There are so many reasons to study abroad in America! From gaining new skills to experiencing a different culture, and even finding a job afterward, studying in America has endless possibilities. If you’re interested, here’s why you should consider studying in America.
The American Educational System
Higher education in the US can be either a university or college so you can apply to either US colleges or universities as an international student.
Undergraduate degrees in the US usually last for about three to four years depending on the institution or program. Post-graduate degrees such as master’s degrees last for about one to two years in the US. You can also decide to complete an internship as part of your program which can earn you credits. The American educational system also allows you to gain practical knowledge by working with some of their partner institutions which are often businesses, research institutes, or studios.
When applying to US higher institutions, you will most likely be required to submit your transcript for evaluation. This is so that your academic work can be evaluated and compared with the US standard. The grade that you received in each of your courses during your undergraduate studies may not be the same grade after evaluation. Most schools in the US will give a list of transcript evaluation companies that they accept evaluations from so you can send your transcript to any of those companies.
Learning in the US institutions is often interactive and you get to share your ideas. Don’t expect to only sit in class and listen to what your instructor teaches throughout your study. You may be required to have group discussions or work on mini-projects with your coursemates. There may also be seminars and workshops so you should prepare your mind for this.
You will most likely be assessed on some academic activities such as presentations, projects, assignments, group work, practicals, and of course your thesis.
Many international students have studied abroad in the United States and they were able to work with the educational system so you too can.
Schools you can study abroad in the Netherlands
Now that you know how the educational system in the United States works, you may also want to know the specific schools you can apply to study in the United States. Here are some notable schools that you want to check out and include in your plans of studying abroad in the US.
- Columbia University: this is one of the notable schools in the US that are open to international students. It is a private research school located in New York and it is ranked 16th on the Times Higher Education ranking. The school has more than 8,000 undergraduate students including international students from other countries of the world. Luckily, you may find someone from your home country with whom you can build meaningful relationships.
There are over 100 degree programs at Columbia University. There are also other prestigious programs that you can check out and apply for. The university has been constantly ranked as one of the top universities in the world by global rankings.
Since the US is an English-speaking country, you will have to show proof of proficiency in the English language in your application to the school. However, exceptions are given to people from countries that have English as their official language or have received their education in the English language. If not, you may be required to write IELTS, TOEFL, or other English proficiency tests.
If your program has electives or main courses in other languages, you may also be required to show proficiency in the language. This can be done either through tests provided by the school or by taking some entrance courses.
- Carnegie Mellon University: this is another top university that you can enroll in as an international student looking to enroll in American schools. It is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If you are looking for research programs through which you can further your studies, this is one of the schools you want to check out. There are more than 6,000 students including international students at the university so you can be sure that you will meet other people who are foreigners like you in the school.
There are over 50 international bachelor’s and master’s programs at Carnegie Mellon University. From law, communications, history and social sciences, management, philosophy, and economics, so you can choose from any of these.
Since the US is an English-speaking country, you will have to show proof of proficiency in the English language in your application to the school. However, exceptions are given to people from countries that have English as their official language or have received their education in the English language. If not, you may be required to write IELTS, TOEFL, or other English proficiency tests.
If your program has electives or main courses in other languages, you may also be required to show proficiency in the language. This can be done either through tests provided by the school or by taking some entrance courses.
- University of Washington: this is a public research university located in Seattle, Washington. It has some notable alumni such as Bruce Lee and Dyan Cannon and it has over 9,000 international students. The university is well respected for its high education standard and is ranked 26th on global rankings.
There are about 9,000 international students from over 120 countries of the world at the University of Groningen. You can enroll in the school and get the chance of meeting people of diverse cultures and nationalities.
The school offers over 300 graduate programs and other international programs that you can check out and apply for. The university has been constantly ranked as one of the top universities in the world by global rankings.
Since the US is an English-speaking country, you will have to show proof of proficiency in the English language in your application to the school. However, exceptions are given to people from countries that have English as their official language or have received their education in the English language. If not, you may be required to write IELTS, TOEFL, or other English proficiency tests.
If your program has electives or main courses in other languages, you may also be required to show proficiency in the language. This can be done either through tests provided by the school or by taking some entrance courses.
- Ohio State University: this is a public research university located in Colombus Ohio. It has been ranked by major global rankings as one of the top universities in the United States. It has had over 45,000 enrollments including international students from different countries of the world. The notable alumni in the school are Jesse Owens and Jack Nicklaus.
There are over 90 master’s and doctorate programs that you can apply to at Ohio State University that you can check out and apply to.
Since the US is an English-speaking country, you will have to show proof of proficiency in the English language in your application to the school. However, exceptions are given to people from countries that have English as their official language or have received their education in the English language. If not, you may be required to write IELTS, TOEFL, or other English proficiency tests.
If your program has electives or main courses in other languages, you may also be required to show proficiency in the language. This can be done either through tests provided by the school or by taking some entrance courses.
- University of Texas: this is also a public research university with over 50,000 students with about 10% of the number as international students. The school has over 150 degree programs so you can check them out and apply to any of them.
Since the US is an English-speaking country, you will have to show proof of proficiency in the English language in your application to the school. However, exceptions are given to people from countries that have English as their official language or have received their education in the English language. If not, you may be required to write IELTS, TOEFL, or other English proficiency tests.
If your program has electives or main courses in other languages, you may also be required to show proficiency in the language. This can be done either through tests provided by the school or by taking some entrance courses.
Opportunities Available for International Students in the United States of America
While some people have been able to benefit from opportunities available for international students in America, others are yet to find amazing opportunities for students in the United States. Here are some of the opportunities;
- You can work for up to 20 hours per week as an international student in the United States while you can work up to 4 hours during summer or holiday periods if you don’t have classwork scheduled.
- You get internship opportunities that can go towards your credits accumulation and also build relevant connections that can help you in the future. You can do an internship as long as it is relevant to your program. Your school or program will have connections or partnerships with renowned institutions or organizations where you can have a credible internship.
- You can get both off-campus and on-campus jobs as an international student as long as you carry an F1 immigration status or permit. Off-campus jobs that are available to you as an international student include caring, housekeeping, store attendants, substitute teaching, PR and communications, tech jobs, marketing, and many others. You can also work as a research assistant or substitute teacher on campus which is the most popular job that international students in the United States get.
- You can stay back in the United States for up to 12 months under the United States OTP program designed for international students seeking employment after their studies. However, if you are a STEM graduate, you can work for 24 months under the OTP program.
- There are numerous scholarship opportunities available for international students to study in the United States either for master’s or doctorate programs. You can find a partially or fully funded scholarship by the US government or other international organizations.