Study in the United States
The United States is the world’s largest economy and is has the most Fortune 500 companies in the world like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta Platforms and so many more. It also dominates the world’s university rankings consistently. The U.S. is the most popular study abroad destination welcoming 1,075,496 international students in 2020.
Applying to U.S. colleges can be a daunting and complicated process compared to applying to universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. Let our professional counselors guide you through the application and visa processes by contacting us now. We are one of the top agencies in Singapore for student placements to colleges in the United States. We have also assisted students globally to study in the United States.
Do read our resources, blogs and FAQs to understand more about studying in the United States.
The US College Application Journey and Timeline
When should you start the Process?
Our advise is to plan 2 years ahead for extremely competitive universities. The Early Action (ED) and Early Application (EA) application deadline is traditionally November 1 or 15 and the outcome notification would be somewhere in December. The school terms starts in Fall the following year. An example would be applying in November 1, 2023 for the Fall 2024 (August/September) intake.
Less competitive universities may have rolling admissions where they would only stop application when the deadline set by the universities are over.
Step 1: Finding out your interests
Understand your strengths and weaknesses and exploring more courses and careers with an open mind! I have met plenty of students that select courses out of peer pressure from family and friends. Doctors, lawyers and pharmacists are not the only occupation out there! Contact us to let us help you understand more about courses and careers.
Step 2: Planning your Finances
Studying abroad can be a very costly investment and should be discussed with your family in advance. There are universities that offer scholarships to international students based on academic performances and achievements. Do contact us to find out what scholarships are available.
Step 3: Research about Colleges and the Environment
Campus environment plays a huge part in your academic success and well-being. Some factors to consider include:
1. College competitiveness - What are your chances of getting admitted?
2. Course recognition and reputation - Choose colleges with the course of your interest that has strong recognition and reputation among employers.
3. College size - Do you like to be in a small private college environment or huge student population environment?
4. Cost of attendance - Does the college tuition fit your budget? Does the living expenses in the city fit your budget?
5. Types of city - Mega and cosmopolitan cities like New York City or College towns in a smaller city?
6. Economic drivers in the city - Find a city with industries related to your course to increase your chances of an internship.
Contact us to provide information on the above to help you recommend colleges based on the above. If you agree with us that seeing is believing, contact us for a US college campus tour.
Step 4: The College Essay
This is one of the most important document in the application package. Many students fail to understand that this essay is about your personal experience and how it shaped you to be what you are today and your aspirations for the future and NOT about bragging rights. Your bragging rights would be displayed in your resume. Here are some tips to consider:
1. It has to be personal and engaging. So engaging that the college readers want you on their campus. Put yourself in the shoes of a college reader reading thousands of applications.
2. Think of an experience that has greatly impacted you, what you learn from it, how it shaped you into the person you are now and your aspirations of the future.
3. Start early. Write drafts and show it to your teachers, family and friends. If they are unable to get pass the first paragraph, you have lots of work to do!
We do not offer college essay assistance to universities that we do not represent.
Step 5: Letters of Recommendation
You will require a minimum 2 letters of recommendation from your teachers, coach, school counselor, employer or someone that has supervised you. I would recommend getting at least 3 letters of recommendation having a mix of difference referees. In fact, there are only advantages in getting more letters of recommendation. Teachers can be very busy with school work and writing letters of recommendation so make sure you give them ample time to write a quality recommendation letter for you!
Step 6: Prepare for Standardized Test and English Proficiency Test
Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT used to be required in the application package especially extremely competitive colleges. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges have dropped this requirement and made it optional. My opinion is to still submit the standardized test as "old habits die hard". College admissions readers are used to seeing standardized test results so it may be useful to provide it to them. Standardized tests require preparation to achieve excellent scores so make sure you prepare early! If you do not achieve the desired scores, you can retake the test.
Step 7: Build your Resume
The resume may be an optional component but I find it very important to help admission readers understand your profile and achievements in a nutshell. Start building your resume and create a LinkedIn account if you have not done so.
Create your LinkedIn Account
LinkedIn is a great way to get connected to industry professionals and even your teachers and lecturers. You can also get recommendations from your teachers, coaches and employers if they have an account. It is a also a great platform to find out more about industry news.
Step 8: Submitting your Application
There are various platforms to apply to colleges in the United States. Common App is the most popular application platform but not every college uses it. It is better to check on the respective university's website on their preferred application platform. The application is built in a way that assumes the applicants are from an American education background so it could be complicated for international applicants. At this point of time, we do not assist students with Common App applications as our partner universities do not require them.
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Find out more about studying in the United States from our constantly updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Reasons to Study in the United States
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Find out what are our top 100 most popular American universities and where their location.
Why Apply With Us?
We are a highly experienced agency in U.S. education, universities and community colleges. We also conduct regular visits to colleges in the U.S. to provide students with the most accurate information about the school and the city.