Admission to American universities for a foreign student can be quite a challenge. We are ready to help you in this difficult matter! Especially for applicants from non-EU countries, we compiled an admission calendar that will help you not get lost and have time to prepare for each stage: gather information, plan time and qualitatively prepare.
Collecting general information - 18 months before the receipt.
For the year and a half before the application is filed, do the following:
- See the list of available universities and Choose for themselves the most priority, to clarify their entrance requirements and passing scores for exams
- Register in the online application system at the university: so you can learn the deadlines for submitting applications and documents, the procedure for submitting them
- Start preparing for the necessary exams - SAT , ACT, TOEFL , IELTS , GRE (the choice depends on the requirements of the institution): enroll in a course or a tutor, apply for a specific day, pay Registration fee
- Agree with the instructors on recommendations and characteristics, review the rules of writing a motivation letter
- Search for scholarships and grants available to you, specify the procedure for their receipt and schedule of applications
- Begin to prepare a personal portfolio (for students of creative and engineering specialties)
The choice of university and specialty - for 12-14 months.
Approximately one year before the expected admission, you should do the following:
- To finally determine with 3-5 top-priority universities. To do this, you need to collect about them a maximum of information and consult a specialist: what each has pros and cons, whether they will help you achieve personal and career goals, how good and effective the proposed programs are. Such training will not only reduce the list of priority institutions, but will also enable you to write a motivation letter in the future: at this stage, you answer to yourself why you choose a particular university
- Find out everything possible about priority programs and subjects that are available for study, including the system for calculating educational loans, grades of achievement, rules for drawing up a personal timetable
- Clarify the deadline (deadlines) for submitting documents and the deadline for receiving answers - how soon the selection committee will consider your application and will be able to give a preliminary reply
- Pass the necessary examinations and tests: it is better to do it earlier, because It will leave time to retake if you are unhappy with your results.
It's time to send applications to selected universities!
- Specify directly the university standard of introductory Tests (including passing scores), cost of courses for the required year, terms of training and application
- Request the documents for completion - they may differ from each institution. Many universities are ready to send a special Pre-application form free of charge to applicants: it includes data on the TOEFL / GRE / GMAT exams, passed subjects and scores for the bottom, research and scientific interests. Some institutions already on the basis of this questionnaire are able to highly appreciate the student and invite him to begin formal enrollment!
- Solve personal financial issues. Many foreign universities (especially from among the prestigious and, therefore, expensive) require their entrants to confirm their financial ability at least for the first year of study, and sometimes guarantees are requested for the entire prospective period of study.
- Send a motivation essay and recommendations to the selected institution of higher education, characteristics from teachers - their admissions commissions are considered among the first.
- Send an electronic application in the general database of US universities and get answers from them. If the university you selected has responded positively to your application, reaffirm your interest in admission.
Preparations for moving to the United States - for 3 months.
When the main issues with universities are settled, it's time to deal with issues of entry and residence in the US .
- Apply for a student visa: for the consulate you will need to show a positive response from your university and your assurance that you plan to study there
- Apply for medical insurance
- Find housing. Usually freshmen are required to live on campus - check this question, make sure that you already have a place in the residence.
- Check out the flights, see the transfer possibilities: how to get to the campus, what major cities are nearby, what infrastructure is near the university and near it, where you can buy or order daily necessities, etc.
The most important thing: never hesitate to ask for help from educational consultants. Specialists always cooperate with educational institutions directly, so you are ready to provide the most relevant and useful information, help to collect a package of documents, prepare for life in a new country, give useful advice and recommendations.
