By Fatskills Exam Guides Team — the exam nerds behind 28,500+ quizzes and 2.1M practice questions across 500+ global exams.
Choosing which colleges and universities to apply to is a difficult task when you are not familiar with the United States and its system of education. With so many institutions to choose from, it is necessary to approach your choice in a logical way to arrive at a list of schools that would be best for you. Now, consider the following list when looking at colleges. How important is each one to you? Rank them in order from one through eight, according to your own priorities.
Cost Look for the total cost of tuition, fees, and room and board. You will need additional funds for books and other living expenses. If you need financial aid, are grants available? Compare the number of international students enrolled to the number of awards given and the average amount granted. This will give you an idea about the possibility of receiving one of these awards and how much it might help you to meet your need.
Enrollment Look at the total and undergraduate enrollments. Is this the right size school for you? Find the percentage of international students and how many countries are represented. Does it have the blend of U.S. and international students you are looking for?
Entrance Difficulty Find the entrance difficulty for U.S. students. Compare the number of international students who applied to the number accepted. This will tell you how difficult it is to gain admission.
Location Consider where the institution is located. What is the climate in that area of the country? Is the campus setting urban, suburban, small-town, or rural? Would you be happy living in this type of area?
Housing Is on-campus housing available and guaranteed? Is it available during the summer and during breaks if you need it? Library Holdings and Facilities Refer to the information on library holdings and other facilities, such as laboratories, computer labs, and athletic facilities, to make certain they meet your needs.
Type of Institution Is it a two-year or four-year institution? Is it public or private? Is it religious or proprietary? These are all important factors to consider in the decision-making process.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Is there an intensive English language program available (if needed)? Decide what you want and need concerning each of the previous items. Review the institutions on your first list. Eliminate those that do not meet the criteria that are important to you. For example, if you cannot afford more than $10,000 each year, eliminate those institutions with combined tuition and fees and room and board that come close to that amount, unless you are especially interested in a particular institution and it offers financial aid for which you are confident you will qualify. If you want to attend an institution in a particular state or area of the United States, eliminate those schools that do not fit that category. If you are sure that you want to attend a large public institution, you can eliminate the schools that do not match this criterion. You should now have a much shorter list of colleges that may be good choices for you. Select seven to ten institutions that seem to meet your needs the best. This is your second list. Be sure to request application materials as early as possible. It is best to start this process sixteen months before the date you intend to enter college. While you wait for the answers to your requests for further information, determine which standardized admission tests you need to take. Most schools require the College Board’s SAT or the American College Testing’s ACT Assessment (ACT). A few require the College Board’s SAT Subject Tests. In addition, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is generally required for international students who do not speak English as a native language. You will want to avoid having to take additional tests after receiving application materials from individual institutions because it will slow down the application process. Review the materials that you receive and any information on these schools that is available in the advising office in your school or the center where you received this publication.
Reduce your list to three to five colleges and universities by reviewing the following information: - Detailed description of the overall academic program - Specific course offerings and faculty information - Academic facilities (libraries, computer, and laboratory facilities) - Detailed description of the campus and surrounding community - Housing, financial aid, and ESL (if needed) - Extracurricular, cultural, and religious activities that are important to you
This is your third and final list for application purposes.
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