a PARENTS and STUDENTS GUIDE to STUDYING in AMERICA

Competition is fierce to get into U.K.'s top universities. Therefore, many students are looking further afield. One of the more popular options is studying in America. It should be noted that the application process is more complicated than applying to a British university. This is mainly because there is no centralised applications system like UCAS.

A useful starting point is to contact the Fulbright Commission. They are an organisation based in London, set up to advise people on studying and working in America. They can also sell you a number of useful resources, including a directory of every university in America.

The next stage is to contact the universities which you are interested in for a prospectus. Now simply apply to a few of them. Typically, universities will want to see evidence of your grades, references from your teachers and evidence, you can afford it. Foreign scholarships and financial aid is quite hard to come by. Furthermore, American universities are usually very expensive.

Many American universities use SAT tests as part of their selection policy. Not all US universities require SAT scores. However, they are well worth doing, because they can only improve your chances of getting a place. The tests cover English and Maths and consist of multiple choice questions. Usually, the idea is to identify a relationship and use that to figure out the next answer.

SATs can be taken in London, preparation books can be ordered from Fulbright or Amazon and there is also a range of resources available online. Don't worry if you don't do that well, because as an international applicant universities will consider a range of different things. These may include reports/references from teachers, as well as GCSE's and A-levels.

After completing the application forms, you should start to receive some offers. A lot of universities will have rolling admission, which means you can apply any time throughout the year. Furthermore, universities in America allow you to start your course of study at any of four different times throughout the year.

Then, you must decide which offer to take up. At which point the University will confirm your place and provide paperwork enabling you to obtain the visa from the American embassy. That really is all there is to it.