[h=1]Where to start?[/h] With the great diversity of institutions and programs, as well as the vast differences in weather and culture you should consider when choosing a location, selecting a course can be a significant challenge. The U.S. Department of State’s EducationUSA network provides students considering the United States excellent tools to navigate the complex college and university admissions process in
Your 5 Steps to U.S. Study. You can use these free resources to help narrow your choices. In particular, within Step 1 (Research Your Options), there is a comprehensive self-assessment tool, Define Your Priorities, to identify what is most important to you in your search for the right school/program.
To help you understand and find your way through some unfamiliar terms and concepts in U.S. higher education admissions, EducationUSA has a useful Frequently Asked Questions section available in eight languages including English.
How are top U.S. universities ranked?
The U.S. federal government does not rank its colleges and universities. The decentralized system of the United States’ diverse higher education landscape makes an “official” ranking impossible. With more than 4500 accredited post-secondary U.S. institutions the number of quality programs and courses available is on a different scale than any other country. Just think if your parents would be happy if you chose to attend a U.S. college in the top 10%, that would mean 450 institutions might meet that standard.
There are several media outlets that publish unofficial rankings of U.S. colleges and programs, e.g. U.S. News & World Report. Historically, U.S. colleges and universities are at or near the top of all international rankings (QS, Times Higher Education, Shanghai). Academic quality and reputation of U.S. institutions has consistently been a prime motivation for students to study in the United States.
What are the requirements to study?
There is no centralized Ministry of Higher Education that regulates or standardizes admissions policies to colleges and universities in the United States. As a result, each institution sets separate standards and requirements, which makes your search more complicated.
As a rule, you should consider only accredited U.S. colleges and universities. A searchable list of accredited institutions is available through the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
In general terms, there are 3 basic requirements every student must meet to be able to study in the United States:
- Be admitted to an institution
- Have funding to study
- Secure a student visa
Specific tests, deadlines, essays, recommendations, and other items may be required, so be certain to research your top choices!
Reach out to those individual institutions (via their websites) to determine what will be required. Importantly, you should connect with local resources that have knowledge of the U.S. higher education system, including the
EducationUSA advising center in your country. Also, be sure you know where your local
IELTS test center can be found.
Our best advice for you:
Start your research a minimum of 12-18 months before you intend to begin studies as an undergraduate, or at least 24 months prior to beginning a graduate program. EducationUSA provides detailed timelines to help you identify where you are in the process.
Choose between 6-10 institutions to apply to where you feel you have a chance of being admitted.
Prepare far in advance of each college’s published deadlines to make sure all test scores, transcripts and other application materials are received in time.
Be sure to ask questions!
What do students say about IELTS & studying in the USA?
While this information helps you see what you will need to do to make your goal of study in the USA a reality, you probably want to hear from students like you, who have recently gone to study in the United States.
Meet IELTS Candidates
International Students in the U.S. Share Their Experiences
Additional resources are available to help you begin your search.
[h=3]Downloads[/h]
- The IELTS Guide to Studying in the USA (PDF, 819 kb)
- IELTS US Recognition List_November 2014 (XLSX, 733 kb)