Elise Leidersten (left) is a Butler soccer player from Sweden. Amalia Rupertova (right) is a Butler volleyball player from the Czech Republic. Amariani Garcia

Amariani Garcia
Lantern Staff

For international students, it can take up to one year to transfer to college here in the United States.

The requirements needed range from an application, bank statements showcasing that students can afford to attend, a sponsor or a financial guarantee form, high school transcripts in English, an international housing statement, copy of passport, English proficiency and a $75 nonrefundable fee.

As the list goes on for requirements, most international students are here on an academic or activity scholarships.

“It took about a year to transfer,” freshman Amalie Rupertova said. “During that time I attended Czech University, but it was completely different. We only take classes relating to our major. Classes like English and Math I took in high school, and I’m retaking them here.”

Rupertova, who is from the Czech Republic, is attending Butler on a volleyball scholarship. The immigration aspect was quite easy, Rupertova says. The steps to receive a visa in the Czech Republic is easier for a student to receive compared to others applying for visas, according to Rupertova.

“The Czech made it really easy for me to get a visa to come to the states for school,” Rupertova said. “My sister came here first and said it was easier to apply for a community college compared to a bigger college, so that’s what I did.”
International students at Butler range from Czech Republic, Vietnam, Mexico, the Bahamas and Tanzania, to name a few.

Elise Leidersten, a Swedish native, is here on a soccer scholarship, and she loves it here in America. The hardest thing, according to Leidersten, was adjusting to living without her family and having to speak English all the time.

“I like it better over here because you have more time to be with friends,” Leidersten said. “Back home school and sports were separated. I went to school and then I went to play club. It runs smoother here since they’re together.”

Rupertova agreed that clubs and school were two totally different things. Students around campus could not imagine not having sports and school together.
Students around campus find international students bring new cultures and diversity to the El Dorado campus.

“I’m happy I have classes with some international students,” freshman Deja Hall said. “They bring a new diversity and interesting aspects of life I don’t know about.”
International students are welcome at the International Student Association, and they can be reached at international@butlercc.edu.