Choosing
universities from thousands of
miles away presents some challenges- especially
when there are so many great colleges
to choose from in the United States. But if
you plan ahead and do your research carefully,
you will come up with a manageable shortlist
of colleges that match your needs. Every
student is different, and when making your
choices you should consider carefully the factors
that are important to you in both your education
and your lifestyle. This chapter discusses what
academic, lifestyle, and other factors to consider
when putting together a list of around 10 to 20
colleges, and it offers guidelines on where to
get further help and information. You should begin
this process of reflection and research 12 to
18 months before you want to start studying in
the United States.
Sources of Information
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U.S. Educational Information and
Advising Centers
U.S. educational information and advising centers can
be found in almost every country around the world, and
they are the ideal starting point for your research. Centers
usually have a library with directories, university catalogs,
introductory guides such as this one, handouts, and reference
books to assist you in applying to study in the United
States. Many centers have developed guides, videos, and
Web sites specifically tailored to students applying from
your country. Many also have computer based college search
packages to help you choose the best colleges for you.
Most important of all, they have trained staff who can
answer your questions in person or by mail, by telephone,
and, in most cases, by e-mail.
College Web Sites and E-Mail
The United States leads the world in using the World
Wide Web. Almost every U.S. university and college has
a Web site that offers a wealth of information about
degree programs, application procedures, academic departments,
facilities on campus, and other topics. In many cases
you will also find a copy of the college catalog, which
you can study on-line or download to read later. Don't
forget that many sites also give e-mail addresses for
current students, including international students,
who are often more than happy to answer your questions
about applying to the school and about life on campus.
Once you have narrowed down the colleges and universities
you are interested in, you may wish to e-mail professors
and admissions personnel to have specific questions
answered before you finally decide where to apply.
College Searches on the Web
Some Web sites are independent of colleges and universities
and allow you to search for institutions by the subject
you are interested in studying, by geographic preference,
or by a range of other criteria that you specify.
U.S. College Fairs and Visits
If you cannot visit the United States, colleges may come
to visit you. Your nearest U.S. educational information
or advising center can tell you about any upcoming U.S.
college fairs or other types of visits where you can have
the opportunity to talk to admissions officers face-to-face.
Many of these take place in the spring or fall of the
year before you intend to start your studies, so it is
important to start your research early.
Visiting Campuses
If you are able to take a vacation to the United States
before you go to college, this could be a great opportunity
to visit the campuses you are considering. Many schools
organize college tours that are led by current students
check with the undergraduate admissions office for further
information. Visit the academic and housing facilities,
the student union, and the library to get a good sense
of the campus. Americans are famous for being friendly,
so talk to the students to find out what college life
is really like. Some private organizations offer tours
of U.S. colleges to help prospective students see firsthand
if these schools are right for them. Ask your information
or advising center if they have further information
about such organizations.
Educational Consultants and Recruiting
Agents
In many parts of the world, private agents or agencies
work to recruit international students into U.S. colleges.
There are also private educational consultants who charge
a fee for assisting you with the process of choosing
U.S. colleges and putting together your applications.
Often these educational consultants and private agents
are graduates of U.S. colleges or people who are dedicated
to promoting the benefits and advantages of the U.S.
education system. However, sometimes they are not, and
so
it is important to check the credentials and past performance
of educational consultants or agents before
using their services.
If you have found a recruiting agent or a consultant
who is helpful, well informed, and dependable, she or
he may be very useful in helping you to select and apply
to a college in the United States. Be careful, however,
to look for verifiable signs of the agent's or consultant's
past success stories with students from your country.
Ask for a list of names and addresses of students presently
studying in the United States who are there because
of the agent's or consultant's help. Write, e-mail,
or telephone some of these students to get their firsthand
opinion of the college where they study and the services
they received from
the agent or consultant. Such precautions are especially
important if the agent or consultant is asking for expensive
fees for his or her services. Lastly, always check with
an unbiased source (such as a U.S. educational information
or advising center) to ensure the legitimacy and accreditation
status of the college being represented to you.
Academic Considerations
Accreditation and Recognition of Degrees
An important indicator of the quality of any U.S. college
or university is its accreditation status. Unlike many
other countries, the United States does not have a central
government office that approves educational institutions.
Instead, it relies on a system of voluntary accreditation
carried out by non-governmental accrediting bodies to
ensure that schools meet standards.
While almost all U.S. colleges hold widely recognized
forms of accreditation, it must be noted that accreditation
in the United States is a complex area; there are different
types of accreditation and a large number of accrediting
bodies. There is also no legal requirement that degree-offering
institutions be accredited or hold a particular form
of accreditation. Because of this complexity, you should
check carefully well in advance whether a degree from
the institutions you are applying to will be recognized
by your home country government and any relevant professional
associations, ministries, or employers in your country.
Also, talk to graduates who have returned to your country
to see if they have been successful in applying degrees
earned from such institutions to their chosen professions.
If you think you might
wish to transfer from one U.S. college to another during
your undergraduate studies, or if you might want to
pursue graduate study in the United States, you should
also check whether other U.S. universities will recognize
credits and degrees from the colleges you are considering.
U.S. educational information and advising centers can
advise you regarding recognition of U.S. degrees in your
country and tell you whether a U.S. degree-offering institution
is appropriately accredited.
Major
Your major is the field of study in which you
plan to specialize. It is not essential to declare
the major you plan to undertake when you enter a university.
If you have a definite degree objective, however,
you need to identify universities offering that field.
Some subjects are taught at many universities.
Knowing which subject you wish to major in may help,
but you could still be left with a long list of institutions
to choose from. If there is a particular specialization
within a field that interests you (for example, if
you are interested in 20th-century history, or environmental
geography, or painting within a fine arts degree),
identifying which schools offer that specialization
will also help you draw up a shortlist of institutions.
Most directories of U.S. universities list schools
by the most commonly offered majors. Computer-based
search packages available on the Web or at U.S. educational
information and advising centers can also help you narrow
down your choices. Make use of college catalogs and
bulletins to check if your interests are offered and
that the programs have the particular focus you want.
Academic Emphasis
You should check to see how the university emphasizes
its curriculum. Is the emphasis on professional education
or liberal arts? Do undergraduate or graduate students
dominate the campus? Many liberal arts colleges emphasize
teaching and professor-student interaction, rather than
research, so the teacher-to-student ratio is quite low.
Some research-centered campuses are dominated by graduate
students, but the facilities at these universities are
often state-of-the-art and the professors world renowned.
However, at some of these campuses, first and second-year
classes may be taught by graduate students instead of
professors.
Selectivity
Because the U.S. university system is so extensive,
admissions requirements vary greatly. Highly selective
private universities and liberal arts colleges may receive
enormous numbers of applicants and accept only a small
number, while other colleges may accept all applicants
who meet their admission standards. Most university
directories and college catalogs list the number of
applicants and the number of students accepted the previous
year, plus the average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
score and grade point average (GPA) for the previous
year's accepted students. Selectivity assessments
using this type of data, however, tend to put weight
on admissions test scores, which are only one part of
an application. Remember that admissions officers look
at a variety of factors, including essays, prizes, community
service and work experience, hobbies, and special talents,
as they review applications to try to determine your
potential for success at their institutions.
Degree Program Structure
You should study the course
catalog and course descriptions for each institution.
Many international students choose the U.S. system because
it is flexible enough to allow them to choose courses
according to their interests. However, degree programs
in some subject areas are highly structured, and universities
dictate exactly which courses a student must take and
when they must take them
in order to graduate with a major in that area. This
type of prescribed coursework limits flexibility and,
for example, does not allow student athletes to have
a lighter workload during the playing season or permit
motivated students to pursue a double major.
It is important to check the requirements of any majors
you may wish to pursue. For example, if you want to
major in engineering but also want to gain a strong
academic background in business, be sure to check the
requirements of the engineering degree - are they too
numerous to allow you to take additional business courses?
Or is there a specific program for people who wish to
combine engineering with a related subject? There is
also great variation between course requirements in
liberal arts colleges. Some colleges require students
to take a certain number of classes in each of the broad
subject
groups, while other liberal arts colleges have no such
requirements, merely making "strong recommendation"
that students complete a well-rounded education.
Advanced Standing
U.S. students begin higher
education after 12 years of elementary and secondary
education. Some U.S. universities award advanced credit
to students from education systems with 13 years of
elementary and secondary education or those who have
taken the International Baccalaureate. Students who
have undertaken post-secondary vocational and technical
diplomas, certificates, or similar programs may also
qualify for some credit toward their degree. Such students
may not have to be enrolled for the full four years
in the United States and may be able to enter the university
with advanced standing. You should ask admissions officers
about this possibility and read chapter 10, "Transferring
to a U.S. University," for further details.
Student-to-Teacher Ratio
At large universities, undergraduate
freshman and sophomore classes are usually large, and
you are likely to be taught by graduate students rather
than professors. At a college, where there are fewer
graduate students, you are likely to be taught by a
professor and will be required to make a greater contribution
to the class from the start. A high student-to-teacher
ratio indicates that classes will
be large, reducing the amount of attention faculty can
give to individual students.
Lifestyle Considerations
Cost
Financing your education is
a very important consideration! You should know what
you can realistically afford. Carefully study the fee
structure printed in most university catalogs, and incorporate
into your calculations the cost of room, food, tuition,
fees, travel, and other expenses for the full four years.
You also need to consider that tuition costs may rise,
as many universities increase their tuition every year.
Also look at the payment plans of various institutions.
Housing
Since all colleges have different
housing facilities and policies, find out if housing
is available for all four years of enrollment or if
students are required to find off-campus housing. Investigate
the price difference between on-campus and off-campus
housing. Check the living arrangements for on-campus
housing; students living in dormitories may be required
to share a room with one, two, or three other students.
Yet living on campus, at least for the first year or
two, may help you integrate into American university
life more easily and quickly. It can also save you the
additional expense of buying a car or paying for daily
public transportation, as well as the time needed to
travel back and forth to campus each day. By your junior
year, however, you may wish to move offcampus into your
own apartment. Be sure to find out
the university's policy on such a move, and also the
cost and availability of local housing.
Location
Every region of the United
States offers both urban and rural settings. City-based
campuses offer a variety of eating, entertainment, cultural,
and shopping facilities. A rural university may mean
a quieter, more college-centered environment. Climate
is another consideration. From the four seasons in the
Northeast to the desert in Arizona and a sub-tropical
climate in Florida, the variety is almost endless. Also
keep in mind accessibility to local facilities and services
that could be useful to you in your studies. For example,
if you wish to major in art history, does the school
offer programs that involve students with nearby museums
and art galleries?
Size
Student populations on U.S.
campuses can range in size from 200 to 60,000 students.
Some universities resemble small cities with their own
post offices, grocery stores, and shopping centers.
Other colleges may be in large, densely populated urban
areas but have a very small enrollment.
Depending on your personal lifestyle, you may enjoy
the independence afforded by being part of a very large
student population on your campus, or you may prefer
the more personal touch a small college may be able
to offer you. You should not make assumptions regarding
social life or access to professors based on the size
of an institution. Determine what opportunities are
important to you and read the catalogs closely with
these in mind.
College Environment
Social Life
Most U.S. colleges offer students
a variety of social, cultural, and sports activities
in addition to their academic programs. The level to
which each is emphasized will determine the social environment
you will find on your campus. You should also consider
whether the majority of the students live on or off
a university campus. At colleges referred to as "commuter
schools," most students live off campus and commute
to classes. Potential undergraduates will want to know
what the atmosphere is like during the weekends on campus
- do most students stay at the university or leave to
take trips or return home to visit family every weekend?
All of these factors will have an effect on the campus
social life.
Fraternities and Sororities
A unique feature of U.S. campus
life is the Greek system, which offers students the
choice of joining a fraternity or sorority. (The term
"Greek" is used because the names of fraternities
and sororities are composed of two or three Greek letters.)
Fraternities (male) and sororities (female) can be the
focus of undergraduate social life on many U.S. campuses.
However, as well as holding parties, fraternities and
sororities often sponsor philanthropic activities. Students
with a strong preference for or against the Greek system
need to find out whether the fraternities and sororities
dominate the social life of a campus. If you do not
wish to be part of Greek life, attending a university
where the Greek scene is prevalent can be problematic,
because the pressure to join may be high and the social
life options outside of the system may be limited.
International Students
The number of international
students enrolled at a U.S. college ranges from less
than 10 to over 3,000, and of course most fall somewhere
in between. College directories often list exactly how
many international students are enrolled alongside other
data on each institution. U.S. educational information
and advising centers usually have a variety of reference
books that can provide you with this type of information.
When considering these figures, think about your own
needs. On campuses where there are few international
students you may be considered a very special person
to get to know. However, you may find that these schools
provide fewer services for international students. Campuses
with many international students may provide a built-in
support group who can share your experiences, but it
may require extra effort on your part to make sure you
meet and interact with U.S. students as well as with
students from other parts of the world.
Affiliations
All U.S. colleges will accept students of any
race, color, or creed. Many universities or colleges,
however, were founded with a certain mission, whether
to provide a religious atmosphere on campus or a single-sex
educational experience or a majority ethnic student
population. Read the school's mission statement printed
in its catalog carefully and decide if your goals match
the goals of the campus. Out of the 3,600 U.S. colleges
and universities, there are about 600 to 700 affiliated
with a specific church denomination or religious tradition.
In addition to these, there are approximately 70 bible
colleges, which are committed to helping students integrate
faith and learning and preparing them to live out their
faith in all areas of life. Based on current listings,
13 colleges are for men only, and there are around 65
women-only colleges.
There are also some colleges that cater to African-American
or Hispanic students.
Extracurricular Activities
U.S. universities offer many opportunities for students
to develop skills through extracurricular activities
such as sports teams, academic clubs, university newspapers,
drama productions, and other rewarding programs. If
you have a definite interest, make sure there is a student
society that caters to it - don't forget, though, that
if there isn't, you can always start one. Also, looking
through the various student organizations will give
you an idea of the interests and concerns of the student
body, and thus give another insight into student life
at various colleges.
Other Considerations
Beyond the Ivy League
Although the Ivy League was
originally a sports league for several East Coast colleges,
the term has become associated with an exclusive, elite
education. However, there are hundreds of good schools
in the United States. Do not dismiss a university or
college just because you or your family have not heard
of it before; you should consider your own needs first.
Don't confine yourself to "Ivies." Investigate
all options carefully to make sure you give yourself
the best chances to find institutions that suit your
needs and interests.
Rankings
There is no official list of the top 10, 20, 50, or
even 100 universities in the United States. The
U.S. government does not rank universities!
Rankings that you come across are usually produced by
journalists and are likely to be subjective. They are
generally based on a wide range of criteria that do
not necessarily include academic standards or general
reputation as a primary factor. Be particularly wary
of rankings that do not explain the criteria on which
the ranking is based. The more established rankings
may give you a starting point for your decision; however,
the "best" college is the one that is right
for you
based on factors such as those suggested in this chapter.
Student Services
U.S. universities offer students a variety of services
such as international student advisers, campus orientation
programs, counseling services, legal aid services, housing
offices, varied meal plans, health centers, tutoring
facilities, English as a Second Language programs, writing
laboratories, career counseling, and more. Prospective
undergraduates can compare facilities among universities
to find services tailored to their specific needs.
Internship or Overseas
Study Programs
Many U.S. universities have incorporated into their
curriculum internship (voluntary or paid work placements)
or overseas study ("study abroad") programs
that may be of interest to you.
Students With Disabilities
If you have special needs, make sure that the university
you choose can accommodate you. Allow plenty of time
to correspond with colleges. It is advisable to begin
your inquiries at least two years before you plan to
leave for the United States. When you write for information
from universities, give brief details of your disability
and request information about assistance they offer
to students like yourself. You may also want to contact
the office on campus that deals with the special needs
of students with disabilities to find out more about
the services they provide. This may be a specific office
such as the Office of Disabled Student Services or the
Office of Disability Services, or it may be housed within
a general student services office on campus.
Some colleges offer comprehensive programs for students
with learning disabilities, while others make a number
of special services available to such students. You
and your family should look at the services offered
and compare them to your needs. Find out which services
are provided automatically and free of charge, and which
services need to be pre-arranged and incur a charge.
When you apply you will need to supply evidence to support
the existence of your disability. A campus visit is
recommended. If possible, try to contact a student at
the college who has a similar disability to yours so
you can gain a more personal perspective. Students with
disabilities can, with proper documentation, request
special facilities or extended time to take the SAT
and ACT undergraduate admissions tests and course examinations
during the academic year.
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