The education system in the USA is one of the most diverse in the world. It has public and private institutions, large and small organizations, secular and religiously associated institutions, and urban, suburban, and even rural institutions.
In a nutshell, it’s a terrific fit for a wide range of students. International students wishing to study in the USA will have a compelling reason to select the USA over other countries for their higher education.
In comparison to other education systems around the world, the US higher education system is relatively independent of the federal government. The United States of America remains the first choice for most international students.
With over 886,000 international students studying in the US for their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, it is not a surprise that getting into a top university in the USA has become all the more competitive. Without further ado, let us go over the basics of all you need to know about admissions in the best universities in the USA.
Each of the 50 states in the US runs at least one university or college for providing quality higher education to students at comparatively lower rates. These universities often offer a discounted fee to the residents of their states.
These universities are funded by the respective state governments and offer top-notch facilities. Public schools run a whole range of specialised programs, encompassing small liberal arts colleges to large research institutions.
A few top public schools in the US are the University of California Los Angeles, University of California Berkeley, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, etc.
These institutions are by private parties and are costlier in comparison to the state schools. All Ivy League universities are private institutions. These universities are funded essentially through student fees. With this in perspective, private universities usually offer better staff-to-student ratios and increased income for resources.
This precisely is one reason they rank higher than public universities.
A few famous ones include Massachusetts Institute of Technology (better known as MIT), Harvard University, Stanford, Yale, Duke, Princeton, etc.
Community colleges offer a two-year associate degree. Usually, Community college graduates transfer to universities or four-year colleges to complete their degree. Students are allowed to transfer their credits earned in the community college.
A few famous ones include the University of South Carolina Lancaster, New Mexico Military Institute, Lake Area Technical College, etc.
| Rank | University |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| 2 | Stanford University |
| 3 | Harvard University |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
| 5 | University of Chicago |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 7 | Yale University |
| 8 | Columbia University |
| 9 | Princeton University |
| 10 | Cornell University |
Now that we have covered the basics of the kinds of educational institutions the US offers, let us go over the strategy that you need to plan before applying to the University of your dreams.
To get an admit to one of the top US universities will take time and perseverance. Each university’s application process will be different, however, most of them involve collecting letters of recommendation from your teachers/professors, writing essays, and fulfilling requirements.
Entry requirements for different institutions are different, but most colleges require admissions test scores or essays as well as the standardized test scores along with the recommendations. In order to stay on top of your application preparation, you need to start planning way ahead of the deadlines and give the required documents/tests the time they deserve.
You should start working on creating a checklist of all the things you need to be ready with at least 12 months prior to the college/university application deadline (yes, it will take you almost a year!).
Pro-tip: Create a back-up plan for your applications. Apply to schools that you know you have a sure shot of getting into and gaining the same quality of education.
As mentioned above, you may come across a few essays during the process of your applications. In addition to this, you also may have to appear for an interview with the university – whatever may be the medium, you need to ensure that you are able to convey your love and genuine interest for the subject that you want to pursue.
Remember, more than anything, US universities value students who are passionate about what they intend to learn. For this, writing style, subject knowledge, and the quality of essay works are extremely important.
Your essays must also reflect on your intellectual and actual motivation for pursuing your intended program at the chosen US college, and why you find the particular subject area intellectually challenging.
Another thing that really matters to top US universities is how you pose to be an asset to the university. An all-round candidate is what universities look for; this means that you don’t just need to ace your tests, you also should be involved in activities outside your studies. Make sure you involve yourself in activities that contribute to your development as a person.
Pro-tip: The longer you keep yourself involved with an extracurricular activity, the university would likely believe that you have a genuine interest in the activity and that you will continue to contribute to the university’s community as well.
Many students tend to focus their efforts on trying to impress admission officers and end up trying to be someone they are not. The only way to make the admission officers believe that you truly belong in their university is by simply being YOU.
Present yourself in a positive manner, and don’t be afraid to talk about your flaws and how you overcame them (or are in the process to overcome them!). Do not try to imitate a different personality, your application readers WILL KNOW.
Another thing to keep away from is clichéd statements. While describing your motivations for pursuing your field of study, try your best to include details, examples and reasons.
As much as possible, use personal experiences and avoid too much formal or business-like language. Colleges are impressed by individuals who have a strong sense of their own identity and ambitions and do not sound the same as every other applicant.
Starting preparations from almost a year prior to the actual deadlines for your chosen universities can leave you with a lot of things to juggle with. And all your efforts might just get wasted if you miss a single key date.
Thus, planning ahead would be incomplete without making a checklist to ensure that you keep your process organised. You can create a calendar with all the relevant deadlines so that you are prepared well ahead of time to ensure that all aspects of your application are complete.
An incomplete college application is the first step towards rejection. Unless you are focused and start early, you might feel overwhelmed by all the things you need to do during the admission period.
In case you wish to know more and seek extensive guidance, our admissions specialists at Manya – The Princeton Review are there to assist you!
Deadlines: It is suggested to apply early as the application deadlines for top universities are generally 10 months before admissions, which are between mid-October and early November. Additionally, for other universities, the deadlines are in January and March.
Please check the entry requirements for various study levels:
| Study Level |
| Bachelor’s degree |
| Undergraduate Pathway Programs |
| Master’s degree |
| Graduate Pathway Programs |
Most universities in the USA require applicants to take English languages’ proficiency tests, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
There are three types of Student Visas to stay in the USA, such as;
Get the Full information on the admission entry requirements for USA universities.
Well, getting admission is a dream of every student due to the diverse nature of the mixture of students in the universities in the USA. So to make your admission process easy, we are giving you our top list of strategies and the items you require at time of admission requirements in the top universities in the USA.
Book your Free Counselling Session now!Language exams:
These are all standardised language tests, which are required to be taken to get admission to colleges.
If you are aiming for the September intake, you should appear for these tests by the previous November so that you can apply before the first deadline.
To get admission into the top universities in the USA you need to create a checklist then Start Your Application Preparation Early, Showcase Genuine Interest in the Subject, and most important be you if you can project some extracurricular activities then it will be good.
Getting admission is pretty hard unless and until you give the best SOP or LOR, and get a good IELTS score, thus it is not so hard to get admission into top universities in the USA.
The requirement you need is the English Language Proficiency, Student Visa, and Educational Qualifications to get admission into the top universities in the USA.
