How to Apply for a University in the United States

Photo and essay by Lourivaldo Domingos

If you are an international student who wishes to study in the United States, you probably need more information about applications for universities in this country. The application process is required for all international students and Americans as well. However, the application process for international students is more complex compared to Americans. There are several steps that international students have to follow in order to complete the application process.

First, as international students, we need to find a university that we want to apply to and look at the requirements. We must do research to find a good university. Once we find a university, we have to open the website of the university and look for admissions. Then, we have to look for international students admissions. After we find international students admissions, we have to click on it in order to open a new page and see the requirements. Then, the requirements for undergraduate and graduate programs will appear. Immediately after, we have to click on one of those programs.

Second, we have to look carefully at the requirements in order to determine if we meet the minimum requirements to be admitted. For example, universities require the TOEFL test for all international students. However, the minimum test score varies from one institution to another. Universities also require other types of test according to the program or field of study such as the SAT for undergraduate programs and the GRE for graduate programs. Some universities require a high score on these tests. Other requirements include our certificate from high school or college and a statement of purpose or an essay. They usually ask us to talk about general topics and our goals. Universities also require a good Grade Point Average (GPA). The GPA requirements vary from universities to universities. For example, some universities require a GPA from 2.5 to 4.0, whereas other universities require a GPA between 3.0 and 4.0.

Next, we can start filling in the application form. This step is done online, but we have to create an account on the university’s website first. The option to create an account is normally on the homepage of this website. After we create an account, we should be able to fill out the application form. However, we have to choose our major before we start filling out the application form. Universities ask us to choose two majors. Afterwards, we are asked to provide some personal information such as nationality, race and gender. We also have to provide information about our previous high school as well. Universities also require information about our countries such as permanent address. When we finish filling in the information required, the university will provide us some topics so that we can write an essay. The essays are optional, but it is important to write them because the university can measure our ability to communicate in English. In addition, essays increase our chances to get admission.

Finally, international students have to pay the application fee established by the university in order to submit the application. The payment of this fee can be done online by two methods such as credit/debit card or PAYPAL. The most common way to pay the fee is by credit/debit card.

As we have seen, the application process for international students is very complex. It is not easy to complete and takes a large amount of time from students. However, international students need to know this process in order to apply to a university early enough. Universities have deadlines for submissions. Nevertheless, if we submit the application process in advance, we have more chances to receive a quick response from the university. Even though the application process is stressful, I encourage all international students to start this process early so that they can finish early and relax until they get admission.