Most graduate departments require
at least one academic admissions examination, either a general
aptitude test such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
or a demonstration of proficiency in your Field (GRE
subject test), or sometimes both. These are in addition
to an English proficiency examination. Professional schools such
as law, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine have special
examinations tied to placement schemes;
These tests are standardized,
multiple choice tests that require a high degree of English
proficiency. Some also require mathematical skills or in-depth
knowledge of content related to the field of study. To obtain
information about these examinations, consult your advising
center.
Usually the faculty of each
department within each university determines the requirement for
various entrance examinations, as well as the weight given to the
result; in consequence, there is no general rule to follow with
respect to examination requirements.
To find out if you need to take
one or more of these entrance examinations, consult reference
books at the advising center. These reference books also give
ranges of the score levels of successful applicants. There are no
passing or failing grades on these examinations, but your score
will have an effect on the overall competitiveness of your
application.
These tests are only one of the
factors in the evaluation of a foreign student's record.
Admissions officers are aware that you may be taking the
examinations in a language other than your native tongue, and they
will take this into account.
STEP 5 EVALUATE YOUR ABILITY TO
FINANCE U.S. STUDY
In making a financial assessment
of whether or not study in the United States will be possible for
you, consider the following:
Foreign students currently in the U.S. agree that study in the
United States is usually more expensive than they had expected.
You must plan for the total cost of living and studying over a
period of one to two years for a master's degree and three to
seven years for a doctoral degree. The total "published"
cost for one academic year (1990-1991) ranges from $8,500 to
$18,000 per academic year. The total cost will usually be at least
year higher than the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board,
published in $6,000 per year higher than the cost of tuition,
fees, and room and board, published in the university catalog.
About 75 percent of all foreign students are funded by
home-country sources, either from private funds or home-country
scholarships. If graduate departments offer financial assistance,
they often wait until after the first year of graduate study. if
your field enjoys a high level of grant funding for research in
U.S. universities, however, you may be able to qualify for a
research assistantship in the first year. Current immigration
regulations restrict the possibility of working outside the
university to support yourself as a student. Even if you can find
work, no job that you could find pays wages that will cover all
your expenses.
Estimating
Expenses for One Academic Year
When you apply for a student visa,
you will need to show evidence of support adequate to cover study
and living expenses for at least one academic year. (An academic
year usually lasts nine months.)
The cost of study varies widely
among institutions, and the cost of living varies from one
location to the next. To compare total costs, therefore, you will
need to do some research. A basic reference is: The College
Board Handbook: Foreign Student Supplement, published by the
College Board. This book compares tuition and the cost of living
based on estimates from each institution.
Sponsored students should check
with their sponsoring agency about terms of their support. After
arrival in the United States, they should maintain contact with
designated agencies or, if sponsored by the homecountry
government, with the cultural or education section of their
embassy in the United States.
Economic
Factors
If you plan to receive funds from your home country, fluctuations
of the exchange rate between currency in your country and the U.S.
dollar may make a significant difference in the dollar value of
your funds over the period of your stay in the United States.
In financial planning, you should
adjust cost estimates to allow for inflation. In recent years, the
rate of inflation in the United States has been under five percent
annually.
Hidden
Costs
In addition to published costs, which include application fees,
tuition, miscellaneous fees, books, health insurance, and room and
board, you will need to add at least $6,000 per academic year to
cover "hidden" costs. These hidden costs, include
personal expenses, costs when residence halls are closed, required
health insurance and medical expenses which may exceed coverage,
and changes in the value of currency. if you travel or study
during the summer, if you live off campus, if you bring other
members of your family, or if you buy a car, you must add in these
extra costs.
Income
Sources
Consider all funds available, and how much can be drawn from each
source. For example:
- Annual family income, the
earnings per year of each member of the immediate family who
will provide money toward your education;
- Family assets, current
holdings in bank accounts, investments in stocks and bonds,
business enterprises, debts owed to the family, and any other
assets from which money could be drawn or obtained through
sales or loans in an emergency;
- Your own earnings until
departure, savings from earnings and gifts, investments or
property; and
Other sources, such as relatives in the United States, or a
sponsor (individual, government agency, or private
organization) in your country who has agreed to pay all or
part of your educational expenses.
To avoid disappointment, do not plan to
make up the difference by working or finding a scholarship
once you get to the United States.
Financial
Assistance
Many students in other countries seem to believe that foreign
students can easily get the money they need for study once they
have been admitted to a college or university in the United
States. That is an incorrect assumption and can lead to
hardship and disappointment. Most institutions have committed
all their scholarship and loan funds long before the academic year
begins. Accordingly, the best time to arrange U.S.-based financial
assistance is before you leave home for the United States.
Applications for financial aid must be initiated as early as
one-and-a-half years before departure. See Step 9
for suggestions on searching for financial aid.
STEP 6 TOEFL (TEST
OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE) OR TSE( TEST OF SPOKEN
ENGLISH)
To complete graduate academic
study in the United States successfully, you will need to be able
to read, write and communicate orally in English with a high
degree of proficiency. English language proficiency is a
requirement for gaining admission to U.S. institutions of higher
education as well as for achieving your academic and personal
goals while in the United States.
Assessment
of English Language Proficiency
To determine your level of English language proficiency, arrange
to take the TOEFL as early as possible -- at least a year
before you plan to enroll. Most institutions require a score of
550 to 600 on the TOEFL examination for graduate academic
admission. A few accept scores as low as 500.
Even if you already have basic
English proficiency, a college or university may require you to
take courses to improve your mastery of American English, academic
usage or research and study skills. If you studied English under
the British system, you may find that U.S. vocabulary and usage
are quite different.
If you are applying for a
teaching assistantship, the university may ask you to demonstrate
your proficiency in spoken English, which the TOEFL examination
does not test. The Test of Spoken English (TSE),
often required for this purpose, is offered less frequently and at
fewer centers than TOEFL; so allow several additional months for
the application process if you are applying for a teaching
assistantship.
STEP 7 PREPARE FOR ENROLLMENT
BY SELECTING 10-15 INSTITUTIONS
Many foreign students miss
opportunities for acceptance at institutions of their choice or
chances for financial aid simply because they do not allow enough
time for the application process. The process of entering higher
education in the United States requires at least one to two years,
if you are applying to selective institutions or requesting
financial aid. Selection, application and testing may each require
several months. Travel arrangements and visa application can also
be time-consuming.
There are about 1,100
universities in the United States that offer graduate level
programs; 430 of these offer doctoral degrees. Educational
institutions are usually called universities in the U.S. if they
offer graduate study, emphasizing research as well as teaching.
Most also offer undergraduate studies. Some have professional
schools, such as law or medical schools, as well.
Although graduate students
usually take some formal coursework as part of their degree
requirements, research is an important part of most graduate
programs. Graduate students do independent research in
consultation with a supervising professor (often called the
"major professor" or thesis adviser) or a committee of
professors who help to set up research plans and schedules.
Research must be original and creative.
Master's
Degree
Most universities award master of arts (M.A.) degrees in arts,
sciences and humanities and master of sciences (M.S.) degrees in
applied fields such as engineering. The master of business
administration (M.B.A.) equips students with a credential for
entry into the business world.
Increasingly, master's degrees
are acquiring new names and initials as more and more professional
fields design master's degrees as credentials for entry into the
field. Such master's degrees, which include the name of the field
or specialization as part of the title, usually lead to
eligibility for professional certification rather than preparation
for doctoral study or teaching.
Master's degrees may require one
to two years of courses (30-60 credit hours) concentrated in the
field of study, with other courses from closely-related fields.
Usually a grade average of "B" must be maintained to
receive the degree. Master's degrees may or may not require a
thesis in addition to course work.
Doctoral
Degree
Doctoral degrees include, for example, the doctor of philosophy
(Ph.D.) in the arts and sciences, and the doctor of education (Ed.D.).
Doctoral programs almost always require original research leading
to the defense of a doctoral dissertation. Students may enter some
programs with the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree and take
courses for one to two years before beginning dissertation
research. in this case, a student may or may not earn a master's
degree upon completion of course work. Other doctoral programs
begin after the master's degree with little if any course work
required. Some programs require that students pass a comprehensive
oral and/or written examination to attain candidacy for the
degree.
Types of
Universities
Universities may be public or private. institutions of high
quality are found equally among public and private universities;
the principal difference is one of funding. Public institutions
are funded partially by the government of the state in which the
institution is located (for example, Texas or Florida), and
partially by student tuition payments and private donations. Since
public institutions are supported by state government, they give
preference in enrollment and tuition charges to students from that
state. The total cost, however, is usually lower at most state
institutions than at private institutions, even for those who are
not residents of the state.
State universities fall into two
general categories:
- Research
Universities
Most states have at least one public university designed to
provide the traditional variety of educational opportunities
in academic fields, These universities, in addition to
offering undergraduate education, stress research as well as
teaching. As a general rule, they are less likely at the
graduate level to place emphasis on applied study and research
and more likely to place emphasis on theoretical, or
"pure" research.
- Land Grant
and Sea Grant Universities
In 1862 Congress passed the Morrill Act that provided a grant
of land to many of the states to establish a "land
grant" university. These universities, in addition to
providing a broad general education in many fields, emphasize
the application of knowledge in such fields as agriculture and
engineering.
The name of a land grant university often reflects this
emphasis. Look for "Agricultural and Mechanical
University" or "Technological University" to
designate a university that stresses applied knowledge. Other
states call this type of university a "state"
university. More recently some state universities have been
designated as "sea grant" universities, to emphasize
the importance of marine applications.
Short-Term
Study
In addition to degree programs, many universities offer
opportunities for short-term study. Students who might not be able
to gain home-country recognition of a U.S. graduate degree, and
employed professionals who cannot afford sustained absence, often
benefit from short-term training and educational programs. Consult
your advising center for information about these short-term
options.
Other
Institutions
Research centers, special institutes or professional schools may
also offer graduate degrees. These institutions may offer research
and/or instruction in only one field or group of fields. Often
these institutions have a relationship to a university.
SELECTION
FACTORS
To select institutions effectively, you must first think carefully
about your intentions and plans. If you are planning to study
toward a master's degree, decide whether you want to emphasize
professional certification with an applied "terminal" or
professional master's degree leading directly to employment in the
field, or to prepare for teaching or for doctoral study and
research with an academic master's degree. These distinctions
matter, because many master's degrees cannot be used as the basis
for doctoral study.
The master of business
administration (M.B.A.) program, designed for immediate
employment, cannot be applied toward a Ph.D. in business. Before
you apply to any M.B.A. program, analyze the programs at the
universities you are considering, to make sure that you choose a
program that meets your goals and preferences. Ask yourself the
following:
- Are you interested in a one-
or a two-year program?
- Do you want to emphasize
computer applications in management or follow a more
traditional approach?
- Do you want a program that
uses the case study method, and therefore requires a high
proficiency in spoken English?
If you are interested in a research
degree, particularly a Ph.D., investigate the definition of your
field as it exists in the United States and choose your research
emphasis. Rather than specifying your field broadly, for example,
"civil engineering," define your research interests as
clearly as possibly, for example, "dry-land irrigation
methods." Talk to local professionals in your chosen field,
especially those who have studied in the United States, and ask
about centers of excellence in your particular field of study.
These do not correspond necessarily with various rankings of
universities as a whole. If you can, attend a conference in your
field or go to the library and scan journals published for your
field. Look at the papers in your specialized field of research to
see who is active in your field and to which university they
belong. if your application reflects that you have tried to match
your interests with those of the department, your chances for
acceptance and for departmental funding increase dramatically.
Field of
Study
To find institutions that offer the program you are considering,
consult books that cross-reference institutions by field of study.
The library at the educational advising center may also contain
special books for use in locating programs in your field. At your
advising center, use catalogs, brochures and other publications to
investigate the entire range of possibilities. (A complete and
current set may be available on microfiche.) Educational advisers
can assist in interpreting the differences between institutions
and in locating references that list professors and their research
interests by field. They are also aware of host-country
regulations and educational equivalencies in various fields.
Once you have located a suitable
group of institutions that offer your specialized field, compare
them systematically. Look at the differences between them with
respect to:
- Research emphases;
- Size of department;
- Qualifications of the faculty;
- Academic admission
requirements, including required TOEFL and GRE or GMAT scores;
- Length of time required for
degree;
- Cost of tuition, books, etc.;
- Availability of financial
assistance for first-year foreign students;
- Location, housing options,
campus setting, climate and cost of living;
- Course and thesis
requirements; and
- International Student Services
Office.
Compare the number of applicants
with the number of students accepted. If possible, try to find out
the level of outside funding (government, foundation and private
grants) for research in your department for each of the
universities you have selected; this factor affects the
availability of research assistantships.
Using a comparison worksheet
makes it easy to eliminate institutions that are too expensive,
that do not meet your individual needs or that have admissions
requirements that are too high or too low. Gather as much data as
possible about specific programs and institutions through research
at the advising center and through correspondence.
Quality
A question that students often ask is, "How do I find the
best institutions?" Unfortunately, there are no simple
answers.
The first step is to define your
academic and career goals, as well as personal preferences about
the campus environment. Then find institutions whose goals and
offerings most closely match your needs.
A second step is to check whether
or not institutions are recognized by the Council on Postsecondary
Accreditation (COPA). Each year the American Council on Education
publishes for COPA a list of all accredited institutions in the
United States, called Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary
Education. While there may be institutions of high quality
that have chosen not to participate in the COPA accrediting
process, questions should be raised about the acceptance of
degrees by, and transfer of credits to and from accredited
institutions, and whether or not unaccredited institutions meet
the minimum standards of a COPA-recognized institution. Caution
should be exercised and considerably more information should be
requested from such institutions before enrolling.
The United States does not have a
Ministry of Education responsible for regulation of educational
institutions. Instead, institutions agree to voluntary
self-regulation in the process called accreditation. There are two
types of accreditation: institutional and professional.
Institutional accreditation
refers to the institution as a whole. For conferring institutional
accreditation, COPA recognizes six regional accrediting agencies,
as well as accrediting agencies for independent schools and
religious colleges.
Professional accreditation exists
only in fields or programs where professional or occupational
competence in the field is a major concern, such as medicine,
engineering, business and law. Professional accrediting
associations usually require that the entire institution be
accredited before they will accredit a particular program. The
importance of professional accreditation varies from field to
field. Often professional accreditation applies only to the first
professional degree.
It is important to distinguish
between accreditation and state authorization. State authorization
or "state approval" may not involve regulation of
quality at all, but simply indicate that an institution complies
with financial and licensing regulations. Some states do not
regulate educational institutions at all.
A third step in seeking quality
is to avoid institutions that seem too anxious to enroll foreign
students. Unfortunately, there are some institutions in the United
States that are more interested in the dollars of foreign students
than in providing a good education. These institutions are not
numerous, but there are enough that caution is necessary.
Published rankings (assessments)
of colleges and universities are available, but their usefulness
varies. There is no "official" ranking of colleges and
universities in the United States. Rankings according to
competitiveness of admission (that is, the ratio of the number of
students who apply to the number admitted) are useful in giving an
idea of the chances for admission. For other rankings, it is
necessary to define your goals carefully, and to make sure that
the criteria on which a ranking is based match your criteria for
choosing institutions.
Some rankings are based on the
opinions of one person who has visited or interviewed people about
a number of colleges and universities. Others may be based on an
opinion survey of professionals in the field. Still others are
based on funds allotted by the federal government for research
grants.
In the final analysis, finding
the "best" institutions means finding the institutions
that best meet your individual needs and interests.
Location
The continental United States can be divided into several regions
based on climate. In New England, the Middle Atlantic, the Midwest
and eastern regions of the West, as well as Alaska to the north,
winters can be cold, with extended periods in which the
temperature stays below zero degrees centigrade. In these regions,
summers are mild. in the South and Southwest regions, as well as
Hawaii and Puerto Rico, summers may be hot, and winters mild. in
the Northwest and Southwest, year-round temperatures are more
nearly uniform, Certain parts of the states of Washington and
Oregon have a rainy season and a dry season.
Cost of living varies from region
to region as well. In general (although exceptions are frequent),
living costs are lowest in the South and Southwest regions and
highest in large cities and in New England.
Urban, rural and suburban
campuses offer different advantages and pose separate problems.
Students from small countries or rural areas may appreciate the
atmosphere of campuses far from large cities. Be sure to weigh
advantages and disadvantages, and choose an area where you will
feel most comfortable.
Cost
Institutions vary widely not only with respect to tuition charges,
but in cost of living as well. in comparing costs, remember to use
the "total" cost rather than "published"
figures based on adding tuition, room and board, books and fees. A
general rule is to add at least $6,000 (for a single student) to
published totals.
Availability
of Financial Aid
In graduate departments, availability of financial assistance
varies widely from field to field and from university to
university. Most financial assistance comes in the form of
assistantships. In general, fields that attract federally funded
research grants, such as physical sciences, applied health,
biological sciences and engineering, support many graduate
students through research assistantships. In most of the
humanities and social sciences, in business, and in the fine arts,
few if any research assistantships are available.
Departments that offer large
undergraduate introductory courses often employ graduate foreign
students as teaching fellows, but usually only after the first
year and only if the teaching fellow can demonstrate outstanding
proficiency in spoken English.
Availability
of English As A Second Language
If you need further English language preparation, select colleges,
community colleges or universities that offer English as a second
language or make sure such programs exist at nearby institutions.
International
Student Services Office
One of the most important factors for foreign students is the
presence of a comprehensive program of international student
services. An institution that provides services for foreign
students is also more likely to be sensitive to the academic needs
of students from other countries.
Sponsor Links:
STEP 8 WRITE TO THE GRADUATE
ADMISSIONS OFFICE OF THE INSTITUTIONS YOU HAVE SELECTED & ASK
FOR AN APPLICATION & INFO
After selecting a group of 10 to
15 institutions that seem most appropriate, write to at least 10
of them for information and application materials. Always use the
same spelling of your name, from the first inquiry through the
entire application process. This is especially important if your
name is transliterated from some other language into English.
In requesting information and
application materials, use a preliminary application form provided
by the nearest advising center, or write a letter containing
information similar to that in the application form. If there are
mail or currency restrictions in your home country, consult the
nearest advising center for procedures.
When to
send inquiries. Receiving a response to your first
letter may take four to six weeks. (See Table IV,
"Corresponding with American Educational institutions.")
For selective institutions or for financial assistance, mail your
first inquiry at least a year-and-a-half before you plan to
enroll. In other cases, send your first inquiry at least a year
before you plan to enroll (by August for the fall term of the next
year).
How to
send inquiries. Send inquiries by airmail, and request
an airmail reply. Carefully type or print all items. Do not send
any documents with the original inquiry; wait until you file a
formal application. Some universities have facsimile (fax)
numbers; if this is the case, you may be able to save time by
making your first inquiry by fax. In most cases, For the
application, however, the university will want actual documents
rather than a facsimile transmission.
If you have conducted thorough
research, most or all of the institutions will respond by inviting
you to submit a full formal application for admission. They will
send all the necessary forms and instructions. Sometimes a
preliminary application will be necessary.
If you are applying to English as
a second language programs you may find applications included in
brochures available in the advising center. In such cases a
preliminary letter is unnecessary.
What to
Include
You may lose valuable time by not including essential information
in the first inquiry. A letter or preliminary application should
have the following:
- Where
to send inquiries. Address your inquiry to the
Director of Graduate Admissions, using the address for the
university given in the reference books. Write a separate
letter to the Department Chair or Departmental Graduate
Admissions Committee Chair requesting information about study
and research in the department.
- Your
name, printed legibly or typed in exactly the same
form and spelling each time, clearly indicating which of the
names is the family name. in the United States, each person is
identified primarily by a single family name or "last
name" and it is customary to use only the father's family
name as the son's or daughter's family name. It is best to use
your name as it appears on your passport.
- Date
of birth, printed or typed with month first, then
day and year as it corresponds to the (Gregorian) calendar
used in the United States. Example: May 6, 1967 is 5/6/67. If
a different calendar is used in your country,
"translate" into the U.S. system and be sure to
always use the same birth date.
- Mailing
address.
- Citizenship
and country issuing passport.
- Marital
status and number of dependents.
- Past
and present education, in chronological order,
including secondary schools, technical programs, colleges and
universities attended, with examination results, grades and
rank in class, if known.
- Program
of study, stated as specifically as possible, with
the month and year in which you hope to begin studying in the
United States.
- Total
funds available to meet your educational and living
expenses during each year of study in the United States, and
sources of these funds.
- Scores
of TOEFL and required admissions tests, if
available, or dates on which you are registered to take these
examinations.
- Number
of years of English language study and where you
studied.
These items will enable admissions
officers to judge whether application at a particular level is
suitable and to indicate chances for admission.
Although U.S. educational
institutions vary in their procedures and requirements for
admission of students from other countries, formal applications
usually include most of the following:
- Institutional application
form;
- Certified copies of original
educational documents;
- Certified translations of
these documents if not originally in English;
- Evidence of English language
proficiency (usually TOEFL);
- Scores for any required
academic entrance examinations;
- Financial information, with
applications for financial aid if requested;
- Letters of recommendation from
teachers; and
- Non-refundable application fee
of $25 to $100.
As in the initial inquiry, be sure
that you print and spell your name in exactly the same way in each
part of the application. Use the same name order, and indicate the
family name, either by underlining it or writing it in all
capital letters, for example: Richard John SMITH. If different
parts of the application arrive separately -- for example, test
scores or recommendation letters -- they will be placed in
separate files if the names are even slightly different. Admissions
files do not become active unless they are complete, so unless
all items arrive and are placed together, no action will be taken.
To help admissions officers keep all documents together, attach a
note to each document which bears a different name or different
spelling, giving the same first, second and family name you used
on your application form. Use the name on the passport if
possible.
Instructions for each application
will differ. Follow them carefully, paying particular attention to
closing dates or deadlines for receipt of completed applications.
(See The College Board Handbook: Foreign Student Supplement.)
Allow enough time for mail delivery. Often the closing date for
students from other countries is earlier than for U.S. students.
Usually applications for scholarships or fellowships must be
submitted earlier than applications for admission.
Try to begin work on applications
well before the deadline and submit completed applications two or
three months before the closing date. This will allow the
institutions time to evaluate the application before the peak of
the selection period. If you are applying in a competitive field
or to a selective institution, submit your application as early as
possible.
If there are mail or currency
restrictions in your home country, seek advice on effective
application procedures from educational advising centers in your
country.
Keep copies for your records
of all documents and application forms submitted. Keep a record of
when materials were mailed and where.
Throughout the application
process, do the best that you can to comply with instructions, but
if some procedure is impossible or some document is lost or cannot
be obtained, state the situation in a letter with a cover letter
from the advising office or the U.S. cultural affairs officer.
Sometimes accommodations will be made for difficult circumstances.
Application
Forms and Instructions
The glossary at the back of this handbook defines the more common
technical terms that may be included in application forms. Most
institutions want to know the kind of career you plan, as well as
plans for career preparation and educational background.
Educational
Documents
Each institution will specify the types of official records it
requires to document past education. Usually they will require
your entire scholastic record from secondary school and/or
university sources. U.S. admissions officers prefer that
transcripts of previous educational work be sent directly from
your former schools. The institution may also furnish special
forms on which school authorities are asked to write your grades
and your academic performance relative to other students in your
institution. If such forms are not provided, you or the school
will be expected to submit official documents that provide this
kind of information. If the admissions officer requests
explanation of the grading and class ranking system or
descriptions of courses that you have taken, this information
should be furnished by an official of your school or university if
possible.
As requested, send certified
copies of the originals of diplomas, degrees or professional
titles, or copies of full records of your performance in the
comprehensive examinations administered in your home country. Do
not send original documents unless there is no alternative;
usually they cannot be returned. Copies should be certified with
an official seal from the school or university or certified by a
public official authorized to certify documents. In some countries
these officials are called notaries public. If English
translations are necessary, you may use the services of a
professional translator or translate the document yourself. Such
translations must also be certified by a notary public or another
acceptable agency. U.S. embassies and consulates no longer certify
documents, copies or translations.
Letters
of Recommendation
Some universities send recommendation forms with the application;
if so, ask professors who know you and former employers to use
these forms and to follow the instructions printed on them. If
there are no specific instructions, ask three or four professors,
administrators or employers who know you well to type letters on
their own letterhead in English and send them directly to the
university. To guarantee candor and confidentiality, you must
arrange for the writer to mail your recommendation directly to the
university without your reading it. As a courtesy, give them
stamped airmail envelopes addressed to the institution. Write in
the lower left hand corner of the envelope "Re: Application
of (your name)."
Recommendations
should include:
- A statement about their
experience with your academic work or employment;
- An estimate of how your work
compares with others in the same field with whom they have
experience;
- An assessment of your
particular strengths;
- Your rank in class, department
or university if they know it; and
- An assessment of your research
experience and ability, if known.
STEP 9 IF YOU NEED FINANCIAL
AID, BEGIN TO LOOK FOR SOURCES
Graduate students can apply for
financial assistance through home-country assistance programs,
U.S. government programs, private international programs or
individual university departments.
Home-Country
Sources
Ask at the educational advising center or consult local contacts
about funding from home-country or regional sources. Government
scholarship programs, regional assistance programs, local or
third-country organizations or businesses, banks or religious
institutions may offer aid to graduate students from your country.
U.S.
Government Assistance
The Fulbright Program, founded to encourage mutual understanding
between the people of the United States and other countries,
offers awards for graduate and postgraduate scholars and
researchers. Postgraduate lectureships are also available. There
are currently 36 different types of awards, from travel grants to
grants which cover maintenance and study costs; their availability
varies from country to country. in general, more types of awards
are available in countries which contribute to and jointly sponsor
a Fulbright Commission or Foundation for Educational Exchange with
the United States. Applicants must apply to and be approved by
appropriate agencies in the home country. if there is a Fulbright
commission in your country, inquire about the types of grants
available; if not, inquire at a United States information Service
(USIS) office.
In some developing countries,
support for short-term graduate study or master's level degree
study may be available through programs sponsored by the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID). Eligibility
for these programs varies, but in general local institutions
nominate employees for training or education that promotes a
specified development goal.
Some scholarship programs operate
regionally. For sub-Sahara Africa, the AFGRAD program, and in
Latin America, the LASPAU program, may offer opportunities. Your
educational advising center may be aware of other U.S.
government-sponsored programs functioning in your home country.
Private
U.S. Sources and International Organizations
Private U.S. agencies, foundations, business corporations and
professional associations often award financial aid in the
interest of furthering international exchange. international
organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of
American States (OAS) are other possible sources of financial aid.
Since these institutions are large and complex, writing to them
directly with general requests for financial aid will have little
effect. Use references available in the advising center to find
specific awards or grants for which you are eligible, and address
the office indicated. Many awards and grants are directed toward
particular groups (e.g., women, irrigation engineers, children of
journalists); you must read carefully to see whether you fit into
any of the categories. Greater foundation support is usually
available for students in the social and natural sciences, and the
humanities. Apply only for awards for which you match the
specifications.
If an application requires that
you write a research or project proposal, pay particular attention
to this step. If possible, have the proposal checked by a
professional in your field who has worked in the United States.
For suggestions, see Table V, "Writing a Research
Proposal."
U.S.
Universities
Although availability of financial assistance from university
departments varies directly with the field, many foreign graduate
students finance U.S. education through assistantships. To locate
likely sources of aid, first consult the Directory of Graduate
Programs, published by the Council of Graduate Schools, and
available in your advising center. Institutions offering your
field are listed by state, with a numerical breakdown of the
number of fellowships and assistantships awarded, by total and by
number awarded to first-year students. Since this publication
applies to U.S. students as well, these totals do not refer only
to foreign students. Sources of aid that involve loans or
work/study programs are not available to foreign students. Choose
several institutions that offer assistantships to first-year
students and consult other references for further information.
Fellowships
Departments award fellowships on the basis of academic merit,
normally after the first year of study. Graduate fellowships may
be modest, covering only tuition and fees, or full grants,
providing the cost of tuition and fees, and monthly cash payments
for maintenance. Fellowships do not usually cover the total cost
of living and studying.
Assistantships
Assistantships are the most common form of financial aid at the
graduate level. Assistantships are cash awards which require the
performance of services related to the field of study, usually
about 20 hours per week. Sometimes an assistantship carries with
it a waiver or reduction of tuition. Awards may range from as
little as $500 to as much as $17,000 (or effectively higher, if
high tuition costs are waived) for an academic year, U.S. income
tax must be paid on all forms of graduate financial assistance,
including assistantships. There are several types of
assistantships.
- Teaching
assistantships may be available for the first year
of graduate study in university departments with large numbers
of undergraduates in introductory courses. Teaching assistants
work about 20 hours per week. They may supervise undergraduate
laboratory classes, lead discussion groups or teach small
classes. increasingly, universities require that teaching
assistants pass the Test of Spoken English (TSE) before
receiving a teaching assistantship. Often universities require
teaching fellows to complete seminars which prepare them to
teach in the U.S. educational milieu. if you are interested in
applying for a teaching fellowship, mention any previous
teaching experience you may have.
- Research
assistantships involve performance of research
services, about 20 hours per week, related to the field of
study. For engineering, for example--in addition to the Directory
of Graduate Programs mentioned above--you can look up your
research specialization in the annual March issue of Engineering
Education. This publication lists by institution, amounts
and subjects of current research grants at universities. Find
institutions that have grants in your field, and apply to
these universities for research assistantships. If you apply
to institutions whose research funding matches your interests,
professors who are the principal researchers for grants in
your area will often single out your application for funding,
especially if you have proven research experience.
- Administrative
assistantships usually require 10 to 20 hours per
week working in administrative offices of the university, such
as the Foreign Student Advising Office. Apply for these
assistantships through the Graduate Admissions Office rather
than the department in your field of study.
Competition for all types of
assistantships is intense, since only limited numbers are
available at any one institution. Foreign applicants must compete
with U.S. students. Doctoral students are more likely to receive
support than master's candidates. Although financial need is taken
into consideration, the most important factor in selection is
academic achievement and promise in the field of study.
Practically all awards for graduate study are made one year at a
time. Renewal is not automatic and depends on your performance and
the availability of funds.
Other types of aid include
part-time employment on campus up to 20 hours per week and
short-term emergency loans. For further information about sources
of financial aid, consult sources listed at the end of this
booklet. Many of the references will be available in your advising
center, and the educational adviser may know of additional
home-country sources.
STEP 10 WAIT FOR OFFERS OF
ADMISSION
Several months will pass while
institutions review applications. During this period, test scores,
letters of recommendation and other documents arrive, and the
admissions file is finally completed. Consult the advising center
if you encounter difficulties such as inability to obtain
particular documents.
Many institutions review all
completed applications at the same time and issue acceptances
between March and May.
STEP 11 ACCEPT ONE OFFER OF
ADMISSION & WRITE TO OTHERS
If you are accepted by an
institution, you will receive a letter of admission and the form
you need to apply for a visa, the "Certificate of Eligibility
for Non-immigrant F-1 Status," Form 1-20 A-B.(See
Step-13) Or if you are sponsored by a qualifying institution
or program, you need the "Certificate of Eligibility for
Exchange Visitor (J-1) Status, " Form IAP-66. (See
Step-13)
The letter of admission will
probably ask that you make a decision within a specified period.
You may also be requested to confirm your intention to enroll by
sending in a deposit of $50 to $ 100. If you accept, write a
letter to the admissions officer, and to the graduate department,
stating your intention to enroll. Fill out and return any
additional forms by airmail. If university-sponsored housing
applications are included, process them as soon as possible, and
return them by airmail with a check or money order for any deposit
that may be required. (See Step 12)
If you are offered an
assistantship, you must either accept it or refuse it by a common
acceptance date (usually April 15) designated by the university.
If you are waiting for another acceptance or another offer of
financial assistance, wait until you are sure before accepting a
less desirable offer you might then decide to refuse. When you
have made a decision, also inform the institutions whose offers
you have decided not to accept.
STEP 12 DECIDE WHETHER YOU'LL
LIVE IN HOUSING ON-CAMPUS OR OFF
Alternatives for housing may
include residential halls on campus, rented rooms, or furnished or
unfurnished apartments on- or off-campus. Occasionally students
are able to arrange accommodations with a family. Except for
on-campus housing, however, most of these options must be arranged
after you arrive. (See the booklet, Predeparture Orientation.)
On-Campus
Housing
Sometimes separate residence halls are provided for men and for
women; in other cases, the residence halls are "co-ed"
-- that is, men and women live in the same housing unit but do not
share rooms. Usually two students share a room; single rooms are
scarce. Generally, rooms have a bed, a desk, a chair, a closet and
sometimes draperies. Students must provide bed linens, draperies,
decorations and accessories. Contracts for residence halls usually
cover the entire academic year. Often you must pay nonrefundable
fees in full at the beginning of the year -- so you will need to
have a large portion of your funds available immediately on
arrival -- if you have not already paid them with your admissions
cost. "Room and board" contracts cover the cost of
housing as well as a specified number of meals in the campus
dining hall or cafeteria.
Off-Campus
Housing
If you choose to live off-campus, you will probably have to wait
until after you arrive to arrange housing. The international
Student Services Office may be able to help in locating housing,
but it is wise to plan to take this responsibility yourself. Some
cities have apartment locator services that charge a fee for
locating apartments with your specifications.
Options include single rented
rooms, with or without kitchens; rooms in "boarding
houses" with meals provided at extra cost; shared houses for
rent; and furnished or unfurnished rented apartments.
"Furnished" in the United States means that basic
furniture and sometimes floor coverings and draperies are
provided. Bed linens, towels, kitchen equipment and dishes are not
provided. Public transportation may be scarce. If you need a car
to get to campus, costs will increase dramatically.
Living
with a Family
The ease of arranging homestays with families in the U.S. varies
from location to location. If this service is available, the cost
is usually about the same as that of a rented private room with
added meals. The International Student Services Office can
sometimes offer information about homestays. The Experiment in
International Living is one of a number of organizations that
sponsor group programs and one-month homestays for students who
would like to live with an American family before beginning their
studies.
STEP 13 APPLY FOR A STUDENT
VISA.
Consult the consular section at
the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as early as possible to
determine the specific procedures and documents necessary to apply
for a non-immigrant (F-1) student visa. These may differ from
country to country. Below are the usual requirements:
- Passport, valid for at least
six months after the date you plan to leave;
- Visa application form;
- A photograph, 5 cm by 5 cm,
with your signature in English on the back;
- Certificate of Eligibility for
Non-immigrant F-1 Student Status (Form 1-20 A-B);
- Affidavit of financial support
form and evidence of support;
- Evidence of English language
ability; and
- Any other documents of local
importance.
The F-1
Student Visa
To apply for an F-1 student visa, present the above documents to a
U.S. consular officer. The consular officer usually interviews
applicants and will examine your documents and review your
educational plans. Although the visa application process normally
is not time-consuming, it is a good idea to apply early. Any
questions that might arise about your qualification to receive a
visa can be dealt with without delaying your departure.
Note: The Form I-20 is not a
visa, nor does it guarantee a visa. Be sure that you have read
the form before you go to the interview and have completed any
statements required of you. The statements that you will be asked
to sign include:
- That your purpose in coming to
the United States is to remain temporarily to pursue a full
course of study at the school specified on the Form 1-20 and
stamped on the visa;
- That you will not accept
employment or engage in business in the United States without
authorization of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS);
- That adequate finances are
available for the entire period of your study; and
- That you notify the INS
promptly of any change in address.
If the consular officer grants an
F-1 student visa, he or she will stamp the visa into your
passport, noting on it the name of the institution issuing the
Form 1-20. This indicates your intent to pursue a full course of
study at that institution. If you decide to attend a different
institution which has also issued a Form 1-20, contact a U.S.
consular officer before departure to see if the notation on the
visa can be changed. For entry into the United States, the
institution endorsed on the visa and the institution you plan to
attend must be the same.
J-1
Exchange Visitor Visa
Certain students, scholars and professionals coming to the United
States to participate in a program of study or research may be
issued Form IAP-66, "Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange
Visitor (J-1) Status." Programs eligible to issue the IAP-66
include those approved by the U.S. Information Agency and
sponsored by a private organization or government agency.
To apply for a J-1 visa, complete
pages two (2) and six (6) of the IAP-66, and present it along with
the documents listed above to a U.S. consular officer. Terms of
the J-1 visa are very explicit. They define precisely the purpose
and length of stay allowed. in applying for a J-1 visa, you must
agree to the following:
- Your stay in the United States
will only be for the duration of the program described in the
Form IAP-66;
- You will engage only in the
activities pertaining to the program described in the Form
IAP-66;
- You will provide, or obtain
from a sponsor, adequate finances for support during your
authorized stay in the United States; and
- You will secure a release from
sponsors and permission from the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service before transferring to another exchange
visitor program.
If your travel or study is financed
directly by the U.S. government, or by your home-country
government, your eligibility to change your immigration status
while in the United States is limited by law. You must return to
your home country or country of last residence for two years
before becoming eligible to apply for an immigrant (permanent
residence) visa. The two-year foreign residency requirement also
applies to those whose field of study appears on the Exchange
Visitor Skills List and to all foreign medical graduates coming to
the United States for graduate medical education. U.S. consular
officers will explain details to anyone who applies for the J-1
visa.
STEP 14 ATTEND A PREDEPARTURE
ORIENTATION SESSION
Your advising center may offer
programs to give you information about what to expect regarding
the academic system, the climate, the culture and other aspects of
your life in the United States. Arrange to attend such a program,
and obtain the booklet in this series, Predeparture Orientation,
which gives further information.
