When an international student goes to Berkeley /UBC is better?

Question

My student is planning to go to America for further education. She is in Year 11 in China now and she will take the TOEFL next month. She's wondering when to go to Berkeley or UBC is better for her. She hopes to spend less money and shorter time.
1. go there before Year 12
2. go there after she has graducated from senior high and
has got the results of the Entrance Exam for universities
Is the result useful for her application?)
3. go there after she has stayed in a university for one or two
years in China

Answer 1

UBC is not in the USA -- it is in Canada. It is a very good university -- but UC-Berkeley is one of the best universities in the world.

She will not be allowed in before grade 12, so option 1 will not work. I think it would be very difficult to transfer into Berkeley in her third year, so would not advise #3. Applying to start as a Freshman is probably the best approach.

Answer 2

I'd go with option 2 as well.

She's not going to get the cheaper in-state resident tuition even with option 1, altho she should be able to get it 1 year sooner than option 2 unless they count her as an int'l student.

Option 3 is bad because it's nearly impossible to transfer in as an foreign student.

Even if she doesn't get in from Option 1 or 2, it's still better to come to America than to do Option 3. She can just go to community college for a couple of years and then transfer. I have a relative who came from a foreign country after grade 12, did community college for a couple of years, and then transferred to UCLA.