Admission to a reputed US University is a much-coveted dream for any student desirous of studying abroad. This is equally true of students exploring undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD educational opportunities across various disciplines. The lure of a multi-dimensional educational journey and all-around development makes students seek admission at over 4500 registered institutions of higher education in the United States.
But interestingly there is no one-size formula which can help students in seeking admission to a US college /university of their dreams. Nevertheless, there are a few basic prerequisites and broad parameters which students can keep in mind when they begin their exploration of the US education landscape.
The entire process can broadly be broken down into two equally important segments.
The first of which is to methodically research to shortlist the right fit universities and courses and the second is to complete all the steps of the application process. Students should begin the research process at least a year and ideally two years before they aim to seek admission to a US institute of higher education. The websites of the various universities are the best and the most authentic source of information. Navigating through the University website can help the student to know about the kind of courses offered, the admission requirements, the admission timelines, and the cost of tuition among other things. The section dedicated to international students is very useful for gathering information about the specific testing requirements, mandatory documents required to be submitted and the kind of resources and support extended by that institution to international students.
The various subsections of the website can be further accessed to find out more about various departments and research groups. The universities often showcase the kind of research being undertaken by its faculty members across various disciplines and this can help prospective students shortlist institutions which match their academic interests. Besides students should also consider factors like the location, size of the student body, weather and of course the cost of attending the various institutions to draw up a short list of universities where they may wish to apply.
The next segment consists of going through the process of meeting all the requisite formalities of the admission process. The first step in the process is the entrance test which the students must take depending on the level of study and course they wish to pursue. The students planning to pursue an undergraduate course must take the SAT or ACT. Those looking for postgraduate courses must take the GRE or GMAT. These standardised tests serve as a means to gauge the academic preparedness of the students.
In addition, most US universities of higher education also require students whose first language is not English to take an English proficiency test like TOEFL or the IELTS to ascertain their ability to handle academic instructions in English during the course of their study.
Besides, the performance of a student over his/ her school years in a variety of fields including academic and extracurricular is also keenly evaluated by admission officers. The academic performance of students over the last four years of senior school encapsulated in the transcripts submitted by them for this period, provides a comprehensive picture of their academic performance and potential. The students looking for postgraduate admission are required to submit their college transcripts, which again are a good parameter for assessing their academic strengths and interests.
These entrance exam scores and academic transcripts submission are further buttressed by a unique opportunity provided to students by US universities to put forth their perspective in the application process,i.e., the Personal essay and the statement of purpose required to be submitted by all prospective students.
The personal essay written by students for undergraduate admissions is an invaluable opportunity for students to showcase the influences that moulded them and the aspirations and dreams that motivate them. A well-written essay which resonates with a student’s life experiences can be a strong pitch for admission to a dream University. Students seeking admission at the master’s level are required to submit a Statement of Purpose reflecting their academic interests. The Personal Essay and the Statement of Purpose often turn into a journey of self-discovery.
Letters of recommendation are yet another important requirement of the application process. These help the universities understand the unique attributes and achievements of students from the perspective of their teachers supervisors and mentors, They are essentially the people who have seen a student grow as a person over a period of time and can give valuable insights into their letters of recommendations which enable admission officers to understand a student better.
Moving beyond academics a student’s extracurricular activities also influence his/ her chances of securing admission to a US University. The key here is interest and consistency. A hobby or a sport in which a student has been invested over a significant period of time does make an application stand out however dabbling in a number of activities over a short period of time is generally not useful.
Besides the potential students also need to establish their ability to finance education and usually have to show the availability of funds to finance at least one year of the cost of attendance at that particular institution The inability to do so does impact the chances of admission. There are, of course, some universities where for admission at the undergraduate level the financial status of a student is not looked that while assessing the application.
Thus there are several factors which are taken into consideration by US Universities for evaluating the application of a potential student. Doing some basic research to find your right fit and then working towards crafting a stellar application is the best way to attempt to seek admission to a US University.
– Team Compass
