The idea of the “American Dream” means many things to many people, but one of its most important elements is the ability to improve your li...
The idea of the “American Dream” means many things to many people, but one of its most important elements is the ability to improve your life by getting a college education. For students born outside the United States, there’s a lot to learn. You’ll have to start by figuring out what you want to study and where you want to go to school. Once you have those ideas in mind, you’ll need to apply to your chosen college (and probably more than one, in case you don’t get into your first choice.) If you’re admitted, your college will send you information on how much it costs to attend, and how much help they can give you. Once you know the costs and the financial aid offered, you’ll need to make some big decisions. Can you afford to go? Can you find a job to help you pay some of the costs of attendance?
And how can you find scholarships to help cover some of the cost? In this guide, we’ll provide a brief overview and some resources to help you with applying to U.S. colleges and preparing to move to the U.S. We’ll also focus on ways you can find scholarships and other sources of financial aid. Note: You’ll see the phrase “international student(s)” quite a bit – that is the common term that colleges and scholarship providers use to describe students who are moving from another country to the U.S. for college.
If you’re thinking of moving to the U.S. to attend college, you probably have a field of study in mind. Computer science, history, biology, engineering – these are all referred to by American colleges as majors. If you know what you’re hoping to study, try Googling “best college for [your major],” or use a college ranking site to find the schools that are best-known for your field. We recommend Niche, which will show you a ranking of highest-rated colleges in various majors, along with their acceptance rate, average cost and even a map so you can learn where in the country they are. Picking a college is a big decision, especially if you’ve spent little or no time in the U.S. before.
You should seek out student and alumni groups on Facebook – and even call the school and ask questions about both the school and its surrounding area. Find the “Admissions Office” page on the college’s website; they’re the people who work with new students, and will be happy to tell you what life on campus is like. Applying Once you’ve picked out 1-4 colleges that interest you, the next step is filling out an application. This can be a time-consuming process and usually involves submitting a lot of personal and academic information as well as a personal essay or other statement. Find out the college’s application deadline, and get an early start! EduPass has several valuable tools that can help you make sure you’re doing everything you need to. Keep in mind, there are likely to be fees for college applications and required tests. These can range from $25 to $250 (USD), and they are the only fees you should ever have to pay during the application and scholarship process – beware of any other organizations besides your college that ask for money.
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