USA

Universities in USA

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, TX
ACADEMY OF ART COLLEGE, CA
ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY, AL
ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY, MS
AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY – ATLANTA
AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY – LOS ANGELES
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE, MA
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHARMA .TECHNOLOGY,NJ
ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY, TX
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, TEMPRE, AZ
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, AK
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL
AVERETT COLLEGE
AVILA UNIVERSITY, MO
BAKER COLLEGE, MI
BARNSLEY COLLEGE
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE, KS
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY, ID
BROOKLYN COLLEGE, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, NY
BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL CENTER, MA
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY, MD
BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, OH
BUENA VISTA UNIVERSITY
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST COLLEGE
CALIFORNIA COLLEGE FOR HEALTH SCIENCES, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, HAYWARD, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO, CA
CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY, KY
CARROLL COLLEGE, MT
CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE, TN
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, OH
CENTRAL MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, MO
CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WA
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
CHATHAM COLLEGE, PA
CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW, IL
CITY COLLEGE, CUNY, NY
CITY UNIVERSITY, WA
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, GA
CLARKSON UNIVERSITY
CLEVELAND CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE, CA
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY, OH
COLLEGE OF ST. ELIZABETH, NJ
COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND, NY
COLORADO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, CO
COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY, GA
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
CONCORD SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, MA
DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY, TX
DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MS
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST COLLEGE
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY, KY
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, MI
EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY, NM
EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WA
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE, PA
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, FL
EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY, KS
FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, CA
FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NY
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY, MI
FINCH UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY, FL
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, FL
FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY, FL
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, FL
FLORIDA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
FORT HAYES STATE UNIVERSITY, KS
GEORGETOWN COLLEGE
GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, GA
GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY, CA
GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY, IL
GRADUATE SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY CENTER, CUNY, NY
GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE, CA
HEIDELBERG COLLEGE
HIGH POINT COLLEGE
HOWARD UNIVERSITY, DC
HUNTER COLLEGE, CUNY, NY
IDAHO SATE UNIVERSITY, ID
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY , IL
INDIANA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, IN
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, IN
INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY FORT WAYNE, IN
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, IA
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY, MS
JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY, RI
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, KS
KENT SATE UNIVERSITY, OH
LA GRANGE COLLEGE
LA ROCHE COLLEGE, PA
LA SALLE UNIVERSITY, PA
LAMAR UNIVERSITY, PA
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, TX
LOUISIANA COLLEGE
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, LA
MADONNA UNIVERSITY, MI
MANCHESTER COLLEGE, IN
MARIETTA COLLEGE, OH
MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
MARSHALL UNIVERSITY, WV
MARTIN METHODIST COLLEGE
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, MA
MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY, LA
MERCER UNIVERSITY
MERCER UNIVERSTY, GA
MERCY COLLEGE, NY
MERRIMACK COLLEGE, MA
MESSIAH COLLEGE, PA
MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY, TX
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MN
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY, MS
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, MT
MONTANA TECH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, MT
MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY, NJ
MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY, KY
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MD
MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY, KY
MUSKINGUM COLLEGE, OH
NAZARETH COLLEGE OF ROCHESTER, NY
NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, NM
NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NY
NEWBERRY COLLEGE
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, VA
NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, IL
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY, AZ
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, IL
NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY, MO
NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE, IA
NORTHWOOD COLLEGE
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, OK
OREGON HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, OR
OTTERBEIN COLLEGE
PACIFIC GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY, CA
PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE
PALOMAR COLLEGE
PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE, NY
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, OR
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY, TX
PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NY
ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY, MO
SAINT CLAIR COLLEGE OF ARTS & TECHNOLOGY
SAINT CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, MN
SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE (MINNESOTA)
SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY, MN
SALEM INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, WV
SALEM STATE COLLEGE
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY, TX
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY, CA
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY, CA
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY, CA
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, SD
SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, D.C.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, CARBONDALE
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-EDWARDSVILLE, IL
SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, GA
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, LA
STRATFORD UNIVERSITY, VA
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT NEW PALTZ, NY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, ONEONTA, NY
STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, FL
STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NJ
STRAYER COLLEGE
SUL ROSS STATE UNIVERSITY, TX
SUNY AT BUFFALO, NY
TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, TN
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE, TX
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, TX
TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY, TX
THE UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY, OH
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY, PA
THOMAS UNIVERSITY, GA
TRI-STATE UNIVERSITY, IN
TROY STATE UNIVERSITY, AL
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE
UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, OH
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, AL
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, AZ
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, AZ
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK, AR
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES, AR
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, FAYETTEVILLE, AR
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, FL
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, CO
UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE, IA
UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, CLEAR LAKE, TX
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, TX
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, ID
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, IL
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT SPRINGFIELD, IL
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IA
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER, KS
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, KS
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE, LA
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, KY
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE, ME
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, MD
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, EASTERN SHORE, MD
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI, MS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA, MO
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA, MO
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS, MO
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, MISSOULA, MT
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY, NE
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA, NE
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO, NV
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN, CT
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, NM
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS, LA
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHARLOTTE, NC
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA, ND
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA, FL
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, TX
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO, CO
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA, IA
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, OK
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO-MAYAGUEZ, PR
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA, AL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, SD
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, FL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, MS
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, TN
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON, TX
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO, TX
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO, TX
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN, TX
UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, OH
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UT
UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA, FL
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, STOUT, WI
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT, WI
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, WY
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, UT
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, YA
VIRGINIA INTERMONT COLLEGE, VA
WALDORF COLLEGE, IA
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, WA
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, MI
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,WV
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, WV
WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, IL
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY, KY
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, MI
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WA
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE OF SALT LAKE CITY, UT
WILLIAM JEWEL COLLEGE
WILMINGTON COLLEGE, OH
WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY, OH
YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY, OH
Social & Culture

There are a lot of shades to life in the US that you can only learn by living there. But,we shall see some of the more important cultural differences

Stereotypes

Americans do tend to be more informal than people from other countries. It is common for Americans to wear casual clothing to school and to greet professors by first name. But, good manners and politeness are always appropriate. If you are courteous and polite, and dress a little more formally than your American friends, it will only reflect well on you.

However, there are situations and environments in which formality is the norm. Some businesses require their employees to wear a uniform or a suit. It would be inappropriate to wear a T-shirt and blue jeans to a job interview. Some of the more prestigious restaurants require a coat and tie. Americans tend to dress up for cultural events (the opera, theater and ballet) and to dress down for athletic events. Formal wear is required at weddings and funerals, or any other event with religious overtones.

Forms of Address

American names are written and spoken with the given name first and the family name last. So John Smith’s family name is Smith, not John.

In an informal situation, Americans will introduce each other by first name, without titles, and occasionally by just the last name. If you are introduced to somebody by first name, you can address him or her by first name the next time you meet. The only exception would be for someone who holds an important position, such as the university president. Unless they tell you otherwise, faculty should be addressed using their title and last name (e.g., “Professor Smith”).

Tipping
Restaurants do not include a service charge in the bill, so you should tip the waiter 15% of the total bill.

Taxi drivers expect to get a tip equal to 15% of the total fare.

Business Visits
Business visits, on the other hand, tend to be extremely punctual. If you arrive late to a business appointment, it will reflect badly on you. So try to arrive on time, or even a little early. If you know that you will be arriving late, you should telephone ahead to let them know of the delay.

Telephone Manners
When you call someone, it is polite to identify yourself.

Dining
Most Americans eat three meals during the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast begins between 7:00 and 8:00 am, lunch between 11:00 am and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. On Sundays “brunch” is a combination of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 am. Students often enjoy a “study break” or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 pm.

Breakfast and lunch tend to be light meals, with only one course. Dinner is the main meal.

Gifts
If you wish to give a gift when you leave to return to your home country, the best gift is something that is unique to your country. It does not need to be especially valuable or rare, just reminiscent of your home. Possibilities include a book about your country, an inexpensive handicraft or piece of art, or something else that reflects your culture.

If you owe a debt of deep gratitude to an American host family, a common way of repaying it is to take the family to a form of entertainment, such as a baseball, basketball, or hockey game, the ballet, or to a good restaurant.

Smoking
Smoking has become socially unacceptable in the US, in part due to the health risks. Smoking is prohibited in government and public buildings, and many businesses, especially restaurants, will not permit smoking on the premises. Those restaurants that permit smoking will usually have a separate section for customers who smoke. Your school probably has a ban on smoking within campus buildings or near building entrances.

Numbers
In the United States, the number 13 is symbolic of bad luck. Tall office buildings sometimes skip the number 13 when numbering the floors.

The number 7 is symbolic of good luck.

Calendar Dates
In the United States, dates are written as month/day/year. This is the opposite of the British method, in which dates are written day/month/year. So while 4/3/67 would be March 4, 1967 in Europe, it is April 3, 1967 in the United States. It is best to write out dates using the month name in order to avoid confusion.

Time and Temperature
Climate varies considerably across the United States. You will probably need an umbrella, even in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. In the northern cities, such as Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, Seattle, Washington, Denver, and Minneapolis you will need cold weather and snow gear. In the southern states, such as California and Florida, summers may be very hot and the winters mild. Depending on the part of the country, temperatures during the summer will run from the 70s through the 90s.

No matter where you are in the US, you will probably need a sweater or jacket for part of the year. If you will be living in an area that gets snow, you will need a good winter coat, boots, and gloves. If the coat does not include a hood, you will need a hat that covers your ears. But all this can wait until after you arrive in the US. Clothing is relatively inexpensive in the US, and it may be easier to find appropriate clothing at your destination. Wait until you arrive, and watch what the natives wear.

During Daylight Savings Time clocks are set forward one hour. It begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October. The mnemonic “Spring Forward, Fall Back” will help you remember how to set your clocks.

Time and Temperature
Climate varies considerably across the United States. You will probably need an umbrella, even in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. In the northern cities, such as Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York, Seattle, Washington, Denver, and Minneapolis you will need cold weather and snow gear. In the southern states, such as California and Florida, summers may be very hot and the winters mild. Depending on the part of the country, temperatures during the summer will run from the 70s through the 90s.

No matter where you are in the US, you will probably need a sweater or jacket for part of the year. If you will be living in an area that gets snow, you will need a good winter coat, boots, and gloves. If the coat does not include a hood, you will need a hat that covers your ears. But all this can wait until after you arrive in the US. Clothing is relatively inexpensive in the US, and it may be easier to find appropriate clothing at your destination. Wait until you arrive, and watch what the natives wear.

During Daylight Savings Time clocks are set forward one hour. It begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October. The mnemonic “Spring Forward, Fall Back” will help you remember how to set your clocks.

Electronic Equipment
Most electrical outlets in the United States operate with a voltage of 110-120 volts, 60 cycles. If your equipment requires 220 volts, bring a transformer and plug adapter.
Videotapes recorded on foreign VCRs will not necessarily play correctly on American VCRs.

If you are thinking of buying a computer to bring with you, you may wish to wait until after you arrive in the US to get a computer. Computer and software prices are often less expensive in the US, and getting cheaper every day.

Religion
The US Constitution guarantees religious freedom for all faiths. You will almost certainly be able to find a church, synagogue, or mosque near school for people of your faith.

International Visitors Council
Your city may have an organization that tries to help international visitors during their stay in the United States and to help familiarize them with American customs. Some of the services typically offered include matching you with a host family who will spend an evening with you, tours of the city, visits to factories and businesses, and social events. They might also offer English lessons and holiday hospitality.

Ask your friends and colleagues whether the city has such an organization, or look in the yellow pages.

Budget Traveling

If this is your first extended trip to another country, you may be a little nervous. Do not worry! The tips in this section will help make sure you arrive in one piece and with all your luggage.

Packing
The following checklist will help you make sure you have not missed anything important.
Money, credit cards, checkbook, traveler’s checks, financial records, PIN codes for your bank cards
Emergency Money (keep US$100 hidden somewhere on your person of an emergency)
Clothing, including shoes, coats, cold weather clothing, and rain gear
Official academic transcripts and English translations
Medical and dental records, including immunization and vaccination records and prescriptions, eyeglasses, insurance records
Marriage certificate and birth certificates of all family members
Passport and plane tickets, Form I-20
National and international driver’s licenses,
A list of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of key contacts,
Books, including a dictionary and phrase book
Academic documents, such as the school’s course catalog and other material you received from the school

You should bring enough money with you to cover your first month’s expenses until you are able to transfer funds from abroad. This will be minimum US $1,500, but probably more (look at your budget to be sure).
Make two xeroxes of any important document. Leave one copy at home, and bring one copy with you, but keep it separate from the originals.

Before You Leave
Before you leave, let the international student advisor know about your travel plans and expected arrival date. Also, give your family members who are staying behind your contact information in the United States.

Attend the US Information Service’s pre-departure orientation session. It will provide a lot of helpful information.

When purchasing your tickets, always ask about APEX (Advance Purchase Excursion) fares, which offer significant discounts for tickets that are purchased several weeks in advance.

Air Travel
Keep in mind that air travel covering more than a few time zones often results in a disorientation called “jetlag”. Your body will initially have trouble adjusting to the time shift. During your flight, avoid caffeine and alcohol, but drink plenty of water. After you arrive at your destination, it is important to go to sleep at the normal time for your destination, and to walk around in the bright morning sunlight after you wake up. Most people take about 3 days to recover from jetlag.

For travel to the US, you should compare the fares on several major international carriers. Sometimes the US airlines are cheaper, and sometimes the major carriers serving your country are cheaper.
Several US travel agencies specialize in student, and budget travel, including international travel. These include:

The International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) is the organization that sells the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). Their web site includes a list of the more than 6,000 discounts available to holders of the ISIC card and a list of locations worldwide that issue the card. For more information, send email to istcinfo@istc.org. They also provide a home page for the Student Air Travel Association (SATA).

There are also several guides to discount travel on the web. The most popular guides are:
Air Traveler’s Handbook
Travelocity
TravelHUB

The Air Traveler’s Handbook was written by the author of this site, and offers a lot of advice on finding inexpensive tickets for air travel.

Education System

Higher Education in America

“Higher Education” is the term that is used in the United States of America to describe any schooling after secondary or high school education. Higher education can take the form of a university, college, technical school, vocational school, or professional school. There are over 3100 accredited colleges and universities in America. Getting admission in the right school is the major hurdle that most students must face in pursuing a degree program in America. It takes careful planning, research and counseling. First a word about language, Americans generally uses the words “college”, “university” and “school” interchangeably, particularly in speech.

US institutions offer a wide variety of subjects (or majors, as they are called) to study, everything from the fine and liberal arts to practical, career-oriented fields such as engineering and marketing. The USA also presents a wide variety of types of institutions to choose from: large, comprehensive land-grant institutions of 40,000 students to small traditional liberal arts colleges of less than a 1000 students. Distinctions among these academic institutions are in size, level and competitiveness of education offered, social/residential atmosphere and the time required to complete a degree. Because the United States is a large country with a variety of climatic and living conditions, schools vary greatly due to their location. Since academic levels and quality of instruction are comparable at most accredited institutions at the undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) level, students’ personal preferences as to size, climate and location, play a key role in what school they choose. Students often begin study at one institution, then transfer after two years to complete their degree at another institution. One needs good GPA (Grade Point Average) to transfer. At the graduate (master’s, doctoral degree) level, more importance must be paid to the reputations of the faculty and department.

Admission requirements differ greatly from one institution to another. All schools, however, require students to submit official transcripts of courses and grades taken in high school and other post-secondary institutions and a formal application. Smaller schools require letters of recommendation. Most schools will require submission of standardized tests such as the TOEFL, and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), GRE (Graduate Record Exam), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), etc. Most of these tests are presented by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey. It is very important to begin the admission process early because in many cases application deadlines are far in advance of the start of the semester (sometimes as many as twelve months). Students also need to allow time for scheduling any standardized tests needed for admission and then having the results of these tests sent to schools. Each college or university establishes its own unique policies regarding admissions.

There are four levels of degrees one can study for at an American college or university. They are:

The A.A./A.S. degree or Associate’s Degree
The B.S. (Bachelor or Arts) or B.S. (Bachelor of Science) Degree
The Master’s Degree
The Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or Ed.D.(Doctor of Education) Degree

Types of U.S. Colleges & Universities

“Public” Universities: These are state-affiliated institutions that are publicly supported (financed by public taxes) and they’re usually large in size. They normally offer all levels of degrees and many different fields of study. Public colleges and universities are relatively inexpensive for residents of the state where the schools are located (since they’re funded in large part by state tax revenues). Foreign students pay “out-of-state” tuition, which is higher, often significantly so.

Small Liberal Arts Colleges: There are hundreds of small liberal arts colleges throughout the United States enrolling anywhere from fewer than 1,000 students to several thousand. They are usually dedicated primarily to the undergraduate study of the traditional arts and sciences disciplines: humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

The Ivy League: Although these schools are among the oldest and most famous in the country, the Ivy League itself was not officially formed until the 1950s–as an athletic conference! Members of the Ivy League are: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania (a private college, not to be confused with Penn State University). All these schools are in the Northeastern U.S. Ivy League colleges stress undergraduate liberal arts education, but they also have noted graduate and professional schools. Tuition at these private schools is among the highest in the country, and admission is generally highly competitive.

Denominational or Religiously-Affiliated Schools:

There are a large number of colleges and universities in the United States that were formed by religious groups and organizations and which continue this active affiliation. They are not limited in admission, however, to members of that religious group, however. They are, however, administered by members of their religious group and are often run in line with their religious precepts. Among well-known schools in this category are: Notre Dame and Georgetown (both Catholic), Brandeis and Yeshiva (Jewish), Brigham Young (Mormon), Southern Methodist University, (Methodist) and Earlham (Quaker).

Technical Institutes: These are schools specializing primarily in engineering and science and particularly noted for their research and graduate programs. Most international students who attend these schools are admitted at the graduate degree level.

College or University?

Americans love to have variety in their personal lives and always like to have choices. This is reflected in the wide variety of institutions of higher learning existing in the U.S. The most prominent types are:

University – The broadest type of educational institution, comprising both undergraduate and graduate schools. Universities often have several colleges, schools, or faculties (e.g. School of Engineering, College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Arts & Science) and offer several levels of academic degrees (B.A./B.S., M.A./M.S., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D.)

College – generally a four-year undergraduate academic institution (that’s less complex and often smaller than a university.) Colleges primarily offer Bachelor’s degree programs and sometimes a limited number of Master’s-level programs. (Colleges do not usually offer Doctoral programs.) Sometimes the term “college” is used for a specialized kind of degree-granting institution, such as a teacher’s college or a technical college.
The oldest U.S. colleges are generally liberal-arts colleges, meaning that they provide a broad education in a variety of Arts & Sciences subjects, rather than specific technical or vocationally oriented programs.

Professional school – is a graduate program where people study for specific professions, such as: lawyer, (law school), doctor (medical school), veterinarian (veterinary school), dentist (dental school) or business person (business school). Usually professional schools function as part of a larger university, but some are “free-standing” and function on their own.
In the U.S., people generally attend professional schools only after completing an undergraduate program. (Some universities offer programs where students can attend a professional school at the same time as an accelerated college program.)

It is important for the international student to understand that the U.S. education system is highly decentralized. Unlike most other countries, the United States does not have a Ministry of Education in Washington, D.C., which standardizes education across the country. There is a cabinet-level post of Secretary of Education, but it is a position with very little authority over day-to-day functioning of universities and their programs. The Secretary of Education cannot dictate uniform educational curriculum across the country.

Each of the fifty states in the United States is autonomous regarding policy of its own colleges and universities. Each state and each school operates independently of the others. Therefore, there are various systems in place, which are often quite different from state to state. All states make some form of public–i.e. partially government-funded–college and university education available, but these systems are all organized differently. Colleges and universities are accredited by voluntary, self-governing, regional associations (for example the Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities, the New England Association of Colleges and Universities, etc.) and not by governmental agencies. This accreditation is very important however, since many educational programs will only recognize other accredited programs.

Admissions consulting

Approximately 500,000 international students pursue academic degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, or professional school level at U.S. universities. Students considering attending a U.S. college or university, need to get started by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Students may also need to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), if they are seeking admission to undergraduate programs. Many undergraduate institutions in the United States require both the SAT and TOEFL of international students. There are over 2,700 accredited undergraduate institutions in the United States, so selecting the correct undergraduate school can be a confusing task for anyone. Students will need to get help from a good advisor who explains the different types of programs and gives some information on how to choose wisely. Admission to many undergraduate programs is quite competitive. Students should begin the application process at least a year in advance. An increasing number of schools accept applications year round. Although September (the fall semester) is the traditional time to begin university study in the United States, at most schools students can also enter in January (the spring semester). Finally, students will need to obtain an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility in order to obtain an F-1 Student Visa to study in the United States. The school will send the I-20 document once the student has been accepted.

The right application campaign can make the difference between acceptance and rejection in an American university. Our admissions experts provide one-on-one attention as well as literature and software to guide the student through the admissions process. For many students, the college admissions process starts one or more years in advance, and doesn’t let up until they get admitted. But there are many questions. What are the American universities looking for, anyway? Is it true that if the numbers aren’t high enough, the application is automatically dumped in the “reject” pile? Are universities looking for people with a two-page resume of extracurricular activities? What do admissions officers “want to hear” in the essay? Can test prep really make scores go up? How does a student get admission in a guaranteed way?

Just about everyone who’s applying to college asks these questions and we have all the answers. We are in a position to guarantee admission to appropriate American universities. There are literally hundreds of good universities in America and the following is a select list of highly competitive colleges and universities.

Admission Process

The students from the Indian sub-continent face several difficulties in the admission process of the American universities. Due to the varying academic practices within the educational systems of the nations of the Indian sub-continent, the American universities are not able to uniformly assess the suitability of students with reference to their philosophy and academic offerings. Further, most of the students from the Indian sub-continent are not fully aware of the American universities and the systems that they follow. The communication between American universities and the students in the Indian sub-continent is also very limited. Thus, the admission process that follows is intrinsically flawed, in that the students are forced to seek admission in American universities without being conversant with the complexity of the procedures.

Due to differences in financial practices and the associated documentation, the students find the task of evaluating the requirement of funds for study in America cumbersome. Further, the students face uncertainty even after admission is given because a significant percentage of students are refused visas by the American consulates in India. Lack of proper pre-departure personal counseling results in the arrival of inadequately prepared students on American campuses.

Students from the Indian sub-continent are unable to get comprehensive information on location, academic programs, admission, financial assistance possibilities, employment opportunities, procedures, interpretation of regulations and a host of other items of information. Some of the information provided in the American brochures and catalogs is not pertinent to the average student from the Indian sub-continent who is unfamiliar with the American way of life. The Indus Foundation takes care of all information needs of the students.

Applying for a Student Visa

To enter the United States as an F-1 student, the student must apply at a US Embassy of Consulate for an F-1 student visa. Depending on the country where the Embassy or Consulate is located, the student may be required to make an appointment. We inform the policies of the Embassy/Consulate for the student’s country so that the student will not encounter unexpected delays. In some countries, students fail to obtain a visa because they were not aware of the procedures or were not prepared. We do not let this happen to the students from the Indian sub-continent. The information outlined below is designed to help the student understand the visa process.

VISA POLICIES – Law views all non-immigrants as “intending immigrants”. This means that the visa officer is under the assumption that the student will be coming to the US and will remain in the US permanently. Student visas (F class) are given to students that can demonstrate to the Consul that they intend to return permanently at the conclusion of their studies.

SOME QUESTIONS & ANSWERS – How do I prove my intent to return? Excellent question. The ability to convince the Consul (either in person or through written application) may be difficult. The student may want to present documents that demonstrate ties to the student’s home country that would convince the consul of the student’s intent to return.
Such documents may include:

Proof of land ownership

Economic and Social ties are crucial: An applicant’s future role in a family business, academic institution, government agency, professional organization are all possibilities. Bring letters from appropriate parties to demonstrate such facts.

The family’s extended relationships in the community, civil service posts, church, etc., can make a difference. Additionally, if other family members have studied in the U.S. and returned it should be mentioned.

For students from nations with strict banking regulations, an application is strengthened when funds can be shown either in a U.S. account, or already received by the school.

Letters from prospective employers recognizing the need for specialized training offered in the U.S. can also serve to aid an application.

Most importantly, Consular Officials want to hear directly from the applicant in the personal interview. At no time, is it recommended that the applicant bring family members with them to the interview. The applicant should submit any/all of the documents to the Consular Official for review.

Along with the above information, the student must also present a valid passport showing validity for at least the next six (6) months and a properly completed INS Form I-20 A/B.

If the student has sufficiently proven to the Consular Official’s satisfaction that he/she intends to come to the U.S. solely for the purpose of study and will return to his/her home country upon completion his program, a visa stamp will be affixed to a page in the passport. Students are encouraged to apply for a multiple entry F-1 student visa. In most cases, the visa will be issued on the same day of the submission of the application. In some instances, the process may take longer depending on the time of year, consular case-load or other factors.

What if my visa application is denied? If the student’s application is denied, the student should ask the Consular Officer for a “written denial decision.” This will provide the student with the official reason for the student’s visa denial.

What is F-1 Status? F-1 is one of the several classes (types) of nonimmigrant Visas. Persons with an F-1 visa are admitted to the U.S. for the purpose of study.