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.
