Choosing a College or a University
As an international applicant, you have a special challenge. You may have never visited the USA, or seen the campuses that interest you. The first step to studying in the United States is researching your options to find a college or university that best fits your needs. You shouldn’t try to match yourself to the school, but rather find the school that matches you and your priorities and long-term goals.
With more than 4,500 accredited institutions in the United States, the options are almost limitless. Yet, because the choices are so varied, deciding which program to attend is not an easy choice. Therefore you will have to determine your priorities.
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Why do you want to study& live in the United States?
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Where will you fit in best?
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Which colleges or universities will meet your needs?
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Begin your search early and consider your long-term goals
First, we would advise you to take plenty of time to research your potential choices. It takes a long time to identify what colleges/Universities might be appropriate for you, so it is important to begin this process 12 to 18 months before you wish to begin your studies. (Keep in mind that the school year begins in August or September in the United States.)
Axiom Advisors helps to know where to find relevant information so you can narrow your search. Axiom has informational brochures and catalogs, as well as internet access to research universities. You will also find valuable information about important examinations like IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, ACT, GRE and GMAT. These tests may be crucial to your admission. Axiom also hold group advising sessions in which students watch videos about universities and life at American colleges. After the videos, an advisor is then available for comments and questions.
Some students seek advice from family members or friends who have studied in the United States. The benefit is that if you know and trust them, you can ask specific questions about the institutions they attended. Keep in mind, however, that these informal educational advisors may only have information about one or two institutions, so it is not in your best interest to only depend on their feedback. Everyone has a unique study abroad experience—you need to decide what’s right for you.
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Factors to Consider
We have gathered some criteria to help you throughout your search. All of these factors can be important, but depending on your preferences, some may be more significant than others. Think about these things to refine your priorities.
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ACADEMIC FIELD (MAJOR)
Unlike universities in most countries, at universities in the USA you do not usually have to decide your main field of study (major) when you first enroll. However, if you know what you wish to study, make sure that each of the universities to which you apply has an accredited program in this area. Almost all colleges and universities offer popular majors, such as business and information technology. But if you are interested in some more specialized field, such as marine biology or archaeology, it is important for you to check ahead.
You might decide to attend a school that mainly offers courses in your area of study. There are U.S. colleges that are exclusive to one field, such as business or engineering, for example. On the other hand, perhaps you would rather study at a school where a wider variety of subjects are taught. This gives you more options and flexibility.
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TOTAL COST FOR YOUR EDUCATION
Try to calculate the TOTAL cost for your studies, including living expenses. You can often get this information on a colleges’ websites. Elite, private colleges and universities usually have higher tuition costs than public universities. There are a few private institutions with very competitive costs compared to public universities.
Generally speaking, the areas away from the East and West Coasts have a lower cost of living, in some cases, considerably lower. California’s two excellent university systems—University of California and California State University—have dozens of attractive campus locations with relatively inexpensive tuition. But, the cost of living can often be twice that in other states, so your total cost may be higher in California. Please be aware that costs increase every year.
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LARGE UNIVERSITY OR SMALL COLLEGE?
Most international students enroll at large, research universities. Typically these are public universities that are supported by their state government. These offer good “brand names” on your resume. Abroad, schools like Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley are well known to families and future employers. But before you decide on these large schools, remember that there are hundreds of smaller universities and colleges that might also be good options for you.
Small colleges generally provide a more sheltered environment and smaller class sizes. Usually they have a better ratio of students to faculty, therefore you may receive more personal attention. This is helpful educational and cultural transition. Integration into student life can be easier at a smaller college. Large, research-focused universities have more technical majors like architecture and engineering. And, if they are public, the tuition costs tend to be lower. These schools will have more international students, so it is likely that other students from your country will be there.
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DEGREES & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
Be sure in your research and application process that you are seeking information and applying for the correct degree program. If you have finished higher secondary certificate (HSC), or have completed some university studies without having earned a degree, you are applying for undergraduate studies. This means for a two-year associate’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree. For most of these programs, you do not have to apply for a specific degree, just admission to the college or university.
Master’s and doctoral degrees are considered graduate programs, sometimes referred to as “post-graduate.” It is crucial that you make sure that the schools that interest you have the appropriate graduate degree. A degree program that is merely an evening or weekend program may not be intensive enough for you to maintain your status as a full-time student. (Many MBA programs are evening and/or weekend programs.) Furthermore, unlike undergraduate admissions, your application needs to be submitted directly to the department at the university where you are applying.
For most graduate degrees, you will have to submit standardized test scores from exams such as the GMAT (for graduate business programs) and the GRE. To qualify for these degrees you must have the equivalent of a four-year university degree.
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ACADEMIC STANDARDS & PRESTIGE (RANKINGS)
Admission to some U.S. colleges and universities—particularly the most famous and prestigious ones—is highly competitive, especially for international students. AXIOM educational advisor is useful in determining whether you have a realistic chance of being admitted. For the majority of students, it is more practical to find a quality institution where they will be academically challenged, rather than insisting on attending one of the top 50 universities in the United States.
Research each school’s admission standards and how your own record will measure up against them. Ask your AXIOM educational advisor about your probability of being admitted to your selected schools. Be aware that most colleges and universities base their admissions decision on academic performance. Your extracurricular activities will also be considered. Scores on standardized admissions tests are important, but your marks or grades from school are more important.
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LOCATION & REGION
Geographic region and location can be highly influential. You will be living in the United States for possibly years and where you choose to study could affect your overall experience and your access to professional opportunities. Think about what you would prefer, or at least which areas are acceptable to you. In total numbers, the majority of international students in the United States live on or near either the East or West Coasts. Are you from a tropical climate? If so, you should consider whether you should live in New England, with world-class universities but a cold climate.
Along with the geographic location, think about extracurricular activities. Are you interested in any specific type of cultural, sporting or recreational activity to practice outside of your class time? Some people are attracted to mountain areas, such as Colorado or Vermont, for skiing or snowboarding. Others wish to live near Florida’s Atlantic coast or in Southern California so they can surf. Theater fans are drawn to cities like San Francisco or New York.
Some students prefer to live close to communities of their countrymen, so places like New York City and Los Angeles are popular. Other students choose to be somewhere in “Middle America” where they can have an almost complete cultural immersion. It may surprise you that many of the United States’ most important research universities are located in small cities or towns such as Lawrence, Kansas, or Madison, Wisconsin. These cities might not be famous in other countries, but are well known “college towns” with relatively low cost of living and a high quality of life.
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CITY, SUBURB OR TOWN?
Concentrating the issue of location, the type of area can be as important as the region. Be aware that the majority of universities are not located in the center of large cities such as New York, San Francisco or Chicago. Many of the great universities—that attract thousands of international students each year—are in small cities, even towns. This can be a very big adjustment for students from huge cities, so take that into consideration.
Yet, tens of thousands of students each year settle into their studies in small cities or towns. Most people can adapt to a new reality.
One compromise can be a suburb—residential areas outside major cities—where there are many attractive colleges. Suburbs give the tranquility and space needed for world-class facilities but are close to the excitement of large cities.
If living in a metropolitan or large city is really important to you, there are hundreds of schools in the heart of major cities.
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IELTS OR TOEFL REQUIREMENTS
For most international students, the IELTS or TOEFL examination is a source of anxiety. But, unless you have been educated in English it is almost unavoidable. Each program sets its own requirements and usually the more prestigious the university, the higher the IELTS or TOEFL score requirement. Always research requirements of each individual school before you apply.
Some universities have what is called aIELTS or TOEFL waiver option and this is very attractive to many international students. It generally involves studying at the university’s intensive English program (or another affiliated English program) until completing the final level.
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ACCREDITATION
Unlike many countries, U.S. higher education institutions are not centrally organized or managed, but are accredited on a national or regional level by independent accrediting bodies.
Instead, colleges and universities have formed associations that set the standards themselves. These associations, called “accrediting bodies,” evaluate each U.S. college and university. If the institution meets the accrediting associations minimum standards, it receives an acceptable rating; it is now designated as “accredited.” This means it earns the right to be listed on the accrediting association’s list of acceptable schools. A school must maintain these high standards in order to remain accredited.
