As a foreigner to enter an American university

Фото: Depositphotos

Higher education in America is a good start to a career, even for those who do not live in the United States itself. In recent years, more and more young people from abroad come to the United States for knowledge. Moreover, the grants allow people with different levels of income to study at expensive American universities. ForumDaily prepared instructions on how to enroll in an American university and where you can find money for education.

Long road to American university

Adika Sultanov from Kazakhstan began to prepare for admission almost a year before leaving school. I passed the international TOEFL English proficiency exam and a standardized test for admission to US SAT universities - both were held at his school.

“When I took the TOEFL, at the end of the exam you could choose several universities where your results would be sent for free. I chose schools at random. After some time, these universities sent me promotional brochures and registration forms. I filled them out, took certificates from the school with estimated annual grades and sent it all off,” says the young man.

In total, Adik prepared the 3 package of documents. Shipped in November-December. He says it is too late - it is better to serve earlier.

During the preparation and submission of papers, Adike faced many difficulties. One of them is paying for registration forms. He needed special checks - he had to get them from the bank. Also, due to the time difference with America, the guy often had to get up at night to call the university and clarify the details.

However, the most difficult for him was the interaction with foreign education evaluation agency WES (World Education Services). They were supposed to confirm that his education corresponds to the level of High School Diploma in America by making a “transcript” with school subjects and calculating the average score.

Typically, World Education Services, if their requirements are met exactly, completes the evaluation in 3-4 weeks. However, in the case of Adike, something went wrong, and he received the paper only a year later. However, the guy was very lucky - the university agreed and did not insist on a document from WES.

In a consulting company Global Professional Consulting, which deals with education issues in the USA, say: applicants often send documents without an apostille or send copies instead of originals. Due to such errors, clients lose money and time. “Our company helps you find an evaluation agency, prepare documents, send them and receive all the answers on time,” says company president Irina Kokurina.

In the spring, Adik received answers from universities: he was accepted into 3 educational institutions. He stopped his choice at the department of economics. University of Michigan which is located in the city of Ann Arbor. Four years later, he received a bachelor's degree.

Information: The US higher education system is represented by private and public universities and colleges that offer a variety of study programs divided into Undergraduate Degree, Graduate Degree and Postgraduate Degree

Undergraduate includes basic programs that lead to an associate (Associate Degree) or bachelor's degree (Bachelor's Degree). An associate degree diploma takes 2 of the year, and a bachelor's degree takes 4. You can study at a cheaper 2-year college, and after graduation, transfer immediately to a 3 university course.

Graduate programs are designed for those who already have a bachelor's degree. They are distinguished by an in-depth study of a particular direction and lead to a Master's Degree. As a rule, the magistracy lasts 2 year.

The Postgraduate program allows you to receive a doctoral degree (PhD) and enroll in it, usually after the end of the master's program.

There are also special combined programs that fall out of this gradation. For example, it is possible with a bachelor's degree 3 of the year to study in law school (Law School) or 4 - in medical school (Medical school). And in the end get a doctorate in law or a doctor of medicine.

In addition, universities have short, so-called certificate, programs to improve their qualifications. Under such a program can not get a student visa.

Foreign students are often offered additional language programs that take a year, but they are not mandatory.

Five steps to American education

1. To decide on a university

You need to start preparing for entering an American university in a year and a half. You need to conduct your own research and find out everything: what programs does the college offer, the list of subjects for each program, the cost of tuition and accommodation (including all possible expenses), is it possible to win a grant or get a scholarship, what is the reputation of the university, who teaches on the chosen program and with which employers the university cooperates. Answers to most questions can be found on the college website.

In order to compare higher educational institutions and various programs in universities, you can use the specialized rating sites:

Studentadvisor,

Studentsreview,

Collegestartclass,

US News & World Report,

Financial Times,

Forbes College Rankings,

Washington Monthly College Rankings.

During such a study you need to be extremely attentive, naturally, it is good to know English and understand the realities of the higher education system in the USA.

“Of course, an educated person who knows how to work with information on the Internet and has a lot of time can understand the intricacies of the American education system himself: choose a university, a program and submit documents. However, there are some nuances and details here. Firstly, the American education system is different from the European one. Secondly, there is a lot of information and it is not always correct. And it may turn out that a potential student will waste money, time and make mistakes. For example, having a Russian bachelor's degree, he will apply not to a master's program at a university, but to a community college, because tuition is cheaper there. And after 2 years, instead of a master’s degree, he will receive an intermediate Associate Degree, which is a secondary specialized education. We help you find a suitable program, prepare for tests, collect all the necessary documents and submit them on time and correctly,” says Irina Kokurina, president of the consulting company. Global Professional Consulting.

President of Global Professional Consulting Irina Kokurina. Photo by Denis Cheredov

Remember that when you enroll in a US university, you do not need to immediately know what kind of specialty you want to receive. It is enough that you decide on a sphere. For example - business, art, medicine, etc. However, if you know exactly what you want to study, make sure that your chosen college has an accredited program. You can check the college accreditation at this portal.

In the process of learning, you have the right to “change your mind” about your future profession, but then you will need more time to complete the university and a larger budget.

2. Pass the necessary exams

This is one of the most important stages. Find out exactly what exams are required for admission to the program for the specialty you have chosen, and what passing points are allowed.

Citizens of other countries applying to US universities must take an English proficiency test - TOEFL or IELTS. This can be done at any regional center in your home state. Information about the dates and location of the exam in your area is on the official sites. TOEFL и IELTS. Passing tests - paid. Cost varies by state. Find out how much it costs to pass TOEFL in your country you can here, and IELTS - here.

The second exam depends on the program for which you want to enroll. If this is the first undergraduate course, you need to pass tests SAT or ACT. For graduate and doctoral studies need other exams. So, when applying for a mathematical or business direction, you need GMAT, for the humanitarian - GRE. For admission to the medical program you need to pass MCAT, for legal - LSAT. The addresses of the centers where you can take the exam in your country are on the official sites of these tests.

IMPORTANT: The requirements of different universities may vary, so always check on the website of the university, what exactly the tests are needed for admission.

3. Prepare documents

When preparing documents, pay attention to the submission deadlines and carefully read the list of documents required by the college. This information can be found in the Admission and International Students Admission section on the university website. There you can also find out whether this university accepts students only in the fall, or whether you can enroll in the spring semester.

The admissions office usually requires such documents:

— application (Application);

— evaluation of a diploma or certificate done at a specialized agency. Students from former CIS countries may be required to have an Official Transcript. This is a copy of the diploma supplement sent by the school or university. It must be in a sealed envelope with a seal or stamp of the university/school at the place of gluing. The translation into English can be enclosed in an envelope or sent separately by the applicant.

— letters of recommendation from 3 or more teachers and/or employers;

— a Statement of Purpose document, which is a motivation letter or essay. Depending on the requirements of the university, it should reflect events in your life that influenced your choice of profession, or an explanation of why you want to enroll in this educational institution;

- academic resume with information about achievements during study, awards earned, successes and achievements in sports, music, etc.;

The list of documents is an important part of the preparation. If you lose sight of some important paper, your application may not even be considered.

“For admission to master's programs, many universities ask to provide a transcript, which must contain a certain list of subjects, the so-called prerequisites. If some items are missing from the transcript, the university may ask the student to “get” them, which is very difficult and expensive. After all, the university will not provide a student visa for some subjects; you must take the program of the entire course. Most often, some or even all of the items from the “missing” list are included in the diploma supplement. Knowing what program the applicant is applying for and what subjects will be needed, we very carefully prepare the translation of the transcript. If necessary, we contact a university or school, request a description of the items, and thus help avoid all the pitfalls,” shares Irina Kokurina, president of a New York company. Global Professional Consultingwhich for almost 20 years has been advising in the field of education.

4. Get a response from the university

After some time, you will begin to receive answers from colleges. The school may notify you that you have been enrolled, conditionally enrolled, not enrolled, or are on the waiting list. In a letter of enrollment, the college can indicate the amount of financial assistance that a future student is prepared to provide.

A conditional enrollment letter implies that a candidate can be enrolled if he fulfills a number of specific conditions: retake a language test, send documents about the availability of funds for training, and so on.

If you are on the waiting list, it means that the decision about you has not yet been made and can be both negative and positive.

5. Pay tuition

Studying in the USA is not a cheap pleasure, and it’s impossible to argue with that. Other expenses are added directly to the cost of the training itself: accommodation, food, health insurance, training materials, and so on. However, a foreign student always has a chance to reduce the cost of education or even get an education for free.

Scholarships

International students may apply for a scholarship or grant. Scholarships provide universities and individual funds and organizations. University scholarships, in turn, are academic and sports.

Academic scholarship is paid to the student for high academic performance. Many schools offer scholarships to students who have successfully completed at least one semester or course of study. A sports scholarship can be obtained by a foreign student who is successful in any kind of sport that is practiced in US universities.

Scholarships are also provided by public organizations and foundations.

And keep in mind that a scholarship in the United States is not at all what we are used to at home. No one gives money to America in their hands - the money goes directly to pay for tuition, accommodation, etc.

“Our advice: if an applicant believes that he can qualify for a scholarship or grants, let him search for organizations that provide them,” recommends Irina Kokurina from Global Professional Consulting.

The most popular programs for students from former CIS countries are:

— Fulbright Scholarship Program,

— Edmund Muskie Grant,

— Hubert Humphrey Scholarship,

— scholarship from the center to them. Joan Shorenstein,

— St. Catherine University Programs,

— Scholarship Institute for Humanitarian Studies.

Jobs

A foreign student can earn money. Online US Citizenship and Immigration Services There is information that a foreign student who arrives on an F1 visa has the right to work on the 20 campus hours per week.

In the second year student can consider work outside the university on the CPT program (Curricular Practical Training). After receiving a bachelor’s or master’s degree, a graduate can work on OPT for 12 months (Optional Practical Training), obtaining for this the appropriate visa.

Through thorns - to American education

Daria Vasichkina, who flew to Florida from Russia, went through all these stages. She always dreamed of studying in the USA and studied information about universities for a long time.

Daria dreamed of studying in the USA. Photo: from the personal archive of Daria Vasichkina

On the official websites of universities I was looking for criteria and requirements for applicants. Filed documents almost a year before leaving school. Already in January-February, she knew that she entered the University of South Florida.

“TOEFL and SAT test scores were required, as well as a high school diploma, medical certificates and proof of solvency. The difficulties were mainly with medical documents, since it was necessary to clearly understand what they required, get vaccinated, translate everything into English and send it to America,” says Daria.

In addition, the girl received a small bonus - a grant in the amount of $5 thousand to pay for tuition during the first semester. Then her parents paid.

“During the last semester, I only had 1 class left to take, so I had the opportunity to do an internship in my specialty full-time. I worked 40 hours a week and received a salary for it. Almost any student at the end of his studies can go on an internship and consolidate the skills acquired at the university,” says the girl.

Daria received a bachelor's degree and after studying found a job. Now she wants to enroll in the magistracy, but can not yet afford it because of the high cost of training. However, I am sure: if she has already managed to fulfill her dream and enroll in an American university, then now she will come up with something.

See also:

San Francisco residents will be able to receive free higher education

Higher education in the USA: what you need to know and where to go for advice

How to get a higher education in the US is almost free

Higher education in New York: what you need to know and useful links

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