Want to Study in the U.S.? Here's What You Need to Know.
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Navigating through the application and visa process involved in pursuing higher education in the US can be daunting and overwhelming. The whole process is very different from most countries, and the criteria is different too. Here are three things prospective international students must know as they prepare.
If you would like to know more about test prep and how you can give yourself the best shot at acceptance and scholarships, scroll to the bottom after reading the article.
1) It's Not Just About Your Grades.
Most countries, especially the ones that follow the British system of education, focus almost exclusively on academic performance. Your high school grades, and scores in standardized tests are the most important if not the only criteria you are evaluated on. When it comes to universities in the US, in addition to high school grades and test scores, you will also be judged on your extracurricular activities. These include everything from sports achievements, artistic achievements, academic achievements outside school, participation is school clubs, and social volunteering work. In addition you will also need letters of recommendation from teachers, and have to write personal essays about yourself based on the topics given to you by the university you apply to.
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2) You Need to Start Well in Advance.
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Once again, in most countries you would have to just take a few tests and send the scores to the colleges you want to apply. But when it comes to the US, different universities will have different requirements. Although most will overlap, some will be different. Especially when it comes to personal essays. You need to start preparing at least 1.5 years before the application deadline to give yourself enough time to prepare for tests and work on your individual applications. You may not be happy with you initial test scores, and may want to retake them. Starting early allows you to do this. You think you’re already past the 1.5 year mark, don’t worry. Make the most out of the time you have left, and stay on top of all the deadlines.
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3) Top Tier Universities Aren't the Only Universities.
Most international students start off with this misconception that unless they get into a Harvard or MIT level school, it’s not worth it. Yes it’s good to aim high, but understand that these are not the only good universities in America. There's a lot of really good universities here that you might not have heard of, but will find out about as you research more. These aren’t as hard to get into, and will also provide you with a great education. And most importantly, at the end of the day it’s not about the university you go to, its about what you do when you get there. It’s about making the best of the resources available to you and building connections in the industry you want to get into.
Hey there!
My name is Adish Rai.
I'm a Managerial Economics student at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst.
I love business. I love finance.
And I try to share whatever I learn in the shortest and simplest way I can.
That's about it! :)
Studying in the U.S.: A Short Guide for Prospective International Students.
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In this book I cover the entire journey of an international student studying in the US. Right from picking universities and working on your college/visa applications, to important things you need to know to make the most of your time here in the US. I share some of the key tips I used to get accepted to the Honors program of my university and also win almost $50,000 USD in scholarships.
The contents in this book are more relevant and geared towards prospective Undergraduate students. However, I have tried my best to frame things in such a way that even students planning on pursuing higher levels of education such as Masters, will find it useful. There is a decent amount of overlap in the process, and some of the key insights I share are relevant and useful at any level of education.
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