INTERNATIONALU.S. COLLEGES

AND THE

STUDENTFinding the right fi t, understanding the application process, and deciphering the mysteries of Greek life and the NCAA

By William F. Yarwood, Ed.D.

Colleges and universities in the U.S. attract a large number of students from abroad. And when expatriate families come to the U.S. for extended assignments, they sometimes have children who are of college age, or will be

soon. For those families, or for students living outside the U.S. who are interested in understanding the U.S. college landscape, this article offers advice as they begin considering higher education in the U.S.

GETTING STARTEDThere are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. Trying to narrow your college selection should be your first goal. Begin with yourself! It is important to be honest about what you want from your college or university education and why you want to pursue that goal outside your home country.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?The words “college” and “university” are used almost synonymously in the U.S. Even a student who attends a university will refer to the overall expe-rience as “going to college.” While universities are generally larger than colleges, it is not all about size.

Universities are generally made up of smaller subdivisions called colleges, such as the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Engineering, etc. International students should not assume that a university automatically has a higher status than a college. In the U.S. there are many colleges that are considered more prestigious and academically rigorous than many of their counterparts with the word “university” in their name. There are no hard and fast rules that differentiate a college from a university. There are strictly undergraduate schools that call themselves universities and others with significant graduate pro-grams that call themselves colleges. In this article, the word “school” refers to both types of institution.

IN SEARCH OF A GOOD FITAs you begin your search, give a lot of thought to what kind of institution will be a good fit for you. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by looking only

at the prestigious “Ivy League” colleges and their peers, for example. Many selective schools accept fewer than seven or eight percent of their applicants. Spread the risk and apply to at least a few less-com-petitive schools.

Likewise, do not limit your choice of colleges with a particular major to those located in just one or two cities—for example, colleges with a fashion design program in New York City. When hiring professors, colleges and universities recruit from all over the world, which means small schools in the Midwest might have teaching talent equal to what you could find in New York. You might find a better fit at a uni-versity in the Midwest that is eager to enroll you and where the lead professors are former top designers at leading fashion houses in the Big Apple, offering faculty knowledge, experience, and contacts in the industry without anxiety over whether you will be accepted. The big name is not as important as finding the fit that is just right for you.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN TEACHING AND LEARNINGIn some cultures, teachers and professors may expect that students are to “be seen and not heard,” while in others the student is expected to be more engaged in the learning process. Individual instructors’ teaching styles vary widely, regardless of their nationality. Generally, American professors expect and encourage active in-class discussions, creative thinking, novel interpretation, and at least once in a while, challenges on one or more elements of the lecture. Rote memo-rization and a simple recapitulation of the teacher’s lectures at the end of the term are not perceived as desirable teaching and learning styles.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCYYou must be able to speak English well enough to suc-ceed in your studies. Admissions teams will be looking closely at your academic records and may also require an interview, perhaps by telephone or Skype, to confirm your comfort level with the language. Unless English is the predominant language in your home country or you have lived in an English-speaking country for two

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or more years, you will probably be required to take the Test of English as a foreign Language (TOEFL). This assessment, available worldwide (www.toefl.org), is a measure of your ability to read, write, speak, and understand English. Colleges and universities vary in terms of the minimum score they require on the TOEFL, but they may be looking for a minimum score between 70 and 100.

GRADING AND ASSESSMENTApproaches to grading and assessment vary widely at U.S. colleges and universities, and even within individual institutions. You may be used to a system of oral examinations where you have to meet individ-ually with your teacher at the end of the course and demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter and ability to articulate it clearly. This is not typical at most U.S. schools. More often, your professor will hand you a written syllabus on the first day of each course, spelling out requirements and expecta-tions—such items as class attendance, course content, reading expectations, frequency of brief quizzes or unit tests, term paper or project requirements, and whether or not you must make a presentation before the class on particular topics. The syllabus may also indicate that you will be expected to work with two or three other classmates on a team project.

WHAT IF YOU NEED HELP?It is not unusual for beginning college students, from the U.S. or abroad, to find it difficult to achieve the same high marks in college as they did in their previous schooling. If you experience academic difficulty, there are often resources on campus to help you turn things around. The first person to approach is your professor. Virtually all professors are required to schedule office hours when they are available for individual consultation with their students—usually posted on the professor’s office door and/or Web page. Schools often have academic support centers where students can get help with writing assign-ments, difficult math concepts, a challenging science assignment, or any other concern. While such centers are led by a faculty member, they are often staffed by more advanced college students (juniors and seniors) and graduate students.

Perhaps you will do fine academically, but not so well socially or emotionally. Cross-cultural adjust-ment is, at one time or another, difficult for every

person who has experienced it. As Americans tend to be willing to seek out counseling for personal and emotional challenges, there are counseling services on every campus to help students adjust socially and emotionally to college life.

WHAT IS ‘GREEK LIFE’?Students considering education in the U.S. should be aware of the important influence that fraternities and sororities—often referred to as “Greek life” because of the Greek letters by which they name themselves—can have on campus life. On some campuses, they play a central role in social life, while at other colleges they are not permitted. Many institutions that have these social organizations will have special houses (“frat houses” for the men) on or off campus where members may live.

Fraternities and sororities are generally national organizations with “chapters” on various campuses; many, such as Alpha Phi Omega, are service oriented, sponsoring events and activities to benefit other stu-dents and the community surrounding the campus. Others promote high academic achievement and are very selective in their membership.

Still others are known primarily for sponsor-ing parties and other social events. Attendance at these events may be exclusive to the members and their guests or open to any student, perhaps for an admission fee. When not managed well, fraternities in particular can give the college or university a bad name by contributing to alcohol and substance abuse among students. Even on campuses where fraterni-ties and/or sororities are present and very visible, the typical student body membership may range from 10 to perhaps 30 percent, so there is plenty of fun and social life to be had on campus outside of Greek life.

SPORTS AND STUDENT LIFEThe athletic programs of many schools in the U.S. are the proving grounds for the nation’s professional sports leagues; successful programs become big reve-nue generators for the schools and on occasion eclipse their academic reputations. Olympic-style stadiums and sports centers are often built to accommodate sports programs, and campus life can at times seem preoccupied with the fortunes of the home team.

College sports in the U.S. are overseen by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This organization separates the competition levels

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into three or more divisions, each of which has its own championships. Division I and II are the most competitive and are more likely to be the source of athletes who go on to “the pros” after graduating.

At such schools, the weekdays are devoted largely to academic studies, and at least part of the weekend to the big game, with parties, pep rallies, parades, bonfires, and other activities in conjunction with home games. Will you feel left out if you are not interested in a particular sport or in attending the game? No—but for those who are interested, it can add a level of school spirit that may be less obvious at another college or univer-sity. If you fear that sports will be an unnecessary dis-traction from your studies, then take this into account in your college search. Or, you may want to seek a college that is known for what Americans call soc-cer, rather than American football, basketball, or baseball.

YOUR ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTIn the U.S., the legal doc-ument that records your educational progress in the final four years of secondary school is your high school transcript. It typically lists each course you have taken, the year and duration of the course, its credit value, and the grade or mark you earned. The transcript or your home-country equiv-alent will be required at each college or university to which you apply.

Fortunately, nearly every institution, no matter how small, has admissions officers who specialize in assisting international students. These individ-uals are well-informed of the curricula, typical requirements of the courses, and grading systems in various countries. They know what typically qualifies as an “official” transcript in your country.

In the U.S., an official transcript will be signed by an authorized representative of the school admin-istration and may be impressed with the raised letters of a school seal.

DOES YOUR SCHOOL HAVE A PROFILE?Chances are, your school has some kind of document or brochure that describes the school and its qualities and characteristics. In the U.S., most high schools have this document, called the “school profile,” available

for colleges and universities, prospective students and parents, perhaps even com-munity members. If your school has such a document, college and university offi-cials in the States will want to see a copy. It typically informs about the quality and rigor of the school and how it stacks up against similar institutions. If your school compares favorably with competing institutions, you may want to send a copy of your school profile, along with your transcript, to each institution to which you are applying.

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS AND THE ADMISSION PROCESSLetters of recommendation from secondary school faculty members may be required for admission to

some colleges and universities in the U.S. If you need one or more letters, think ahead about whom you might ask to recommend you. It should be a teacher who knows you well and/or has studied in the U.S. They may have a better sense of what admissions people will be looking for and whether you will fit nicely into that model. Such teachers can be invaluable to you, not only as a writer of your recommendation letter, but also as a mentor to help you navigate your way through the process.

It is important to be honest

about what you want from your

education and why you want to pursue that goal

outside your home country.

CAN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE?Unlike in many other countries, participation in school and community activities may play a role in your admission to a U.S. college or university. Such interests and activities may include sports, music, art, debating societies, and academic team competitions. The stronger the student is academically, the less these activities play a role in admission.

For a student who is on or just below the border-line academically, a special talent in what are known in the U.S. as “extracurricular activities” could make a big difference. If you are a talented soccer (foot-ball) player, a skilled musician, or an accomplished thespian, and especially if you are willing to continue

these activities in college, let it be known. There is nothing more helpful than having a coach, orchestra director, or drama teacher speaking on your behalf.

IS HELP AVAILABLE FOR TUITION AND OTHER COSTS?Higher education in the U.S. is very expensive in comparison to other countries. Students and parents often look for help in defraying the cost of tuition, room and board, fees, and other expenses. There will be lots of talk about scholarships and financial aid. In the U.S., the term “scholarship” generally applies to financial awards or entice-ments that you are offered by the college or uni-versity upon acceptance or shortly thereafter. They are often referred to as “merit” scholarships—not

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to be confused with National Merit Scholarships—because the feeling is that the student deserves them or has earned them through efforts and hard work. “Scholarship” can also refer to money students might receive by applying to an agency or charitable organization that helps motivated high school students pursue higher education. Most are likely to be reserved for U.S. citizens.

In the world of college admissions, the term “financial aid” refers to assis-tance that is awarded to students based on family income, assets, and other monetary resources. Much of this money comes from federal and state governments and is usually not open to international students, with the exception of those with dual nation-ality that includes U.S. citizenship.

Nevertheless, col-leges and universities in the U.S. are eager to enroll students from other countries. The higher your grades in school and your college testing scores, the more likely you are to receive scholarship offers from the institutions to which you are accepted. Most of the scholarship money received by students in the U.S. comes from their college or university. This is likely to be true for you as well. How much money are you likely to need to attend college in the U.S.? It is hard to offer a definitive answer. However, the director of admission at a well-known college in the Midwest recently said of his college, “Yes, we give scholarships to international students. However, an international student should be prepared to contribute at least $35,000 per year to the total cost of his or her education.” The reader should note that this college, like many in the U.S.,

has an annual cost of at least $60,000, and some institutions may expect an international student to pay the entire cost of attendance.

Other strategies may keep college costs down. Privately owned colleges and universities cost significantly more than those owned and operated, or heavily supported, by the states in which they are located. International students should expect

to pay more than those whose homes are located in the states served by these public institutions. However, international students will find that their out-of-pocket costs are considerably lower at a public institution such as Ohio State University or the University of Delaware than at a private col-lege or university of similar quality.

Institutions in cer-tain parts of the U.S. may also have a lower tuition because of the lower cost of living in that region. For example, some insti-tutions in the South or Midwest cost less than those in or near major

metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, or Washington, D.C.

Finally, depending on your religious preferences, you might take a look at religiously affiliated colleges and universities. Some of these are known for keeping their tuitions as low as possible, while maintaining a high quality of education. A good example is Grove City College in western Pennsylvania. Most of these institutions make little or no effort to influence your religious beliefs or values, but a few will expect you to attend weekly worship services or convocations. Check their websites to see what might be expected, how many international students are on campus, and how comfortable you are likely to be at that institution.

Colleges and universities

in the U.S. are eager to enroll

students from other countries.

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STILL INTERESTED IN STUDY ABROAD?Having read all of the above, if you are still inter-ested in studying in the U.S., you can now begin to focus on the search and application process. Among many other things, this includes campus visits and interviews, and making sure you put your best foot forward in the application. Taking the right tests in the proper timeline will also be critical.

Colleges and universities in the U.S. recognize the benefits of study abroad, as evidenced by programs that send increasing numbers of young American

students to your country and others for a semester, a year, or even longer. Your willingness to even con-template such a decision demonstrates a great deal of maturity and courage. Although you will undoubt-edly miss your family, friends, and home country, you will gain advantages that will benefit you for the rest of your life. M

William F. Yarwood, Ed.D., is director of college consulting at School Choice International. He can be reached at +1 914 328 3000 or by email at william.yarwood@schoolchoiceintl.com.