A plug for one of my alma maters

So many colleges to pick from in the world, and especially in the United States. And so many types of colleges. There are public state universities, private colleges, 2-year community colleges, trade schools, and more. This "plug" recommendation is for the Peralta Community Colleges.

Community colleges are good choices for loads of students. This is why:
* They offer 2-year Associate Degrees, and allow you to transfer to 4-year public and private colleges
* If you earn good grades, it is possible to transfer into 4-year institutions that are highly selective, and to increase your odds of admission
* Community colleges tend to be more affordable than state and private ones
* If your grades in high school were not perfect, you can restart with a 'blank slate' and find success for yourself
* They tend to have free career counseling to help guide your career path if you're uncertain about what you path you might find most rewarding.

I wrote to my Alma Mater to thank them for a Twitter followback, and this was our correspondence, which I told them I'd share because they provided some links that could help some of you international students who are eager to explore more! 

Here is our conversation! I told them:

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"Thanks for following me back! I am a proud successful transfer student from Peralta Colleges! I was admitted to every UC I applied to, but wound up going to university out of state, and now live in Morocco and work with students who want to study in the States! I may send some your way!"

​And they responded:

Mabrook😉 this is outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing the benefits of study abroad at The Peralta Colleges! Here's info that International students may like to look at:

​http://web.peralta.edu/international/   

• https://international.peralta.edu/ 
• https://www.facebook.com/PeraltaInternational/ … https://www.instagram.com/peraltainternationalstudents
• https://twitter.com/PccdIntStudents 

More Info:
The Peralta Colleges are a network of 4 colleges around Oakland, CA, which is near San Francisco. It's an area that welcomes diversity with open arms. A wonderful place for international students! You can study a large breadth of programs there. 

The main obstacle I'd warn about, honestly, is that while tuition is reasonable, the Bay Area is very expensive to live in. Make sure you research cost of living there, and rents, before seriously considering applying to this network of colleges. I'm happy to share guidance! And there are many other community colleges throughout the United States that welcome international students, have easier admissions standards than some of the 4-year colleges, and are in locations with more reasonable costs of living.