Three options for how to enter an American university - ForumDaily
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Three options for how to enroll in an American university  

Photo: depositphotos

American higher education is considered one of the best in the world. Top US universities occupy top places in various ratings, and every year thousands of students try to find their place at Harvard, Stanford or Columbia University.

The price for an elite diploma can be exorbitant, so in the USA people start thinking about enrolling long before graduation. Foreigners are advised: at least 2 years are needed in order to collect the necessary package of documents, pass tests and assess financial capabilities. If the latter are not available, then it is also important to find a grant that will cover all training costs.

ForumDaily already wrote in detail about all stages of the admission process. In this article we will tell you who you can turn to for help with admission and what you need to be prepared for if you decide to go through the whole introductory campaign on your own.

Option №1: use the services of firms that help go to university

Admission to an American university is a long, bureaucratic process. If you don’t know for sure which university to choose, are not confident in your English, or are not ready to prepare and verify each document yourself, contact specialists.

Every year, thousands of students go to the United States for an American diploma. Photo: depositphotos

Large glass building on Broadway. Here, at New York Law School, Russian Pavel has been studying for 2 years. Having received a management diploma in his native Yekaterinburg, he decided to continue his studies in America and change his specialty. It turned out that enrolling in an American university is not an easy task, and the guy had no idea what to do first.

“Actually, it is not as simple as it seems. I knew for sure that I wanted to study to become a lawyer, but I didn’t know which school to choose. I’m generally silent about the list of required documents - it’s very difficult to collect everything on your own,” says Pavel.

He decided not to waste time and contact a company that professionally helps foreign students conquer American universities. The first thing they asked about was Pavel’s wishes and budget.

“If a person has decided on a specialty, we help select the 3-4 most suitable universities and begin the process of preparing for admission to each of them. There is another option - when the student does not yet know what he wants to study for. Then first we offer to take tests that determine a person’s professional orientation,” says Irina Kokurina, president of the New York company Global Professional Consultingwhich for years 20 has been offering educational advice.

Irina is sure: it is difficult for a person who is abroad to understand the confusing system of American higher education. In the USA, universities and colleges operate differently than in Ukraine or Russia, and each university has its own special requirements.

President of Global Professional Consulting Irina Kokurina. Photo by Denis Cheredov

Pavel knows from his own experience: it is necessary to begin the admission process a year and a half before the intended start of studies. After the professionals Global Professional Consulting helped him choose 5 law schools, he received a list of further tasks. The first is to take the TOEFL and LSAT (a special test for law schools). And while the guy was preparing for the tests, the company’s specialists began preparing documents: they translated his bachelor’s degree and submitted the document for evaluation. “Already at this stage, a future student may have problems: what is an official transcript of a diploma? What is evolution? Why might it be different? We simplify this entire complex process for the client,” says Irina.

Evaluation of a diploma, and in simple words, an assessment of how much a foreign diploma is equal to a similar American one does not just give the right to continue studies. Thanks to her, the courses that the student has already attended in his homeland do not have to be held again at an American college. This saves both time and money.

Next, Pavel was told how to correctly write an essay, which is a mandatory part of the package of documents: “They gave me an example of an essay and clearly explained what exactly the universities want from me. It made the whole process a lot easier.” Pavel also had a constant opportunity to ask questions, both online and by phone, if any difficulties arose. And they arose constantly, the guy recalls: just one application is a 20-sheet questionnaire, and it’s not always clear how to answer the next question correctly.

“Continuous support is very important. You know, when your future depends on correctly completed documents, it’s even morally easier if you know who to turn to for advice,” he says.

Irina, in turn, warns: American universities are very strict when it comes to paperwork, and any mistake can affect the result. “Only an ideal package of documents has a chance to be considered. An applicant can even write a letter incorrectly - the style itself must be American, and simply knowing English is not enough. There are many pitfalls here that you can stumble over and waste time.”

And with it comes money, Pavel adds. Thanks to the clear advice he received in Global Professional Consulting, good test scores and the correct package of documents, he received a discount on tuition. “It may make a difference whether they give you a scholarship or ask you to pay the entire amount. I saved $25 thousand a year, which is $75 thousand for all 3 years of study,” Pavel does not hide his joy.

Option №2: for especially talented

If a potential student is not just smart, but a genius, he has the opportunity to get into the best American universities absolutely free. In addition, receive full support during the admission process. Such a program exists, for example, in Ukraine. Charitable Foundation Ukraine Global Scholars carefully selects schoolchildren, pays all the entrance tests and teaches how to win thousands of education grants.

Finalists of the Ukraine Global Scholars program. Photo: UGS

How Ukrainian schoolchildren get free education at Ivy League universities

They target only the Ivy League or private elite schools. At the same time, they are striving for the participants in their program of full funding of training. Charity organization Ukraine Global Scholars looking for talented schoolchildren throughout Ukraine to give them the opportunity to get the best American education for free.

"Our program was founded almost 2 years ago. Last year, we managed to help five schoolchildren enroll; they won grants totaling $1 million. This year, 13 people have already been accepted, and the amount of grants is $3 million,” says Yulia Sychikova, co-founder of the fund.

She herself is a graduate of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where she studied for free. Yulia says that at that time the USA/USA organization helped her and many other Ukrainian schoolchildren. When the girl received her diploma, she and her Ukrainian friends from other prestigious American universities decided: now it was their turn to help.

Julia Sychikova and co-founder of the Michael Lemesh Foundation. Photo: UGS

Get into the program Ukraine Global Scholars not easy. “We have a long and rather tough selection; we need to go through 3 rounds. The first is to submit an application by the end of March, it is similar to the one you need to fill out at Harvard. The candidate is required to show school grades for the last 3 years, photographs of all diplomas, and write an essay. The topics are different, last year, for example, we asked: “What do you really want to do in life?” says Yulia.

The second round consists of tests in English and mathematics. The fund's leaders prepare them themselves, and the tasks are similar to those in the two main tests for admission to an American university: TOEFL (English) and SAT (general level of knowledge). If the student copes with this, then he will have 2 more interviews with the foundation’s mentors in English.

Ernest Protas successfully completed all 3 rounds. He is now finishing 11th grade in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine, and will study in the United States in the fall. The guy says the program helped him a lot. “I became a finalist in June, and a few weeks later I was invited to a special camp. The leaders of the organization came there and for 10 days they taught us how to plan the admission process from the very beginning, how to write an essay, how to express your thoughts correctly, how to present yourself for an interview,” the guy recalls.

Ernest Protas. Photo: UGS

Julia notes that when it comes to prestigious educational institutions, every letter, every comma in the documents is important. Therefore, a mentor is assigned to all participants of the program, who helps the student to become a student within six months.

“In fact, the package that is submitted to Harvard consists of a small number of documents. But there every word is worth its weight in gold. How you reveal yourself in an essay, how you tell about yourself, how you behave in an interview - all this greatly influences the decision. That's why we proofread the guys' essays several times to present them as if they were the next world leaders. Who they are, in principle, they just lack the knowledge of how to show it correctly,” she continues.

In addition, the foundation pays all the entrance tests. Both TOEFL and SAT cost more than $ 200 together, each university takes money for submitting documents. On average, the foundation spends about $ 1000 to pay for a single student admission process. At first it was the personal funds of the founders of the program and their friends, now the Ukrainian diaspora in the USA helps the foundation.

Just mind and excellent academic performance Harvard does not conquer

To the question “Are you the best student in school?” Ernest Protas modestly answers “yes.” In addition, he is the winner of the All-Ukrainian Chemistry Olympiad and after school he often works in the laboratory of the local university. He dreams of becoming a great chemist and returning this industry to its former power. But academic achievements and ambitions alone are not enough for a multi-thousand dollar grant.

“These should not just be super-smart guys, but also very charismatic, with huge dreams, they should be involved in art, sports, startups, and extracurricular activities,” says Yulia Sychikova.

Therefore, the mentor advised Ernest to also tell about the rock band in which he plays, and not to forget to mention that he himself taught himself to play the piano. Ernest did not enroll in universities, but in private schools - he was only 16, and the leaders of the foundation recommended that he study at an American boarding house for a couple more years.

“Our children are divided into 2 categories: those who are younger (they are 15-17 years old) enter prime schools - these are elite educational institutions, private schools, boarding houses. Older guys go to universities,” says Yulia.

The foundation did not choose this principle by chance. It’s easier to get into private schools, and students also get an extra year or two to fully adapt. And getting into the Ivy League after these educational institutions is many times easier than after going to a Ukrainian school. “This school is the best option for me. It will be easier for me to enter the American education system. Also, in such schools there is a special department that will help me enter a university and win a grant, that is, they will take care of me there,” Ernest is sure.

This he told ForumDaily before I received an affirmative answer from almost all educational institutions to which I applied. Now it is already known: Ernest is a student at the prestigious Taft School, which offered him a Davis scholarship. It covers 2 years of study and boarding house accommodation, and also gives $80 thousand for college. So the guy already has start-up capital.

His plans are to get an excellent higher education at a technical college, and then he, like all the other participants in the program, must return to Ukraine for at least 5 years. This is one of the terms of the contract that the guys sign.

Option №3: to conquer American universities on their own

All information about admission is written on the university website. If you know English well, you can enroll in US universities without outside help. In this case, all organizational issues fall on the shoulders of the potential student. And if you have nothing to pay for training, then you will need to look for grants yourself. This option is perhaps the most difficult, but ForumDaily found students who prove by personal example that it is possible.

How Belarusian lawyer won Harvard

Marina Kovalevskoy mother since childhood said: “You will study at Harvard”. And although the girl was an excellent student both at school and at the university, from her native Minsk, this famous university looked like a dream. But Marina was able to implement it.

“Getting into Harvard is an absolutely real thing. If you study well and set yourself such a goal, you can achieve it,” Marina is confident now, with a diploma from Harvard Law School.

She is an international lawyer who defended opposition Belarusian politicians in court. After numerous complaints, statements and court hearings, Marina was banned from leaving the country. “The political situation in Belarus in 2010 deteriorated significantly, I started working on politically motivated cases, representing the opposition, and immediately came under strong pressure from the authorities. After some time, it became obvious that at that stage they would not allow me to develop further professionally, and I began to think about alternative paths of development,” recalls Marina.

The girl consulted with her husband and decided that she could continue studying, but in America. “I sent my documents to Harvard, although at that time it seemed absolutely unrealistic to me - none of my friends entered this university, there was no one to help me, even with advice.” And the girl didn’t have much time - she read the conditions for admission to the master’s program at the end of August, and by mid-October the entire package of documents should have been with the admissions committee.

Marina Kovalevskaya with her family after receiving a Harvard diploma. Photo: from the personal archive

Marina independently prepared for TOEFL, found three people who wrote letters of recommendation to her in English, did a diploma evaluation, and compiled an essay. He says, if it is clear, point by point, to fulfill all the conditions that the university requires, it is not so difficult to assemble a package of documents.

“It is very important to demonstrate that you not only studied, but also did something additional. Any activity, even at school, matters. This information will help set you apart from other applicants,” emphasizes Marina. For example, she began writing her resume while still in school and each time supplemented it with new achievements.

You also had to fill out a separate application for a grant. A year of study at Harvard Law School costs $40-50 thousand, Marina did not have that kind of money. “It was a questionnaire in which I had to indicate my family’s income, the assets that I own, so that the university could assess whether I needed financial support or not.”

A gold medal, a red diploma, studying at an American exchange school, working with high-profile legal cases and an active civic position - all together this brought Marina the long-awaited result in the form of a letter from Harvard with the lines “congratulations, you are accepted.”

The simpler the university, the easier it is to do, but the more difficult it is to get a grant for education

Ivy League universities have multi-million dollar budgets and love to demonstrate the multinationality of their students. Therefore, a foreigner to win financial assistance in such universities is easier. Colleges from the second or third hundred in the ranking have less money, and if they give grants, it is mostly their own, to American students. But even here there are several possibilities how to reduce the cost of training.

Firstly, you can first enroll in a community college - this is a municipal or state university. Prices here are several times lower, and after two years of study you can immediately enroll in your third year at a better university. That is, in the first 2 years you will already save a significant amount.

You can also hope for a discount from the university. “Usually, when you are admitted to a university, the admissions committee sends you a list of opportunities. Sometimes, simply based on the points, they automatically give some kind of scholarship,” says Asya Melik-Martirosyan, Deputy Director of Admissions for Tanksis College, Connecticut. She works as a curator for foreign students and helps those who decide to act independently: “In each university, there is usually a person called International student advisor. And usually the whole admission process goes through such a specialist. ”

International student advisor - a person who helps foreign students in the admissions process. Photo: depositphotos

Asya advises: such a person in college should be found first. After all, he knows exactly all the requirements of this particular educational institution, the entire list of documents, moreover, he will give valuable, and most importantly, free advice.

“The student does not pay anything for this service, but does pay for submitting the application. Different universities have different prices, they can range from $20 to $100. At the college where I work, it’s $20, regardless of who applies - a foreigner or an American,” says Asya.

In every American college there is a quota for foreign students, and they are usually accepted with pleasure to the university. After all, if we are talking about paid tuition, a college semester will cost 2 for foreign students more than the Americans, which is beneficial for the university. And if a student wins a grant, for a college it is an occasion to once again demonstrate what talented children from different countries of the world learn from them.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How much will college tuition cost this year

10 Important Questions about a College Savings Fund

Studying at the best university in the world is cheaper than at top US universities

How to enter college in the USA without money

How to get a higher education in the US is almost free

Seven legal ways to get more training money from the state

Top 10 internships, scholarships and grants in the US for which you can apply

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