The need for a good education worries most young people who are aiming for a successful future. After all, often having a diploma from a prestigious educational institution makes it possible to find an interesting high-paying job or start your own business.
The Benefits of Studying in the USA
You can get a higher education not only in your own country, but also abroad. Particularly attractive is studying in America. And this is not surprising, because US universities occupy first places in many world rankings.
What is the secret of the popularity of American universities?
- Individual selection of study programs.
- Guaranteed high level of training.
- High qualification of teachers, as well as an additional invitation of specialists who have achieved high results in practice.
- The opportunity to conduct research and scientific work.
- The opportunity to practice in your speci alty already during training.
- Good technical equipment of educational institutions.
- Excellent conditionsaccommodation and meals in student dormitories.
How to get an education in America?
Community Colleges
This is a professional university with a two-year program. After graduating from it, students receive a diploma of secondary vocational education. These educational institutions are in almost every city.
They are popular for a number of reasons:
- accessibility in terms of territorial location;
- reasonable prices;
- no entrance exams - admission is based on test results after graduation from high school;
- with good academic performance, you can enter the university immediately for the 3rd year;
- large selection of educational programs.
Universities and colleges
Both those and others are universities. The difference is only in the name and scale. The university includes many different colleges. The duration of study is a minimum of 4 years.
Educational institutions can be either public or private. A public university has less tuition, but more students. The teacher does not have the opportunity to give enough attention to everyone.
Students themselves choose the subjects they will study, in addition to the main disciplines. During the training, you can change direction or take additional courses. Often students graduate from university in several speci alties at the same time.
An important feature of US colleges is the required researchJob. Great importance and much time is devoted to mastering practical skills.
3 levels of higher education in the USA
American colleges and universities have a three-tier education program:
- Bachelor's degree - 4 years of study. General subjects are studied for two years. In the 3rd year, students must decide on their future speci alty. In the future, only special subjects will be included in the curriculum.
- Master's degree lasts 2 years. At this time, much attention is paid to scientific activities, and upon completion, students must prepare a large research paper.
- Doctorate. The third stage of training can last from 3 to 6 years. It depends on the chosen speci alty. First, 2 years at lectures and seminars, special subjects are studied in depth. Over the past year, a dissertation has been written and defended.
Algorithm of admission
How to get into an American college?
You need to start preparing a year before admission. You can start with a community college, and then go straight to the 3rd year of the university. You can choose a regular college, but then you will need to take preparatory courses.
What needs to be done first?
- Study US university websites. There you will find comprehensive information about the educational institution, programs, cost, scholarships. There will also be information about the requirements for applicants. You can often find special informationfor foreigners.
- There is a questionnaire for applicants on the site. Otherwise, you can make a request to receive it. Carefully fill in all the items and send a copy to the desired university.
- To confirm language proficiency, you must pass TOEFL or IELTS tests, which must be pre-registered.
- By autumn, it is necessary to prepare all the documents, namely, to translate them and notarize them.
- Results will come by May. Next, you need to write a letter to the service that works with foreigners so that you can be assigned a curator.
Requirements for applicants
Requirements for US colleges may vary by state. The list of common mandatory items includes:
- questionnaire-essay;
- certificate, diplomas of other educational institutions (school, college, institute) - do not forget that all documents are submitted in a translated and notarized form;
- transcript indicating all subjects, the number of hours, grades received for the last 3 grades of the school - if you provide diplomas from other educational institutions, then information is needed for all years of study;
- exam grades, high school test scores;
- motivation letter;
- recommendations of teachers, which also needs to be certified by a notary;
- check for payment of the fee - only after it is presented, the commission will begin to consider your application.
Tests
- TOEFL/IELTS are tests that confirm knowledgelanguage.
- SAT I/GRE General - knowledge of general subjects, testing of mental and cogitative abilities, ability to make decisions.
- SAT II/GRE Subject - knowledge of general subjects.
- AST - knowledge of subjects in the chosen speci alty. Testing is carried out at the university itself and remotely.
Tuition fees and scholarships
Education in American colleges is quite expensive.
The cheapest thing to study at is a community college ($6,000-7,000 a year is 377-440 thousand rubles).
From $10,000 (628 thousand rubles) is the cost of studying at a state university.
In private educational institutions - from $15,000 (942 thousand rubles).
Keep in mind that this is the cost of tuition only. Accommodation, meals, textbooks are not included in this amount.
Getting an education for free in America will not work, but there are various scholarships, grants, discounts, loans and many other programs that can significantly help financially. An employee of the department for working with foreigners, who is your curator, will tell you in detail about them.
Features of the educational process
The process of studying in an American college is different from the organization of education in Russian universities:
- There is no timetable here. Students simply receive a list of subjects with an indication of the order in which they are taken.
- Classes for American students begin in August.
- Each item has a certain number of hours (credits). Calculationconducted in weeks. If desired, the number of credits can be increased.
- You can study in the summer (3rd semester).
- There is no exam session. The grade for the subject is set based on the results of work throughout the semester: intermediate (as you progress through the material) and final exam, as well as homework and laboratory work.
- At the end of the course, you must pass the final exam and receive a license based on its results.
Best American Colleges
There are more than 4,500 universities in the US.
Many universities specialize in one area.
Harvard provides the best education in business and law.
MIT Leading the Way in Engineering.
Among other things, when choosing a university, pay attention not only to the overall rating, but also to the ratings of the selected speci alties.
The list of American colleges with the greatest popularity among the CIS countries includes:
- University of Central Florida. It is considered the second largest in the United States. Includes 13 colleges, more than 200 bachelor's programs. This university is considered the best in the field of teaching hospitality and tourism business, engineering speci alties, as well as speci alties related to space.
- Florida International University. State research center. The strongest side of the university is hotel and tourism management, international business. The university has many unique courses such asfor the study of hurricanes. There is also a habitable ocean laboratory.
- California State University. Engineering speci alties, computer technologies, biomedical engineering are considered the best for studying here. The college of arts is very strong. The university is proud of many graduates who have reached great heights in their professions.
- California State University Dominguez Hills - the best business and management programs. Also, the strength of the university is humanitarian programs, programs in art, journalism, and advertising. Very popular college of he alth. In the process of studying any of the chosen speci alties, excellent internship opportunities are provided.
- California State University Bakersfield. The university is located in Silicon Valley. The strongest direction of the university is information technology. The technical equipment is the best in the world. World class laboratories. The school of business and psychology received the greatest popularity. The teaching of biosciences is also at a high level.
American colleges for Russians
The high level of American educational institutions makes studying in them very attractive for many young men and women from Russia. And the conditions provided upon admission are increasingly encouraging our graduates to choose further studies in American educational institutions.
For the entire period of study, students receive a visa. After graduation, another year is given in order to find a job and change the student visa to a work one. An excellent level of training makes graduates in demand as specialists. Many students decide on a job already in the process of studying. If you manage to find a permanent job, then there will be an opportunity to obtain citizenship.
After graduating from a Russian university, a master's degree can be completed in one year. Often there are other reduced programs for foreign students. Additional discounts, benefits and grants are provided for individuals with outstanding achievements in sports, music, and art. There are also various scholarships for those students who study "excellent".
The dream of getting an education in America may well become a reality even without large financial investments. This requires a great desire to learn. Only determination and hard work will help you achieve your dreams.
