Looking to study abroad in the united states? Here’s a quick start guide
This is a quick guide for international students shooting for undergraduate studies in the United States. This guide is perfect for you if you are in your penultimate or final year of high school. You can also follow along if you are in your first few years of undergraduate education and want to switch countries.
Now, straight to the point.
Where do I start?
Get your international passport. No, seriously.
I see too many students wait for too long before getting their passports and I strongly advise against this. The exams you have to take — SAT® (and TOEFL®, if necessary) — require a form of identification.
For many testing centers, your National ID is not a valid form of identification and the only ID accepted is a passport. It is therefore advised that you get your passport as soon as possible. More so, you are definitely still going to need it later down the road.
Get your high school transcripts
If your school usually does not give an academic transcript after graduation, now is the time to request it. A transcript is the summary of your grades from beginning of high school to the end. For countries with a “Secondary School” system, the report should go from at least Senior Secondary School1 (SSS 1) to Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS 3). It should also contain your GPA (Grade Point Average). If a GPA is not included, you might have to calculate it yourself.
Register for and take the SAT®
The SAT® (Scholastic Aptitude Test®) is a college/university entrance examination administered by College Board®. It consists of English and Math multiple-choice questions. There are also few math questions that require one value answers.
SAT® scores range from 200 to 800 in each section, giving a total range of 400 to 1600. Click to view practice exams and learn more about the structure of the SAT®.
Please note that the SAT® is not a “scholarship exam” in the sense that you take it solely for the purpose of getting a scholarship. It is more like an entrance exam like I stated earlier. That said, a lot of schools use the SAT® in informing their scholarship and financial aid decisions. Click to learn more about scholarship and financial aid opportunities for undergraduate international students in the US.
One more thing. A lot of universities do not require you to take the SAT®. In this case, your admission is usually based on your application essays (further explained below) and high school grades stated on your transcript. Even with this, it is advisable to still take the SAT so you can put your best foot forward.
Register for and take the TOEFL®
The TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is as its name implies. It is a test that grades your English proficiency in four axes — reading, writing, speaking and listening. Scores range from 0 to 30 in each section, giving a total range of 0 to 120. A decent score is good enough for most universities.
TOEFL® used to be taken only at designated test centers but now, it can also be taken from home. Take advantage of this if going to a test center is inconvenient.
The TOEFL® is not compulsory for a lot of universities if you are from a country whose official language is English. Make sure to confirm with the admissions office at each prospective university before deciding not to take the test.
Now you may have heard about the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and are wondering if it is equivalent to the TOEFL®. The exams are not the same. The TOEFL® is more widely used in the US while the IELTS is accepted internationally. Universities in the US accept both, but some may prefer one to the other. You cannot go wrong with the TOEFL® though, since that is what most US universities accept.
Apply to Universities
This is the most important part of the process and candidates should make sure this part is handled with care. To apply to a school, go to their admissions website. A university’s admissions website can easily be gotten by doing a quick Google search. An example search query is “International admissions for XYZ university.”
Most universities use the Common Application for the admissions process. Some however, use their own proprietary or other third-party solutions. Whichever one it is, make sure you follow all given directions carefully. Also if anything is not clear, feel free to shoot an email to the admissions office at the university or search the admissions website for the needed information.
If anything is not clear, feel free to shoot an email to the admissions office at the university or search the admissions website for the needed information
The application process usually consists of submitting written essays to given prompts. The longest essays are generally 650 words max. Many universities will give prompts for short answer essays (50 words), medium essays (250 words) and long essays (650 words). Make sure to allow enough time to write thoughtful answers as these essays are important for admission decision.
An important thing to note during the application process is that there are usually three different admission types viz Early Decision, Early Action and Regular decision. Click to learn more about this.
Also note that some schools will ask if you are interested in scholarships and financial aid during the application process. Make sure to indicate interest if you are interested in these.
Accept admissions and sign scholarship contracts
Congratulations! Now you have been admitted, what next?
The next step from here is to accept the admission offered by your favorite choice. This process may also include accepting and signing relevant scholarship / financial aid documents.
At this point you should also be asked by your school to provide proof of funds. Usually, candidates are required to show a bank statement or other financial statement which proves that they can cover the total cost of attendance, minus scholarships and institutional aids. Students on full-ride scholarships that cover tuition, boarding and feeding usually need not worry about this. You should confirm this with the university though.
After providing a statement of funds, you will be provided with your form I-20 either by physical mail or email. This document is required to apply for a visa.
Apply for a visa
To enter the US as an academic student, an F-1 visa is required. Visit the US consulate website for your country to apply for a visa. Go for the visa interview (if required) and obtain the visa.
After obtaining a visa
At this point you are eligible to enter the US as an academic student. All you need to do is book your flight and resume school.
Conclusion
You have just read a quick and dirty guide on getting started with the US admission process as an international student. While the information provided is accurate as of this time, it is advised that you also do more research into areas that might not be very clear.
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