A Simple Guide To Higher Education In The United States Part 1

In 2021-22 there are 763,760 international students enrolled in higher education in the U.S. The total number of international students represents around 4.6% of the nearly 20 million college students in the U.S in 2020-21. There more than 2,500 of 3,800 colleges and universities in the United States. The opportunity to choose from such a large range of institutions and programs is one of the greatest advantages of the U.S. educational system. American schools range from large research universities with more than 20,000 students to small colleges with fewer than 1,000 students; from universities with graduate and professional studies in medicine, law, and many other fields, to schools offering only the two-year associate degree; from urban schools in large cities to rural institutions located far from metropolitan areas.    

Admission to a college or university typically follows satisfactory completion of twelve years of elementary and secondary education for students educated in the United States.

The twelve-year cycle is usually broken down as follows:    
- A five-year primary program beginning at about age six, generally called elementary school    
- A three-year intermediate program, generally called middle school    
- A four-year secondary program, generally called high school    

The admission requirements for students educated outside the U.S. educational system will vary from school to school. The educational preparation that is required to apply to a university in your own country will usually enable you to apply to a U.S. college or university.    
    
A number of secondary-level programs in other countries are seen as being at a “higher level” than the typical secondary-level program in the United States. Some U.S. colleges and universities will give advanced-standing credit toward an undergraduate academic degree for these programs. Since U.S. colleges and universities have the authority to determine their own admission and advanced-standing policies, you should always ask each school what specific educational qualifications it requires from students educated in your country.    

Types of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education    
Two-year institutions, which are sometimes referred to as community or junior colleges, award the associate degree—Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.)— following successful completion of a specific two-year, full-time program. There are two basic types of programs at two-year institutions. Some programs are strictly academic and designed to prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions with bachelor’s degree programs. Others are more practical or applied and provide career training in specific areas. This second type does not usually prepare students for transfer to a fouryear institution, although some of the credits earned may still be accepted by a four-year institution. A small number of two-year institutions offer the final two years of the undergraduate program only, awarding the bachelor’s degree rather than the associate degree. Most two-year institutions are publicly supported by the state and local communities, although some are private. Some private two-year colleges are proprietary, or run for a profit.    
The college or university (sometimes called an institute when it emphasizes engineering or other technical courses) awards the bachelor’s degree. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees are the two most frequently awarded, but a variety of bachelor’s degrees by other names are also granted. Bachelor’s degrees are typically awarded following successful completion of a four-year, full-time program. Bachelor’s degree programs in some fields of study or at some institutions can be longer than four years. There are both public and private colleges and universities in the United States, and some have a religious affiliation.    

Characteristics of U.S. Colleges    
Publicly supported schools are generally state colleges or universities or two-year community colleges. These institutions receive most of their funding from the states in which they are located. Students who are residents of the sponsoring state can usually attend these schools for lower fees than students coming from other states or from outside the United States.    
Private schools generally have higher costs because they do not receive the same primary funding from the state and federal government. All students at private institutions pay similar fees no matter where they are from.    
    
Colleges and universities with religious affiliations are private. Most of them are Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant), although there are a small number of  Jewish and Islamic institutions. Many of these colleges have very active relationships with the religious institution that sponsors them, and religious life may play a large role on the campus at these schools. Others have a much looser historical affiliation, rather than an active relationship with a specific religion. You do not need to be a member of a particular church or religious group to attend a religiously affiliated college in the United States. Enrollment in these institutions will not usually interfere with your own religious views.    
However, there are a few exceptions. Some colleges that emphasize in their literature that they are Christian are organized according to fundamentalist principles. Students from a Christian fundamentalist or evangelical background will be very comfortable on a campus where Bible study may be required and social life is strictly regulated. Read the literature of these colleges very carefully. They may offer the setting you seek, but they may not.    
The only way that proprietary institutions are different from the other types of schools is that they are privately owned and run for a profit. They are “educational businesses” that offer services and courses similar to those at other institutions. Their programs tend to focus on technical and preprofessional courses of study.    
Almost all colleges in the United States are coeducational, which means that both men and women attend. There are a small number of single-sex schools, some for men and some for women. Faculty, administration, and staff members will likely be of both sexes at any college.    
The U.S. educational system is flexible in many ways. The first one to two years of most undergraduate degree programs focus primarily on basic introductory course work and general education in the arts and sciences. This exposes students to a variety of academic disciplines and shows them how these fields are related. Students entering the U.S. system from educational systems in other countries may feel that they have completed these general education requirements at home through previous study at the secondary level. However, general and liberal arts studies at the undergraduate level in the U.S. provide international students with an understanding of the bases and values of U.S. society, a perspective that is likely missing in similar courses taught in another culture. The final two years of most undergraduate programs focus on the major subject of concentration.    
In summary, the structure of the U.S. system of higher education provides students with an opportunity to take a wide variety of courses and explore different interests but also includes in-depth study in a specific field. These choices and the broadly based education they result in are among the most attractive reasons for studying in the United States.    
    
The Academic Calendar    
American colleges operate on three main types of calendars that divide the year into terms: the semester, trimester, and quarter systems. The academic year is approximately nine months long no matter how it is divided. The semester system divides that nine months in half, resulting in fall and spring semesters. Schools that use the trimester and quarter systems divide the same nine months into three 3-month terms.    
The summer term is the fourth quarter in the quarter system, and enrollment in classes is optional. For most institutions the academic year runs from late August or September to May or June. Many schools operate all year long, and students can often take courses over the summer term for an additional fee.    
There are usually two examination periods in each term, one in the middle and one at the end. Holiday schedules vary with each school, but there are usually a number of short holidays in each term, a longer break in December and January, and a weeklong vacation period in early spring. International students who want or need to stay on campus during holiday periods should find out from the housing office if this is possible and if there is any additional charge.    

Faculty Members and Methods of Instruction    
Students and faculty members typically interact less formally in U.S. undergraduate programs than they do elsewhere in the world. They often develop close relationships or friendships. The size of the institution and the size of the class will be important factors. Professors sometimes ask students to join them for lunch or participate with them in community activities. Each professor has his or her own personality and style but, in general, faculty members at U.S. schools are more accessible than faculty members in many other countries.    
The classroom experience is frequently characterized by discussion between the professor and the students. A portion of a student’s grade for a course is often determined by the quality of participation in class discussions. It is unusual to find a course where the entire grade is based on one examination at the end of the term.    
International students should be prepared to participate in class discussions since classmates and professors will expect it. Most faculty members are aware that cultural factors and English language skills may initially make participation difficult for international students. With time, most international students find that this participation adds a great deal to the learning process.    
There are three basic methods of instruction. Large introductory-level courses are usually taught through lectures at which several hundred students gather to hear a professor speak. The small class or seminar includes a group of 5 to 30 students. This method is generally used in more advanced courses and allows for more interaction between the students and the professor. Laboratory sections are similar to seminars and are usually required with courses in the sciences or applied fields like computer science or engineering.    
    
Almost all colleges offer opportunities for students to work individually with professors in tutorials or independent study courses.    

Academic and Personal Advising Systems    
An attractive feature of U.S. higher education is the support and counseling that students receive.    
Most U.S. colleges and universities have an international office with trained professionals available to counsel students from other countries on a broad range of matters, including:    
- Orientation to campus and community life    
- Immigration and visa    
- Employment and practical training    
- Off-campus and social activities and opportunities    
- Personal and health concerns    
- General academic planning    
- Financial problems    

Faculty Adviser. At most schools, each student is assigned a faculty adviser. The assignment is usually based on the student’s field of study. 
Faculty advising includes the following areas:    
- Requirements for degrees    
- Selection of academic courses    
- Academic performance and progress    

Peer Counselor. Many colleges have developed a system of peer counseling for students.    
The counselors are upperclass students and provide the student viewpoint on academic and personal matters.    

Outside the Classroom    
An important part of your educational experience in the United States will be participation in nonacademic, social, and extracurricular activities on campus. Many opportunities are available for students to become involved in sports, student government, music, drama, and other organized and individual activities. Such activities are designed to contribute to your personal growth, provide recreation, create opportunities to meet new people with similar interests, and help prepare you for future leadership roles upon graduation. Participation in these activities is not required to obtain a U.S. degree. These are optional activities, but they play a central role in campus life at U.S. colleges and universities.