How to choose a university from more than 4,000 accredited higher education institutions in the USA? There are a lot of options, so read to the end to become a master in the study of American educational opportunities. Finding a college or university in the United States is the first step in preparing for admission. Each institution of higher education creates its own unique environment, so you need to start by identifying your personal priorities.
Give yourself the answer to three questions:
- What do I want to learn?
- In which environment will I be most successful?
- What will I do after graduation?
These are the questions that absolutely every university will ask you.
So, having decided on their priorities, we begin the search for colleges.
There are several sites that collect information about American colleges and universities. It’s worth starting with them. Firstly, we choose the type of program, specialty, the location of the educational institution. If necessary, we note the availability of financial assistance for foreign students. Filters will help you create an initial list of universities. Now is the time to study each of the selected institutions in detail, having analyzed the information on their website.
During the selection, focus on three main factors:
- The training program should be useful and interesting for you;
- The student profile must be similar to yours in order to have a chance of admission;
- The cost of training should match your capabilities, or you need to look for universities that offer the necessary financial assistance.
You have to make sure that in the final list of your universities are institutions that benefit from enrolling you in your studies. That is why it is important that every college and university is chosen not just because of the ranking, but that it is right for you. Think:
- Do you learn more successfully in a large class or in small groups?
- Prefer life in a big city or on a small campus?
- Do you want to start studying professional disciplines immediately or gain knowledge in various fields?
- Which state has the greatest concentration of professionals in your field, and therefore more opportunities to gain work experience?
- Perhaps you like religious or female / male colleges?
All these factors must be taken into account, as they will affect your academic performance.
We narrow the choice:
It is convenient to enter the results of your search on the tablet. Keep information about the college, its requirements for submitting documents and contacts for additional questions.
What you should not do is choose only very highly competitive institutions, for example, Ivy League universities, from your list. Keep a balance where 30% of universities can be coveted, ideal, albeit with low chances of admission; 40% are those in which you more closely correspond to the student’s profile, which means that you will have a greater chance of enrollment, and the last 30% are the so-called “safe” institutions, where you have a better chance of entering.
EducationUSA Advisers in Kazakhstan can help you determine the final list of universities. You can come to us for a free individual consultation and together we will look at your list of universities and determine which ones are best for you.
