units minimum per quarter): $6,732
Books & supplies: $1,500
Health insurance (mandatory): $1,452
Estimated housing (room and board at a homestay for 10 months – includes 2 meals/day): $12,000
Total estimated cost: $21,684
Foothill College tuition information for international students: https://foothill.edu/international/ad_costs.php
De Anza College tuition information for international students: https://www.deanza.edu/registration/cashier/fees.html
Financial Aid / Scholarships:
Scholarships are only available for continuing or transferring students and range from $500-$4,500. Students may also work part-time on campus. Typical pay for on-campus work ranges from $10-$15 an hour depending on the position.
Foothill College scholarship information: http://www.foothill.edu/international/ad_costs.php
Testimony from Casper Koopman – The Netherlands
Transfer – University of British Columbia (UBC)
International Relations and Economics
“As an international student it can be hard to adapt yourself to a new culture, but through a lot of my extra curricular activities at Foothill College I got to know many friends for life! As a part of Student Government I was able to play an important role in the way our school serves the students here at Foothill College. Student Government opened me up and motivated me to perform better in my classes. Another activity that has really impacted my student life is Model United Nations, I had no idea what MUN was until a friend introduced me to it. Through MUN, I got to compete with schools like Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego, which taught me a lot about debating and negotiating. I got to meet many people from all over the country and the world! My experiences at Foothill definitely shaped me into who I am today and prepared me for getting accepted to my dream university. I will miss my time at Foothill, but I am grateful for the good experiences here.”
