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WhyconsideruniversitystudyintheUS? Studyingabroadprovidestheopportunityforyoutonotonlyfurtheryoureducation,butalsofind outmoreabouttheworldyoulivein,experiencenewculturesandideas,andfindoutalittlemore aboutyourselfintheprocess.Theanswerstothesefrequentlyaskedquestionscanhelpyou decideifstudyingintheUSistherightoptionforyou. WhyshouldIstudyintheUS? Quality,choiceandflexibilityarethemostcommonlystatedreasonsforchoosingtostudyin theUS.UScollegesareknownworldwideforthequalityoftheirfacilities,resources,andfaculty andthereareaccreditationsystemsinplacetoensurethatinstitutionscontinuetomaintainthese standards.TheUSeducationsystemfeaturesmanytypesofinstitutions,academicandsocial environments,entryrequirements,degreeprograms,andsubjectsinwhichyoucanspecialize.US universitiesandcollegesofferflexibilityinchoiceofcourses,butmoreimportantlythereisalso theoptionforstudentstomovefromoneinstitutiontoanother.Completingthefirsttwoyearsof adegreeatoneinstitution,usuallyacommunitycollege,andthenmovingtoanother,isvery common. HowdoIchoosetheuniversitythatisbestforme? Importantconsiderationsinchoosingauniversityaretuitioncosts,fieldsofstudyavailable,size andeducationalphilosophyoftheuniversity,opportunitiesforfinancialaidandpersonal considerations(forexample,wouldyoupreferalargeuniversitywiththenightlifeofNewYorkor asmallliberalartscollegeinamorerurallocation?). Atfirst,theprocessofselectinganinstitutioncanseemoverwhelming.Whiletheinternetcanbe useful,itisalsoeasytogetswampedbytheinformationthatisavailable.However,therearea numberofwebsitesthatcanhelptosimplifytheselectionprocess.Thefollowingwebsitesoffer searchenginesthatcanhelpyounarrowyoursearchandorderyourthoughtsbyproducingalist ofuniversitiesthatmatchyourneedsandinterests:www.petersons.com,www.collegeboard.com andwww.collegeview.com. IsitexpensivetostudyintheUS? Yes,itcanbe.However,awiderangeoftuitionfeesandlivingcosts,plussomefinancialaidfrom colleges,makestudyintheUnitedStatesaffordableforhundredsofthousandsofinternational studentseachyear.Tuitioncostsalone(notincludinglivingexpenses)canrangefromUS$2,000 peryearatsomecommunitycollegesrightthroughtooverUS$40,000forprestigiousprivate universities.Recentdataindicatesthat74%ofinternationalstudentsfundtheirownstudies, however,manyuniversitieshavesomefundingavailableforinternationalstudents.Whenyou requestanapplicationpackyoushouldalsorequestafinancialaidpack.Whenfillinginyour applications,pleasebeawarethatfinancialaiddeadlinesareoftenearlierthanadmission deadlines. Areinternationalstudentseligibleforsportsscholarships? Yes.AnumberofUSuniversitiesofferfullorpartialscholarshipsfortalentedathletes.Youwill havetoregisterwiththeNationalCollegiateAthleticsAssociations(NCAA)EligibilityCenterbefore
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youmayreceiveascholarship.TheNCAAwebsitewww.ncaa.orgprovidesalinktothe EligibilityCenter,liststhoseschoolsthatspecializeinparticularsportsandwilltakeyouthrough theprocessofhowtoapplyforanathleticscholarshipintheUS. HowmanyuniversitiesshouldIapplyto? ItisexpensivetoapplytoUSuniversities;someuniversitieschargeuptoUS$200.00per application(thoughsomeinstitutionswaivetheirapplicationfeeincasesoffinancialneed).Itis besttoapplytoaboutfiveuniversities(orschools):(twodreamorreachschools,two 50/50schoolsandasafetyorbackupschool).Thisdoesnotmeanthatyoursafetyschoolis abadschool.Itsimplymeansthatadmissionisnotascompetitiveasitisforotherverypopular andcompetitiveinstitutions. WillIhavetositatestforadmission? Youwillmostlikelyhavetositoneormoreofthefollowingexaminationsaspartofthe applicationprocess.Checktheadmissionrequirementsofeachuniversityyouareplanningto applytoinordertoseewhichtest(s)isrequired/preferred. SATReasoningTest:ThisexaminationisusuallysatbyYear13studentsforentryintoaUS university.TheSATmeasuresthecriticalreading,writingandmathematicalabilitiesyou'llneedfor academicsuccessintheUS. SATSubjectTests:SomeuniversitiesmayrequireyoutotakeoneormoreSATsubjecttests,in additiontotheSATReasoningTest.Thesubjecttestsareaseriesofonehourmultiplechoicetests inavarietyofsubjects. ACT:ThisexaminationisoftenconsideredasanalternativetoSAT.TheACTexaminationis generallypreferredbystudentswithatechnicalbackground,asitcontainsasciencesectionin additiontocriticalreading,writingandmathematics. TOEFL:StudentswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglishmustalsotaketheTOEFLexaminationaspart oftheapplicationprocess.(Thisrequirementisoftenwaivedwhenastudenthasstudiedfora numberofyearsinanacademicsystemwherethelanguageofinstructionisEnglish). FurtherinformationaboutthesetestsislistedontheEducationalServicespageofFulbrightNew Zealandswebsite. WhenshouldIapplytoaUSuniversity? Youshouldbegintheprocessearly.Ideally,studentsshouldbeginresearchinginstitutionsagood 1218monthsbeforetheywanttostudyintheUS.Thefollowingisagoodbasictimelinetofollow: AprilJune Researchandrequestinformationfromuniversities JulyAugust Registerforstandardisedtests SeptemberDecember Completeapplicationsforfinancialaidandforadmission MarchMay Admissionsdecisionsmailedoutbyuniversities JuneAugust Obtainastudentvisa AugustSeptember USacademicyearbegins WherecanIgetmoreinformation? Formoreinformationonalloftheabove,pleasevisittheEducationalServicesandStudyintheUS sectionsofFulbrightNewZealandswebsitewww.fulbright.org.nzorcontactoneofthe EducationUSAadvisers: WellingtonKaraWood,(04)4941504,educate@fulbright.org.nz AucklandDrewDumas,(09)3032724,aucklandeducation@state.gov