 Choosing a university that best suits you: |
| Choosing a university from overseas is a very difficult task. There are over 4,000 US universities to choose from, which offers variety of courses. You need to narrow that choice by compiling a list of factors important to you. The following information is meant to provide you with criteria you might want to consider. |
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| Academic Importance |
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| Field of study & Specialization:- If you have a definite degree objective, identify universities offering that field. After choosing some universities, which offers your field of study, look for the specialization, they offer if you have any in your mind. This can minimize the selection list your preparing on the universities. |
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| Course Emphasis |
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| Go through the course ware these universities are offering. Some universities offer very good & modern technologies in their courses while others have same old pattern. Some universities offer fixed course curriculum while some offer independent study, which allows you to choose your own subjects. Go through the course catalogue and course descriptions, which can give you a clear picture. |
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| Accreditation |
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| This is very important factor. Many international students don't know the difference between accredited & non-accredited universities. In the United States, accreditation is used to assure quality in educational institutions and programs. Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process of peer review. It requires an educational institution or program to meet certain, defined standards or criteria. Check that any university you are considering is regionally accredited. |
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| Cost Factor |
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| Cost to be incurred:- Study the fee structure printed in most university prospectuses carefully and integrate into your calculations the cost of living plus the insurance and other expenses for your period of study. |
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| Type of university |
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| US universities are either private or state-supported. In general the tuition fees at state-supported universities are less expensive than private universities. International students, however, are considered non-state residents and are charged "out-of-state" tuition rates, which are higher than in-state rates but still much lesser than most private universities. Accordingly, getting into these universities is very tough. |
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| Aid Possibility |
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| Getting an Financial Aid from the university can bring down your tuition & other expenses by half or even more. But not many universities are well funded to award Financial Aid's or assistantships to many students. So check with the present students of the school or the school officials about these possibilities. |
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| On-Campus jobs |
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| US laws allows international student to work up to 20 hours/week. Usually, on-campus jobs fetch 6 or 7 $/hour. This can very well over your monthly living, food & other expenses but you can't get a job in all universities because of the large international students strength, which is competing for the fewer positions. Check the total number of international students in your university by which you can assess your chances. |
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| Other Factors |
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| Apart from the above important factors, the others to be considered are: - location of the university, intern & job opportunities made available by the university to the students, student services, etc. |
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