STUDIED IN THE UNITED STATES
Welcome to the best colleges and universities in the USA! We
index of 1800+ four year, accredited colleges and
universities in the United States of America (USA) organized
by State and list program in alphabetical order. For the
very top-ranked college, please visit
Topschoolsintheusa.com.
FROM APPLICATION TO CAMPUS
It is not for nothing that the USA is called the "land of
unlimited opportunities" - many immigrants have realized
their "American Dream" and created something new in the past
few centuries. So America became the unique, multicultural
country that it is today. Take your chance and live your
dream!
We have summarized some useful information for you so
that your semester abroad or studies in the USA and all
necessary preparations run smoothly.
CANDIDATE
The basis of an application for a degree in the USA is
the completion of a secondary school education with a
corresponding certificate of completion. Your exact grades
and scores play an important role in admission and often the
university checks individually whether you meet their
requirements. In the United States, every university has its
own admission standards, but there is a versatile approach
in international comparison - the following criteria play a
role:
- grade point average
- Score in the admission test (SAT, ACT)
- Essays and questionnaires as part of the application
process
- List your courses from school
- volunteer work and engagement in associations during
school time
- Letters of recommendation from teachers
- any language tests to be taken
The choice of university has an impact on the weighting
of the individual admission criteria and the extent to which
they have to be met. For example, if you apply at Harvard or
at MIT, several criteria play an important role and of
course your grade point average should be very high in these
cases. American universities usually also check whether you
are able to finance your studies. You will only receive a
study permit if you can prove your solvency.
STUDENT VISA FOR THE USA
You need a visa to study in the United States. Students
have three different student visas to choose from: the J
visa for exchange students, the F-1 visa for academic
studies, and the M-1 visa for non-academic and job-related
studies. After you have applied to a university and received
a confirmation, you can apply for a suitable visa using
"Form I-20A-B". It is important that your university in the
United States is state-accredited - this is a minimum
requirement to issue a student visa. In addition, you must
have taken out (foreign) health insurance. Please also note
that your visa application must be paid before you are
invited to the interview and your application is approved.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE UNITED STATES
In order to be able to pay for your studies in the USA,
there are various (partly state) grants, the so-called
grants. There are a large number of scholarships, but most
of the scholarships are only valid for a certain period, for
example for a semester abroad or for your bachelor's
thesis. In any case, it is worth taking a look at the Austrian
database for grants and research funding, which lists
all available grants.
Another option lies directly with the American
universities. Foreign students can also receive funding
there. You can contact either the "Admission Officer" or the
"Foreign Student Advisor" of your respective university.
Finally, you have the opportunity to get a scholarship
from the "Fullbright Commission". This is basically a
"carefree package" in which, for example, travel expenses,
tuition fees and health insurance are paid in full. However,
only a few participants are funded each year and the
competition is correspondingly high.
LANGUAGE COURSE FOR STUDYING IN THE USA
The "TOEFL" (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an
internationally recognized language test for
English-language university entrance and one of the entry
requirements for studying in the USA. It is a unique
internet-based test with four different examination
disciplines (writing, speaking, reading and listening). The
cost of the TOEFL is around $ 250.
FUNDING AND COSTS OF STUDYING IN THE UNITED STATES
As already explained, there is the possibility to acquire
a scholarship and thus finance the study or at least cover
part of the costs. In addition, while studying in the USA,
it is possible to apply for the Austrian "Aid for Study
Abroad" (BAS). The amount of this contribution depends on
the cost of living and studying in the host country and is a
maximum of 487 euros per month for the USA. In addition, a
travel allowance of over 460 euros is possible. In addition
to the allowance for studying abroad and reimbursement of
travel expenses, the "normal" study allowance is usually
paid. For more information and how to apply, you
should contact the relevant student
grants authority.
If everything goes smoothly with your application and
enrollment in the United States, you can expect living
expenses of around $ 1,000 per month during your stay in the
United States (excluding tuition fees). The tuition costs
are therefore between 16,000 and 46,000 US dollars per year
(depending on the tuition fees). But be careful here, this
calculation assumes that you live on the university
campus. If you live outside the university campus ("off
campus"), the costs can be much higher and vary greatly
depending on the city and region.
INSURANCE
Since you have to pay for your health costs in America
and these are much higher than in Austria, it is worth
taking out insurance. In addition to the financial benefits,
it is imperative to take out a foreign insurance for the
visa. You can find a comparison of different, inexpensive
insurance policies for students here.
CAMPUS LIFE AT US UNIVERSITIES
Student life in the United States is primarily about
student unions. Regardless of whether you like to play
football, take part in the theater or are looking to
interact with like-minded students. You can do all of this
in one of the many associations. In addition to the
abundance of student associations, there are "open" events
such as film screenings, game evenings or competitions on
the campuses. Most of these events can be found in the
calendar of the relevant university and are accessible to
every student!
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