Us higher education choosing a college or universit

US Higher Education: Choosing a College or University

Commissione per gli Scambi Culturali fra l’Italia e gli Stati Uniti

The US –Italy Fulbright Commission

www.fulbright.it

The Fulbright ProgramLinking Minds Across Cultures

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Table of Content

1. US Higher Education: Choosing a College

or University

2. The Admissions Process: an overview

3. Funding Resources

4. Visas

1 US Higher Education: Choosing a College or University

Why study in the US

• Wide range of university programs• Experience American college life• Have the flexibility to explore your

academic interests• Internationalize and strengthen your

CV• Learn about US culture and see a new

part of the world

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Overview of US Higher Education

• Two-year/community colleges

(Associate’s degree)• Four-year (Bachelor’s degree)

Type of Institutions

• Public• Private

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Choosing a College or University

• Majors offered• Type of university• Location• Campus Life• Competitiveness of admission –

apply to a range of universities• Cost and availability of funding

1Resources for Choosing a University

• Websites and Databases available

through the “Guide to study in the

US” on www.fulbright.it

• University websites

• Talk with teachers, professionals in

your study areas of interest, etc.

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2 The Admission’s Process: an overview

Timeline

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Time Before Enrollment Notes

1 - 1 ½ years•Learn about US higher education•Begin choosing universities

10 - 12 months

•Finalize your selection of Universities•Register for admission exams•Begin admission and funding applications

8 - 10 months

•Submit admission application•Submit funding applications

Timeline

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Time Before Enrollment Notes

4 - 7 months •Receive admission decisions

1 - 3 months•Notify universities

•Apply for your visa

- •Begin Study in the US

Admission: Application

• Application form• Admission exams scores• Transcript & school report• 2-3 essays• 2-3 recommendation reference

letter• Application fee

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Admission: Standardized tests

• English Proficiency: TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language http://www.ets.org/toefl/

• Scholastic Assesment: SAT Scholastic Assessment Test http://sat.collegeboard.com/home/ ACT American College Testing http://www.act.org/aap/ 12

Admission: Selection Criteria

• Academics• Admission Tests scores• Extracurricular involvement• Personal attributes

- Interest in your field of choice- Character- Leadership abilities- Reasons for wanting to attend the university

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3 Funding Resources

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Tuition and fees

• Can vary significantly• May be a set semester/yearly rate or

calculated on a credit-hour basis• Average tuition fees:

- $ 2,544 or less (two-year public, out of state)- $ 11,528 (four-year public, out of state)- $ 26,273 (four-year private)

source: “Trends in Higher Education Series”, College Board, http://www.collegeboard.com

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Sources of funding

• US universities

Merit based

Sport Scholarships

• Personal / Family funds

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Funding:Tip for Success

• Start your scholarship search early• Be flexible in choosing universities

NOTE• You may need to “collect” funding from

multiple sources• Other sources of financial assistance will

likely be available once the student gets to the US, but these often cannot be taken into account in the visa interview stage

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Funding Resources: information

• US Universities websites• Online scholarships searches:

- www.fundingusstudy.org - www.iefa.org- www.edupass.org/finaid - www.globalgrant.com

• Fulbright weekly updates on Facebook &

Twitter: facebook.com/FulbrightCommissionItaly

twitter.com/fulbrightitalia

4 Visas

Visas

• F-1 Student Visa• Generally, straightforward process

Receive your I-20 from the US UniversityComplete SEVIS application and pay fee on-lineComplete visa application and pay fee on-lineSchedule an interview at the US Embassy in

Rome• Refer to US Embassy for visa enquires:

http://www.usembassy.it/Main/ 20

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Contacts

Commissione per gli Scambi Culturali fra l’Italia e gli Stati Uniti

(The U.S. Italy Fulbright Commission)

Website www.fulbright.it

Facebook: facebook.com/FulbrightCommissionItaly

Twitter: twitter.com/fulbrightitalia

Email: [email protected]

Via Castelfidardo 8, Roma 00185 Tel. 06/4888.211

Questions?

[email protected]