Study in USA

The university system in the United States is among the best in the world, with great programmes in practically every discipline. Excellent undergraduate programmes are available in both traditional fields of study and professional ones.
Several U.S. schools have risen to the top in their fields thanks to a close connection between research and education. Students often study from Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners at these prestigious colleges and universities.

USA has the world’s most flexible education system, students can study their area of interest as specialization. As the education system of USA is not centralized each institute can determine its program and admission standards. Lateral movement in the education system is possible any time.

Grading System

The GPA system is followed throughout the United States to judge student’s performance. It is graded on the scale of 0 to 4. Following is the evaluation of GPA

Grade Points Grade Points Equivalent

>4 >A High Achievement

>3 >B Satisfactory

>2 >C Minimum Passing

>1 >D Failure

Intakes

US universities have 3 intakes

1. Spring: January/February
2. Fall: August/September
3. Summer: April/May

Major intake is the Fall intake, but most of the universities are open for Spring and few of them for summer & winter intake too. However all subjects commence in Fall and only some in Winter and Summer intake.

Eligibility Language Requirement

All students must have the required English language proficiency with regards to the course. TOEFL score of 80 or above for Postgraduate and 79 above for Undergraduate studies is a decent score. IELTS score of 6.0 or above for Undergraduate degrees and 6.5 or above for postgraduate degrees is required. Over 2500 institutions in USA recognize the IELTS exams including several top ranked institutions.There are several universities which do accept IELTS 6.0 band, few schools accepts TOEFL / IELTS with low scores, students need to complete English programme on successful completion of English programme student can go ahead with Undergraduate and Graduate studies.

Entry Requirements + Eligibilbity

• Undergraduate: 10+2
• Graduate:16 years of education required (10+2+4)
• Some institutions accept 15 years education into their Bridge /Masters Programs
• Good & strong academic background
• Good scores in entrance Tests like SAT, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, IELTS etc
• Strong recommendation letters
• To the point Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, essays & resumes
• Certificates of achievement & extra -curricular activity participation
• Strong financial background or good grades to get a scholarship.

Public Colleges and Universities
The financial support provided by public taxation goes to state-affiliated institutions, many of which are rather substantial. All levels of degrees in many disciplines of study are available. Residents of the states where public colleges and universities are located can afford them with ease. The tuition for out-of-state students is higher because they live outside of the state.

Private Colleges and Universities
Private institutions are independent of the government. These colleges have higher tuition prices, but both international and domestic students are required to pay the same amount.

Technical Institutes
These are engineering and science-focused institutions well-known for their scholarly pursuits and high-quality graduate programmes. The majority of international students that attend these universities are post-graduates. Students admitted to these universities typically have impressive backgrounds in math and science, as evidenced by their grades and standardised test results (e.g. SAT or GRE).

Colleges and Universities
Community colleges, also referred to as county colleges or city colleges, offer postsecondary education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, awarding certificates, diplomas, and an Associate’s degree.

Associate Degree:
It is an academic degree that is usually conferred two years after a study course by community colleges, junior college, business college or a certain baccalaureate (60 Credits). 

Bachelors Degree:
Commonly referred to as an Indian undergraduate. The bachelor’s degree duration is 4 years.

Masters Degree:
Depending on the university and area of expertise, the duration of the master’s studies might be from one year to two. The 16-year education prerequisites are the mandatory requirement for Masters.
Today, MBA is one of the most popular university degrees due to its long-term advantages. In the world of business, MBA graduates play a crucial role and are therefore highly wanted on the labour market.So you have to anticipate a severe competition if you want to obtain an MBA degree. A globally recognised education in business areas is the only way to stand out.

Doctorate:
Well recognised usually as a PhD. It can last for between 3 and 4 years (plus 1 year writing up period). Only after completing a master’s degree can students receive admission for a PhD. In certain circumstances, bachelor’s degrees are admissible depending on experience and proven record of excellence. Doctoral students must present a proposal for research.

Entry Requirements + Eligibilbity

• Undergraduate: 10+2
• Graduate:16 years of education required (10+2+4)
• Some institutions accept 15 years education into their Bridge /Masters Programs
• Good & strong academic background
• IELTS   6.5 band and above
• Strong recommendation letters
• To the point Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, essays & resumes
• Certificates of achievement & extra -curricular activity participation
• Strong financial background or good grades to get a scholarship.

Financial Aid:

While it is easy for most domestic students to obtain some form of Federal (Government) Aid or university aid for their Bachelor’s level education, it is most often very difficult for international students to obtain aid in any form at Bachelor’s level. Hence, it is imperative that students who are financially sound or have brilliant academic background (including top-level scores in TOEFL/IELTS and/or SAT I and II) to consider further education at the bachelor’s level.

However, at the Master’s level, aid in several forms is available for international students. Almost 78% of students at the Master’s level in US universities get funding in some form or the other.

Most Doctoral level applicants get a complete tuition waiver along with a stipend or scholarship while pursuing their PhD programs in universities abroad. It is also possible for some universities to provide just the admission and no funding at all, based on their financial constraints and funding availability.

Applicants looking for aid are required to apply well before financial aid deadlines, with proper application material, College Application Essays, Recommendations, transcripts and other specified requirements, as prescribed by universities individually.

Many students are concerned with the high costs of studying abroad. The cost of education could be anywhere between USD 10,000- USD 50,000 per year, depending on the program, level and country you choose. In addition to the tuition fee, students also need to plan for funds towards living expenses, books, health insurance, air tickets, transportation, etc.

Finances are a major source of worry for students who wish to study abroad and their parents. However, there are several funding options available to students these days. Some of the options are listed below:

• Scholarships/Fellowships/Grants
• Tuition Waiver
• Assistantships
• Administrative internships
• Program related internships
• Bank loans

From 2008, USIEF has also introduced the Fulbright Master’s Fellowships for Leadership Development designed for outstanding Indians who are in the age group of 25-30 years, to pursue a Master’s degree program in select US colleges and universities in the areas of Public Administration, Economics, Communication studies and Environment.

For more details, see: www.usief.org.in

It is important for students to understand that financial assistance for international students is often based on merit and rarely on need.

Scholarships/Grants/Fellowships

Scholarships/Grants/fellowships are generally based on the student’s academic ability and his performance through the years. Hence, only an academically outstanding student may be considered for this type of an award. These are awards where there is no repayment involved or work to be done in return. These can be Private or Public and research grants. This type of aid is usually in the form of money for any purpose.

A Scholarship can be of two kinds:

• Full – The Scholarship would pay for the student’s entire tuition fee; living expenses his books, etc.
• Partial – Scholarship would pay only for tuition fee. The student will have to provide for partial funding through other sources.
• For information on Scholarships/ Grants and Fellowships, see: www.fastweb.com

Tuition Waivers

A tuition waiver is a form of aid where the student need not pay the tuition fee. Again, the tuition fee may be fully waived or partially waived, depending from university to university.

If the tuition fee is waived, the student has to still pay for use of other facilities like, library, computer Lab, Lab services, etc.

Tuition waivers are generally awarded along with /Grants/fellowships. Tuition waiver is provided by the college/university in the form of Institutional Aid.

Assistantships

Assistantship is a financial aid given by the college/university. It is usually in the form of a cash stipend, sufficient for the student’s living expenses and/or tuition waiver, in return for which the student will have to work (generally not more than 20 hours per week).

There are two types of Assistantships:

1. Research Assistantship – it is usually granted by the respective departments in the university. The student will be assigned to a professor who will give him/her tasks related to a research project he/she is working on. 2. Teaching Assistantship – a student is asked to assist a professor in teaching. For this type of assistantship, the student should have good command over spoken English. Hence, his/her score in the Spoken section of the TOEFL is a very important criterion.

It can be understood that these types of aid are provided to students who have the requisite abilities in the respective areas of study/research.

This type of aid is provided to Master’s and Doctoral level students who are expected to teach undergraduate students or assist their professors in research