The American pie

All across the world, one out of every three students who decides to study outside his / her home ends up attending a US college or universi...

All across the world, one out of every three students who decides to study outside his / her home ends up attending a US college or university. The reasons for this are a liberal, flexible education system coupled with the diversity of educational opportunities and universities possessing cutting edge technologies.

Understanding the structure: In the US, students begin higher education after completing 12 years of elementary and secondary school. The typical student receives a high school diploma at 17-18 years of age. Post-secondary education or the first level of higher education is undergraduate study. This may include two-year and four-year programmes.

Two-year programmes lead to the associate degree, which are of two kinds: occupational / vocational also called terminal8217; programmes preparing students for trade or technical jobs; and transfer programmes which provide the first two years of general education for transfer to a four-year programme.

The four-year programmes lead to abachelor8217;s degree. During the first two years, general education is provided in English composition, history, science, mathematics, languages and all social sciences. The courses in these two years may depend upon the chosen field of study. The third and fourth years of the bachelor8217;s degree programme are devoted to your major field. Certain fields of study such as architecture and pharmacy may require five years of undergraduate study. When you finish the bachelor8217;s degree level of study, graduate study follows, which then leads to master8217;s and doctoral degrees. The master8217;s degree usually requires one or two years of full-time study, while the doctoral degrees require at least three years of full-time study.

Professional degrees in fields such as dentistry, medicine, law and theology are usually earned after completing the bachelor8217;s degree, requiring at least three more years of study.

Accreditation

A voluntary activity decided by institutions and programmes that seek it. It is done not by thegovernment, but by committees of educators and other private institutions. Accreditation alone, however, is not a guarantee of high standards; but the lack of it may be a warning that the degree or credit earned may not be acceptable to other institutions or the government of the student8217;s country. Information on accreditation may be found in the current edition of Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education8217; Washington DC American Council on Education; which can be found in the United State Educational Foundation in India USEFI offices or can be ordered from The Oryx Press, 4041 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85012 8211; 3397, USA.

The US academic session begins in August / September. For admission, you must begin the process of planning at least two years before the admission date. Find out about sources of US college information in the country 8212; libraries, advising centres such as the USEFI or the Internet. Next, find out about TOEFL, SAT I and II, GRE, GMAT and other standardised admissiontests. You can get the information bulletin and registration materials from IPEM, 25A Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Allahabad 8212; 211001.

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Review your college list based on information you have collected from guide books and college catalogues. Try to select three to six institutions or more to apply to. Develop your financial plan and consider how you will pay for your education, living expenses and transportation for each year. Find out about scholarships and other types of financial aid available in your country. Request application materials. Select a date for taking TOEFL and be sure to send your registration form and fee in time to meet the deadline.

Write to the colleges you have selected to request their newest catalogues and application forms. Be sure to request financial aid application forms if you intend to apply for aid.

Identify the teachers / faculty members / professionals you will ask for letters of recommendation. A year before admission, find out the procedures for sending your academicrecords transcript to the colleges / schools you have contacted. Take the admission tests according to the dates you have registered for.

What colleges require: The first step is to get an application form and instructions, which must be followed carefully. Admission requirements vary from college to college. They may include any or all of the following:

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Application fee 8212; most colleges will charge an application fee which is usually not refundable even if your application is rejected.

Electronic applications 8212; advances in technology have made it possible to apply simply by connecting to the institution8217;s home page and filling out and transmitting the application form via the Internet.

Application form 8212; almost all colleges require that you submit an official application form providing information about your background, previous education, extracurricular activities, talents, achievements, college plans, etc. Be prepared to give time and thought needed to provide a completepicture of yourself for the college to consider. You may be able to reduce the number of individual applications you need to complete if the colleges that interest you accept a standard application.

Transcripts 8212; official transcripts of your grades have to be sent.

Admission test scores 8212; Colleges and graduate schools require that you take one or more standardised admission tests. Most of them will not accept scores more than three to five years old.

Letters of recommendation 8212; you may be required to submit one or more letters from teachers / faculty members or professionals.

Application essays 8212; it should essentially be a statement of your ideas and goals.

Admission decisions You will hear from colleges by April-May . Write to ones you have not heard from. Usually, student grade point average, letters of recommendation and admission test scores are the primary factors considered. To give yourself the best chances of being admitted where you apply, try and make a realisticassessment of a college / institute8217;s admission standards and your own qualifications. Be sure that your transcripts and recommendation letters are received on time.

If you are accepted, you will be asked to reply by a specific date. After the college hears from you, you will be sent a form for applying for a visa for study in the US. Confirm housing reservations at the college of your choice. If you are accepted by more than one college, and you already know your preference, notify the colleges that you will not attend. If you are not sure which college you prefer, review your college comparison worksheet to help you decide.

Review department procedures. Apply for a visa and check with the US Embassy or Consulate to ensure that you are meeting all the requirements for entry into the US. The key to successful admission to colleges in the US lies in careful panning and timely completion of the required steps.