Harvard and Princeton lead the ranking of American universities
Unlike many "foreign" countries, you can enter an American university right after the 11th grade. However, this does not mean that you should only submit your documents after finishing your senior year. Far from it. The admission process to an American university can take 9-12 months, so experts advise starting to prepare for admission about 1-1.5 years (or even two years) before the start of studies (the academic year in the US typically begins in August-September). That is, if we are talking about a future freshman, they should start worrying around the middle of the 10th grade. And if about a future master's student, then approximately in the middle of the third year of undergraduate studies.
Where to apply?
Of course, the future student of an American university will first have to decide on the higher education institution. This could be either a 4-year college or a classical university. In both types of institutions, you can obtain a bachelor's and master's degree. A completely logical question arises: what is the difference between these two types of educational institutions? The main difference between a college and a university is that, first, colleges offer bachelor's programs in a limited number of specialties (often all within one field). Second, universities generally have a wider selection of master's programs.
Choosing a "target".
You can find a suitable university and program for a bachelor's degree on websites such as www.collegeboard.com, www.collegeview.com, www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankgen.htm, www.edupass.org.
And the "helper" websites for future master's students are www.americangraduateeducation.com, www.gradschools.com, www.studyusa.com, www.library.uiuc.edu, www.ft.com.
Experts advise choosing about 10-15 universities that you like and visiting the website of each. It is best to finally settle on 3-7 options, to which you will then send the necessary documents. By the way, the consulting center of the EducationUSA network (www.educationusa.info or www.americancouncils.org.ua) can help you choose a university. The center's library has special catalogs of American universities where you can find very useful information. For example, about what scholarships they offer, the minimum requirements for standardized test results needed for admission, and (what is more interesting) the average results of these tests from applicants in previous years.
Paperwork.
Admission requirements may differ from university to university, so it is best to check them on the institution's website. However, as a rule, the following documents need to be submitted for admission:
1) Application form. Attention, future freshmen! This can be either a separate university form that can be downloaded from the university's website, or a common application form (which is the same for 415 US colleges and universities). The latter should be filled out on the website www.commonapp.org. Its "feature" is that you can send it to several universities with one click of the mouse, rather than sending it separately to each.
2) Application essays. Their number may also vary (from 1 to 4), and the topic is set by the college or university itself.
3) Recommendation letters (usually 2-3 letters);
4) Future master's students must also submit their resume (CV).
5) Documents on previous education: for future freshmen – notarized copies and English translation of transcripts for grades 8-10 (if available, then also for the first semester of the 11th grade) or a diploma with an addendum; for future master's students – notarized copies and translation of the transcript or bachelor's degree diploma with an addendum;
6) Results of standardized tests: for future freshmen – TOEFL, SAT (may also require SAT Subject) and/or ACT; for future master's students – also TOEFL, GRE (may also require GRE Subject) or GMAT.
7) If there are diplomas or certificates that confirm any other achievements of the applicant, both in their chosen specialty and outside the academic environment, they should also be attached to the main package of documents.
Money on the barrelhead.
By the way, many universities may charge a fee for reviewing documents, but there are also institutions that do this free of charge. The amount ranges from $40 to $200 (average $30-70).
Deadline American-style.
As a rule, the final deadline for submitting documents to an American university ends in November-February (however, there are universities that accept documents all year round). The "verdict" from the university usually comes to the student somewhere between March and May.
Fitness tests.
Of course, the university's "verdict" will also depend on how well the candidate for a place under the university's roof has performed on standardized tests – TOEFL, GRE, GRE Subject, SAT, SAT Subject, ACT, and GMAT. It is difficult to talk about any minimum scores that need to be achieved on these, because each university has its own requirements, so it is best to check them on the institution's website. However, it is worth noting that the time for preparing for these tests and taking them should be planned in advance.
By the way, the student does not receive the official test results in hand (only copies and online results) and does not send them to the desired universities (only enters the results in the application form). Delivery to universities is carried out by the organizations that administer them. So – online results can be seen on the website within 2 weeks after taking the test, while official results will be sent to the university in about 6-8 weeks.
TOEFL. This test confirms a foreigner's English proficiency at the required level. You can register for the test, pay, and view the schedule (usually held 3-4 times a month) on the website www.ets.org. The test assesses all foreign language skills. It consists of four parts: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The maximum score for this test is 120. A result above 80 is considered good (for humanities majors, it's better to get over 100). TOEFL results are valid for 2 years.
Exams for bachelor's degrees.
As we described above, prospective bachelor's students applying for the first year will likely be required to take the SAT and/or ACT.
The SAT is developed and administered by the non-profit organization College Board, and all details about the exam (registration, fees, and schedule) can be found at www.collegeboard.com. The exam assesses a student's readiness for higher education. It is typically held about 6 times a year: in October, November, December, January, March, May, and June. Cost: $75. The test scores range from 600 to 2400 (200-800 for each section). This is the sum of the three components: math, critical reading, and writing (essay and grammar error identification).
By the way, some institutions may require applicants to also take one or more SAT Subject Tests. As the name implies, these tests demonstrate a more in-depth knowledge in a particular field. There are 20 specialized tests in 5 main areas (foreign languages, history, mathematics, science, and English). All information can be found on the same website as the SAT. Cost: $49. Maximum score: 200-800.
Another test that may be required for admission is the ACT (www.actstudent.org). It consists of English, math, science reasoning, and reading (there is also an optional writing section, but not always required). Maximum score: 36, cost: $33 (or $48 with the writing section). It is given about 4 times a year.
Tests for master's degrees.
Many prospective master's students, depending on their specialization, and in addition to the language test, will need to take the GRE (www.ets.org/gre). It is held three times a year – in October, November, and April. It consists of three parts: analytical writing (two essays: one analyzing an issue, the other analyzing an argument), verbal reasoning (English proficiency, ability to understand and analyze written material), and quantitative reasoning. Cost: $190. Scores for each section range from 200 to 800 (but starting August 15, will become 130-170), and analytical writing is scored from 0 to 6.
Similarly to the SAT, universities may also ask for a more specialized test – the GRE Subject (fields: biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biology, chemistry, computer science, English literature, mathematics, physics, and psychology). Each costs $160. Maximum scores: 200-990.
And finally, the GMAT (www.gmat.org). It is only required for MBA admissions. It will set you back $250. It consists of three parts: analytical writing (analysis of an issue and analysis of an argument), quantitative (problem solving and data sufficiency), and verbal (reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction). Scores range from 200-800, and analytical writing from 0-6.
The results of the tests described above are valid for five years.
To be continued.
Lyudmila KOLB.
Based on materials from the newspaper «Segodnya».