College Education in the United States for International Students

Studying in the US is something every student can wish for. The reason for this is that education in the US offers a wide variety of opportunities. It is an undeniable fact that a US university undergraduate degree bears weight all over the world. But if you are not an American student and want to study in the US, you will need to do some research. In this article, we will provide general information about undergraduate education in the US for international students.

What should you expect from an application process?

You have made the decision, and you want to study in the US. Naturally, you have to apply to schools for this. But unfortunately, these applications are not as simple as an ordinary registration process. Getting accepted at the university where you will study is critical, because students like you from all over the world are competing to study at universities in America. So how can you stand out from the competition? The answer is actually simple: let’s examine the significant criteria by which you can make yourself stand out.

Are high school grades important?

It’s pretty clear that your GPA in high school shouldn’t be low. Of course, grades don’t measure a person’s abilities and intelligence, but they do measure discipline and hard work. The university may have a negative opinion of a student because an intelligent person’s low GPA may raise suspicions that that person is undisciplined. Therefore, a good GPA is an important indicator for applications.

Which exams should you take?

For language requirements: IELTS and TOEFL

It goes without saying that if you want to study in the US, you need to know English. However, there are exams you must take to prove that you know English. And there are minimum scores you need to get on these exams. The most popular language tests are the internationally recognized TOEFL and IELTS tests. Generally, universities want a minimum score from these exams. They want to make sure that the applicant actually knows English. With regular study, good scores can be achieved quite easily. And thousands of people each year get high scores on these exams and are accepted by good universities, so there’s not much to be intimidated by.

SAT, ACT exams

We can say that these exams are used to measure the education level of the student. In other words, it can be called a placement test for entering a university. Therefore, getting good scores in these exams provides a nice “plus” for your applications. SAT or ACT also mean scholarships. Although majority of the colleges in the US make submitting those tests optional, we still encourage our clients to prepare and take them.

Are extracurricular activities required?

Universities use this criterion to learn what the student does outside of the classroom and what kind of personality she has, because these activities give various information about the student. For example, if you are a student who was active in the theater club during your high school years, this shows that you have a passion for theater and that you can take action for this passion. Showing in your application that you are making an effort for something you love outside of class can create a positive opinion about you. Therefore, any extracurricular activity can be included in this category. The important thing is that the student can show that she is passionate, has a social impact, or can lead. Of course, we cannot say that your application is wasted if these are missing, but we can say that it is one of the criteria that has a positive contribution when it is included.

Are there scholarship opportunities for undergraduate education in the US?

Well, we have met all the necessary criteria and it seems quite possible that we will be accepted by the university. But there is still a problem: the tuition and the fees. As you know, universities in America require tuition and are a little expensive. Therefore, financial aid opportunities become very important. One of the biggest sources of financial aid are the scholarships that the university offers to its students.

There are two types of scholarships offered by universities to their students, the first is the need-based scholarship and the second is the merit-based scholarship. If you are not local, unfortunately, it is very difficult to benefit from the needs-based scholarship because schools prefer to use this fund for local students. On the other hand, the merit-based scholarship is a type of scholarship determined by the school according to the quality of the application and the student. With a good and successful application, it becomes quite possible to get a large scholarship. Even up to hundred percent.

How is undergraduate education in the US?

Finally, we finished this whole process, got our acceptance from the university and everything is ready. So, what kind of education awaits us at the university? First of all, there is no positive or negative discrimination against international students at universities in the US. You are not expected to do an assignment better or worse, and you have to provide what is required for the course, like everyone else.

In higher education, on the other hand, more importance is placed on productivity than on rote systems. In other words, instead of memorizing the book and taking multiple-choice exams, there is an evaluation system that relies more on term papers, reviews, group projects, and preparing presentations that are more suitable for daily life, and that gives importance to personal development as well as education.

What are the benefits of having a US undergraduate degree?

First of all, it goes without saying that a diploma from the US provides international equivalence for most fields. Apart from that, it has a lot of international recognition. In other words, the effect of a diploma from a known university in the US is greater than any diploma from any country.

In addition to these benefits, being educated in the US brings opportunities in many ways, be they in business or academic life. Even connections established in the US alone open many doors for you, and the opportunities that a diploma will bring will be great for finding a job.

If you want to get your university education in the US, you have understood how effective a good application is. However, preparing a good application requires a lot of effort and follow-up. When dealing simultaneously with daily life, it becomes possible to miss many opportunities. That’s why the benefits of getting professional help are invaluable. If you would like to benefit from our personalized consultancy service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Furkan Kan

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