| by Howard and Matthew Greene If you are an international student hoping to attend an American college or university, you should know that there are many options available to you in the U.S., and that trends are in your favor. There are numerous advantages to applying to American higher education institutions from abroad, and just a few concerns. U.S. colleges and universities view international students as adding to the diversity of their campuses, bringing with them cultural, linguistic, academic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds that contribute to the learning experiences of all students on campus. International students comprise a significant slice of most colleges’ pie charts (see Step Eight of our Ten Steps to College plan). Most selective colleges actively recruit abroad, hoping to enroll talented individuals who can add to their campus’ social and academic environment. Potential roadblocks for international students (that is, non-U.S. citizens or Resident Aliens) include: the lack of significant financial aid from the federal and state governments and the colleges themselves; the sometimes difficult process of attaining and retaining a student visa; and cultural, linguistic, or familial barriers to entrance and success in the American college environment. We encourage international students to follow the Ten Step plan, to have high hopes for an enriching college experience in the U.S., and to add to their process and consideration some of the following points. According to the Institute of International Education (www.iie.org), enrollment of international students has continued to climb in the U.S., even after the events of September 11, 2001. In its "Open Doors" report (November, 2002), the IIE notes that enrollment of international students in 2001-2002 increased by over six percent for the second consecutive year, bringing the total number of international students here to almost 600,000. India, China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan send the most students to America, but scholars arrive here from almost every country around the world. Two-thirds of international students pay for their education with personal or family funds, and their most popular majors are business and management, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences (www.opendoors.iienetwork.org). In addition to fulfilling the admission requirements and application procedures set out by individual public or private academic institutions in the U.S., international students will need to arrange for approval to study in America by obtaining a visa from the U.S. government, and possibly also through their home country’s authorities. For information on the steps necessary to apply for a visa to study in the U.S., browse the following link at the U.S. Department of Education’s U.S. Network for Education Information (www.ed.gov/NLE/USNEI/us/visitus-preliminfo.html). Some of the visa process will involve the institution at which you will be studying here, to certify your enrollment and qualifications for an education visa. Be prepared to contact and work with the officials responsible for international students, both in the admissions office and the office of student affairs, to make sure your visa process is completed appropriately. Students whose native language is not English will need to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, www.toefl.org). See individual college guidelines for minimum TOEFL scores required for admission. You will need to take the TOEFL in addition to the SAT I, SAT II (www.collegeboard.org), and or ACT (www.act.org) tests that might be required by particular colleges. Register and prepare for these tests well in advance, since international testing dates and test centers are somewhat more limited than in the U.S. You will have to arrange for your scores to be sent to each college to which you will apply. If your transcript from secondary school (high school) is not in English, you will need to have it translated by a reliable service. Check with U.S. government agencies, individual colleges, your high school, or local university officials in your home country, to find valid and officially recognized translation services. Sometimes, in addition to the translation, you will want to add a written explanation of your study program in high school to help college admissions readers understand your preparation and interests, and the requirements you needed to fulfill to attain your secondary diploma. In terms of financial aid, it is important to know that very little financial assistance is available for foreign students in the U.S., particularly at the undergraduate level (college, or Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree). As noted above, two-thirds of international students are paying for college mainly with their own or their family’s resources, or with support from their home country’s government or special education and scholarship institutions. Check with your high school, your country’s department or ministry of education, and national business scholarship services to search for funding to help you study in the U.S. Many such government, non-profit, or corporate scholarships exist, some for study in particular academic areas. In the U.S., most financial aid comes from the federal (national) or state governments, which restrict most aid to U.S. citizens or Resident Aliens (green card holders). To obtain financial aid from American sources to cover the costs of your education here, which can run upwards of $30,000 per year, you will need to apply to a broad list of schools, search for those colleges that do offer financial aid to international students, and be prepared to be rejected from colleges for which you are qualified, solely on the basis that they have very few scholarships to offer foreign students. If you contact the financial aid offices at individual U.S. colleges, after doing some research on their websites first, you can learn whether they offer financial aid to foreign students, and, if so, how much each year. Sometimes colleges have two or three scholarships available to cover the full cost of an international student’s education. In other cases, colleges will try to maximize the number of students they can assist by offering partial scholarships to more applicants. The reason that funds are so limited is, again, that colleges must pay for international student aid out of their own endowment funds and tuition income, rather than securing assistance from governmental sources. In most cases, if a college decides it cannot provide you with aid, you will not be offered admission. This is true even if the college would have liked to admit you for personal or academic reasons. Very few schools, such as Princeton University, are need-blind or mostly so for international students. In your contact with colleges, try to communicate directly with the admissions officer responsible for international applicants. This is usually one specific person, although sometimes colleges will designate different officers for different regions of the world. This is the person you can call or e-mail to discuss your application, your chances for admission, and particular questions you may have. As an international student, you have a lot to offer, but it will be your responsibility through your writing, your personal contact with admissions representatives and possibly home country alumni interviewers, and your selection of appropriate schools, to explain your talents and your reasons for wanting to study in the U.S. © 2003 by Howard R. Greene and Matthew W. Greene. All rights reserved. This article can be found online at http://www.pbs.org/tenstepstocollege/focus_main.html Copies of the Greenes' Kit is available by visiting shop.pbs.com or by calling (800) 344-3337. Close Window |