Vilde Rutgerson Bie

I am from Bærums Verk, a four hundred year old town that is fairly close to Oslo. Ever since I can remember I have always had a passion for film production. Everything that involves a camera is where you´ll find me and through the last couple of years I have learned that I want to major in film directing in the US, more specifically California. I quickly found out that it was easier said than done. A good friend of mine who was also applying for university in the US where having the same issues; lots of paperwork to handle, questions about everything, requirements to fulfill, doubts about making the right decisions. Plus I had to work sixty hours a week in order to save enough money for the school tuition. It twisted my mind! My friend, however, were not only able to complete her applications in time with the supervision of a counselor who had done this countless times before, by summer she had completed the first year of a Bachelor at any American University with full support from the Norwegian Lånekasse. I immediately visited the school, and a few weeks later I enrolled as a student at American College of Norway.

I have not completed any previous studies in the US before I decided to go there. I find it a coincidence that my parents actually took their Bachelor in Television and Film Production in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My choice of studying in California is based on the high standard universities, friends that work in the film industry in LA and the fact that I like it there. ACN gives me the help and support that I need in order to enter my studies in the US with confidence, good transferrable grades and a network of friends that share the same background as I do. I think that is important.

During my studies at ACN I live at Bærums Verk. I travel four hours a day by bus and train in order to get to school, but no one ever hear me complain about it not being worth it. I think the year at ACN is exactly what I need and a perfect start of an adventures future. I highly recommend the school to everyone I know.

Ida Iselin Eriksson

My name is Ida Iselin Eriksson, and studying abroad has always been a dream of mine. I grew up at Holmlia, a very intercultural part of Oslo and have always had a huge interest in other cultures. That is why I went on student exchange during high school, and being an exchange student in Michigan made me more sure that ever that I wanted to continue my education in the United States.

I did a lot of research on different colleges and options on how to accomplish my dream, and that is how I came across ACN. After talking to Krista, the Administrative Director, on more than one occasion, there was no doubt that this was the perfect choice for me. It is a great way of getting into the American school system, and still get support from Lånekassen. In a way you get a head start on what is expected of you at an American college. All lectures are on English, which is a huge benefit. You also meet students that are a lot like you, with the same dream of studying overseas. I really think ACN is a great support system through a stressful application process. There are so many small things you might overlook by yourself, but ACN have a great staff that helps you through the process and students that are just as involved as you.

My passion for cultural understanding and international relations has just grown more and more over time, and I cannot wait to go to the US and dive into the subject. I am not really sure where I want to go, I’ve always though I would end up going back to Michigan, but through help from Becky, the academic advisor, I have found other great schools that have an interesting program for what I want to study. It is absolutely great that there are so many involved people at the school; staff, teachers and students. I have always found someone to talk to about school related- and personal things.

Surprisingly I can’t pick out just one favorite memory from my time here, but I will say that I am kind of sad that everything will come to and “end” when the summer begins and we all go to different schools around the US. But on the other hand it is just the beginning of a new adventure, and I know that I will stay in contact with a lot of my new friends. And definitely visit some of them when we all get settled in at our new schools. It is a great feeling knowing you are not alone in this process.

I truly believe that ACN is the best choice for committed students that want a unique opportunity to study overseas. It is the first step for a safe transfer to the US. And my year at ACN so far has been such a great experience.

Cathrine Gressum

I chose ACN because I want to study in the US, and ACN makes the transition and the application process a whole lot easier. They also help you find the best school suited for you, and provide you with the tools you need to get in to the school you want, and prepare you for the US.

I actually heard about ACN from a stranger on the internet. I wrote something about studying in the US on my blog, and she recommended ACN. I went to the US for the first time when I was 11, and then again when I was 14, and I absolutely loved it there. I think that is when I found out that I wanted to study there. There is no place like the US, and to be able to study there for 2-3 years is an amazing opportunity.

I like that most of the courses here are so different than any course I’ve had before, which makes them so much more interesting, and the instructors are really good, and helpful. Everyone here at ACN is doing their best so that you are prepared for studying in the US.

I want to go to San Francisco. Academy of Art University is my top choice, and I can’t really picture myself going anywhere else, but my second and third choices are Hawaii and New York. I want to study graphic design and communication, and I also want a minor in photography. I was surprised by how simple the application process was. It is a lot of work, but the student advisor at ACN is great, and helps you with whatever you need, and makes sure it is all done right.

I will take with me a whole lot of great memories, but as of right now I think I would have to say the welcome weekend, first semester, where we played paintball is one of my favorite memories. It was a lot of fun!

Starting my US education at ACN is one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

Mille Olaussen

I have known for a really long time that I wanted to go to the U.S.! But my college dreams started for real after being on a language travel trip to California when I was 17. I couldn't be an exchange student because I didn't take a school program where that was offered, so I started to pass my "high school dreams". College was another possibility to experience the American culture up close!

With my dream school being the oh, so expensive USC, I had to swallow the fact that I couldn't afford going there. And after raising my prejudices about the southern states, I have actually ended up with liking a lot of the school in the south! (We're talking Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, etc.). They are all really big and traditional schools, and offer all the things I look for in a college. Even though I'm a bit nervous about maybe ending up in the Bible belt and all that, I'm sure I will have a great experience anyways! Remember, their schools are huge! My "USC of the south", however, is the University of Texas at Austin. Hook 'em horns!

Wherever I end up I want to study advertising or broadcast journalism. Something within media, communication and entertainment! The specific program I dream about at UT Austin is called Texas Creative, which is an advertising program within the school of communication.

I live on campus now, and I really love how fast the friendships how grown because of that! People are always hanging out, and as soon I leave Moss for the weekend or for a break, I experience missing it quickly!

I know that I will look back on this whole year as a great one! It's also great to think about the fact that a lot of people a going to so many different places! So you will have good excuses to visit so many other states than the one you ended up in.

Coming straight from high school, used to start my day at 8 AM and not be home until close to 5 PM. I know the schedule will different, depending on what classes you choose, but I ended up with only having school three days a week, with my earliest class starting at 10.30 AM! The earliest one CAN start, however, is 9 AM, so it's not that bad to begin with. Oh, yeah, and everyone has Fridays off!

Philip Berge Pedersen

My name is Philip Berge Pedersen and I was born in Bergen, Norway but moved with my family to London a few months shy of my first birthday. There I attended the American Community School (ACS) Cobham England until graduating in 2010 from the intensive IB program.

Throughout my life, many people have suggested that I “must not feel a sense of ‘home’ anywhere”, but they couldn’t be more wrong. My crimson-colored passport may bare the Norwegian crest, but it might as well be blue with the standard gold seal of the United States of America - for although Norwegian was always spoken in our house, and the occasional British accent could be heard from our neighbour’s garden, I pretty much grew into the person I am today within the grounds of that American campus. It became my home, and the American culture completely manifested itself in my persona.

For this reason, I decided to attend the American College of Norway so that I could embrace my Norwegian roots, and subsequently transfer to the U.S. in pursuit of a my lifelong dream: to become a professional and renowned actor of stage and screen. Norway doesn’t have much credibility in Hollywood, and that’s certainly something I intend to change.

At ACN all the students share a common interest: the United States. What I like the most is having had the opportunity to meet so many people like myself. These expatriate students who’ve also somewhat lost touch with their Norwegian heritage as a result of having been in the International-American school circuit for part of or most of their lives. I can confidently declare that ACN is a great stepping-stone from Norway to America, and that any student who recognizes parallels between my upbringing and their own will feel right at home in this diverse student body.

My favorite memory at the American College of Norway has to be the moment I was sat at home during October break, with nothing to do, and came to the sudden realization that I’d rather be in Moss. This was surprising because I hadn’t expected to become so attached to the people or the place. I even missed the hissing and thumping of that gargantuan paper factory nearby, whose industrial shrieks, over time, have become a comfortable and soothing reminder that this is truly my home.