Study In USA

Introduction

Education System

Admission Requirements

Application Procedure

Cost of Education

Examination In USA

List of Colleges & Universities In USA

Introduction

USA is a dream destination for almost every Indian student who wants to pursue higher studies abroad. Besides the fact the American education equips one with the state of the art professional skills sought by the employers all over the world, the opportunities that it provides, in getting financial aid to support one’s study is also an equally big attraction. Further USA is known as a melting pot of various cultures and this cultural diversity provides a stimulating environment where students and academicians interact from the world over. Such environment is unique of USA and goes a long way in helping a student raise his potential and reach his professional goal.

Education System       ^ TOP

Before getting into the details of education system in USA it is necessary for us to understand some of the basic features of the system and acquaint ourselves with some of the nomenclature and terminology, which though sound familiar are totally different in meaning to what we understand of them in India.

• Bachelor Degrees such as BA, B.Sc., B.E., are called undergraduate degrees in all American universities and not graduate degrees.

• Bachelor’s degree comprises four year of study in American universities therefore many a times an Indian student may be asked to produce his postgraduate degree (M.A.) for seeking admission in Masters at an American university.

• Master’s degree is called graduate degree and doctoral a degree is called postgraduate degree in USA.

• Degrees like B.Sc., and M.Sc., are called BS and MS respectively.

• In the parlance of higher education, schools are specialized colleges. Likewise colleges and universities are frequently used interchangeably.

• An academic year in US is divided into two sessions or semesters. The first starting in September is called the Fall Semester and other beginning in February is called the Spring Semester. Admissions are generally in the Fall Semester however some colleges also take students in the Spring Semester. Though the semester system is the most common and constitutes of 16 weeks each, some colleges follow Trimester System or Quarter System wherein the academic session is divided into three periods of 12 weeks each or four periods of 10 weeks each respectively. Many foreign students, to take up additional courses so as to complete the program earlier, use the interregnum vacations in between.

• In first year of the undergraduate course a student is called a freshman, in the second year a sophomore, a junior in the third and a senior in the fourth year.

It is important to verify whether the university/college where a candidate is seeking admission is accredited or not. Accredition of the institution is important for many reasons like degree and diplomas from such institutes are recognized both within the USA and outside and credits are more easily transferable from one accredited institution to another besides the fact that most scholarships and fellowships are available only for study in such institutes. Candidates may also refer to the ranking of colleges and universities in terms of their competitiveness before deciding on their choice. However it may be surprising to know that neither US government nor the state governments have any role to play in accredition or ranking of colleges and universities. Accredition is a voluntary activity and accrediting bodies comprising of eminent educationalists and citizens evaluate universities and institutes on basis of certain criteria like quality of teaching, research output, expenditure per student etc. Similarly ranking is based on opinion surveys and other such methods.

Similar to the Indian system, higher education in USA begins after 12 years of schooling. After finishing school a student can join a university or a community college to pursue studies for earning an undergraduate degree or go for vocational training. In the first two years of an undergraduate degree course, a combination of subjects in humanities, social and natural sciences and arts are taught. In the final 2 years stress is laid on the subjects chosen as ‘majors’ by the student. The graphic below explains the options after secondary school level.

The ‘Terminal’ Associate programs prepare a student for a trade or technical job straight after completing a 2-year course. On the other hand ‘Transfer’ programs provide first two years of general education after which a student can transfer to a 4-year program.

Different types of institutions offer various undergraduate programs. Some of these institutions offer only undergraduate programs others also offer graduate and postdoctoral programs. A brief description on the various types of institutions imparting higher education in USA is given below:

Two Year Community Colleges or Junior Colleges: students in these colleges are primarily enrolled for 2 years Associate Programs. Junior Colleges are quite popular with international students because they are less expensive and offer attractive option for the first two years of undergraduate study. However all such colleges are not authorized to issue Form I-20, required to apply for student visa. Moreover while seeking admission in such colleges one must also ensure that the college has an arrangement with a 4-year college or university for transfer of academic credits earned at the 2-year program towards a bachelors degree program.

Four Year Colleges: These conduct Associate Programs as well as 4-year degree programs. They do not have graduate programs.

Five Year Colleges: These colleges offer 5-year undergraduate programs in professional fields such as pharmacy and architecture. The also do not offer graduate programs.

Upper Level Institution: These offer undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs. However for seeking admission in undergraduate program in such institutions a student must have at least two-years of previous college education.

University: Universities offer a wide range of choice in programs as well as subjects. Large Universities like, Harvard and Princeton, are composed of several colleges. Depending upon his interest, a student can choose the college. Each college has the flexibility to set its own standard for admission.

Another important aspect to note in case of these institutes is that they can be both private as well as public. Though most of the institutions receive financial support from the federal and state governments, public institutes rely heavily on public funds. On the other hand the private institutions though compete for state funds, depend more on tuition fees and contributions from foundations and private citizens. Some of the better-known private universities are Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford. University of Michigan, State University of New York System (SUNY), University of Illinois, University of Washington are some of the public universities.

Admission Requirements        ^ TOP

Twelve years of education is the essential qualification required for seeking admission to an undergraduate course in the US. Though most colleges in the US are aware of our education system those doing Indian School Certificate Examination (ISCE) have an advantage in the sense that the system followed in ISCE is similar to the British System and its is easy to interpret for the colleges in US. In case of CBSE and State Boards the student may have to communicate course contents, level of study etc., to the university.

Colleges and Universities in the US use tests to help evaluate applicant’s readiness for admission or to place them in appropriate courses. These tests are standardized and conducted by the ‘Education Testing Service’ an organization in USA, at various designated centres throughout the world including India. A student has to register himself for these tests and take them on his own expense. The test scores are sent to the students automatically and they may also request that the scores be reported to the college/university to which admission is sought. The chart below gives an idea on the standardized tests, generally taken by students seeking admission in different courses. In case of Master’s program the number of tests to be taken by the candidate would also depend on whether he is seeking admission with or without financial aid.

The Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT is meant for those seeking admission in undergraduate program after completion of 12 years of school education. It consists of SAT-I reasoning test and the SAT-II subject’s tests.

SAT-I is a 3-hour objective test (multiple choice) that measures the verbal and mathematical abilities of the candidate. There is negative marking for wrong answers and one fourth of the marks, of what one would get for a right answer, is deducted as penalty.

SAT-II is a 1-hour objective type (multiple choice) test on specific subject, meant primarily to measure a students’ knowledge on the subject. There is a choice of sixteen subjects and the candidate has to choose any three. A good score in SAT-I would suffice for admission in many universities and even in some of the European universities. In India the test is usually held 5 times a year in November, December, January, March, May and June.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is mandatory for those whose mother tongue is not English. The test is of three-hour duration and consists of the following sections:

• Listening comprehension

• English grammar

• Reading comprehension

• Syntax usage

For listening comprehension, recorded sessions are played and the candidate is expected to simultaneously mark answers to the question in the test book. TOEFL is held seven times in a year and the score is valid for two years. Most institutes ask for a minimum score of 550. TSE is Test of Spoken English, and is required to be taken for those who wish to take up teaching assistantship or work as research assistants. TSE is administered separately.

A good score is required in Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) for admission into any Master’s degree program in the US. A good score in GRE would not only influence admission but also weigh on the decisions for financial awards and grants. The test comprises of two parts, first is general and the second is the subject test. The first part is general and consists seven sections each consisting of multiple-choice objective questions. The total score is 2400 and there is no negative marking. Stress should be given on the section, which is more relevant to the subject in which admission is sought e.g., those applying for engineering would do well by scoring high in Maths and Quantitative Sections. A total score of 2000 and above is rated good. A good GRE score would also facilitate in getting Visa. GRE Tests are conducted three times in a year in April, November and December. All the details on the test are available in the test bulletin as well as in preparatory books like Baron’s Guide.

Graduate Management Aptitude Test is required only for the MBA aspirants. The test assesses the verbal, analytical and mathematical skills of the candidate. The test is held in a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) format and the candidate requires having the basic computer skills. Questions are displayed in the computer screen one at a time and system ‘adapts’ the level of the following questions based on the responses of the candidate. A score of 650 and above is considered excellent. The test is held in October, January, March and June all over the world and details on it are available in the test bulletin.

Application Procedure        ^ TOP

The entire process of applying to a university/college in the US can be broadly divided into the following stages:

The first stage is the Pre-Application Form stage where an aspirant gathers information on the various colleges/universities where he intends to apply. Once the colleges are chosen and short listed, the candidate can either write directly to such colleges or use PAF forms available in the American Education Services offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai and send them to the respective colleges with the request for application form for admission and other details. Nowadays such forms are also available in the Internet. Depending upon the qualification of the candidate and his eligibility to take up the course, enumerated in PAF, the college responds. Since this is a lengthy process it is advisable to begin at least a year and half before the start of the course that the candidate intends to join.

Next, candidates can simultaneously apply for the standard tests, which are to be taken (SAT, TOEFL, GRE etc) for getting admission in the desired program. By the time the responses from the colleges are received the candidate would also know whether any additional test is also to be taken.

Filling up of the application form, received from the colleges/universities would be the next stage. It requires immense care to fill up these forms since any wrong entry or even an untidy form can cost the candidate his chance of getting admission, despite a bright academic career and good scores in the standard tests. The application forms generally seek information on the following areas:

• Academic profile including scores in the standard tests. Personal profile, which would include a personal statement and a statement of purpose.

• The personal statement is written in form of an essay bringing out the areas of strengths and weaknesses as well as any special abilities that the candidate has.

• The third main area would be furnishing of documents, such as letters of recommendations, evidence of financial capability etc. Usually institutions require two letters of recommendations and some may also provide the format. A candidate would also have to give evidence (bank statement, letter from guarantor etc.) of his financial capability to bear the expenses involved in doing the course. Candidates who are able to afford the expenses, especially for the undergraduate courses, are preferred. However it is possible to initially bear the expense for the first semester, and then apply for a change in financial status and seek financial assistance.

It is pertinent to note that colleges/universities take fairly a long time to finalize admissions, however most of them accept additional information like improved test score etc., after the application deadline. It is very important to apply early and also to give a positive picture of oneself in the application. The ‘personal statement’ and ‘statement of purpose’ should be written carefully so that they are impressive and are able to bring out areas of academic interests of the candidate as well as the reason for his choosing the college for pursing the particular course.

After submission of the application a candidate may receive a regret or a wait-list status or a letter of acceptance from the college. Some universities may even seek a personal interview with the candidate. Along with letter of acceptance the college would also send Form I-20. After evaluation, in exchange of Form I-20 the US embassy would issue the Visa.

Cost Of Education        ^ TOP

Cost of Education would largely depend upon the college/university that one chooses and it’s location. Colleges and Universities are both in the private as well as in public. Cost of studying in a state institution would generally be lower. However, one may find cheaper but not so reputed institutions in the private. Similarly a highly expensive college, with say tuition fee of around $30000 per annum, may become affordable if the candidate manages to get a 50% scholarship.

Location of the institution is also equally important since accommodation costs may vary depending on whether it is in a large or a small city. A room in a shared apartment would cost around $200 per month in a big city. However food costs at around $80 is almost similar throughout the US. Another mandatory expenditure would be health insurance, for which a premium of around $500 is payable each year. The average tuition fees is in the range of $13500 $19500 per annum for undergraduate and graduate courses respectively.