Study in the United States of America

1. The process begins with registration with the College Board. You must sign up at www.collegeboard.com (for students) to create yourself an account. Once this is done, you are open to lots of tools that help you search colleges, find out their costs, compare it with others, besides registering for the SAT tests.

2. In the account you have created, you must first register for a SAT Reasoning test. It is better to schedule your maiden SAT Reasoning test at a time when you know you will be relatively free, and therefore, register accordingly. Visit the College Board website for registration deadlines and test schedules. The earlier you take the test (preferably begin from the last quarter of grade XI) , the more attempts you can make prior to your High-School graduation. Registration payment online can only be made via Credit Card.

3. Once you have completed your series of SAT Reasoning tests and are satisfied with your best performance, depending on whether the college you have selected (through ’college-search’ in your College Board account) requires it, register and attempt at least two SAT II tests. Make sure that the SAT II tests you plan to take are IN LINE with the major you intend to choose. For example, for engineering majors like Aerospace or Mechanical, attempt Math (IC or IIC) and physics. Some colleges specify which SAT II subjects you should test in.

4. It is IMPORTANT to learn the rules by which SAT/SAT II are evaluated. Make sure you go through the format and do not take the tests lightly. It is always better to have the concerned reference book and practice consistently. Barrons is a good publisher in this line of books. You may also order related SAT reference books from collegeboard.com during registration. They are extremely beneficial.

5. When you’re done with the SAT line of tests, register for the TOEFL test at www.ets.org. Almost all American colleges require you to prove your English proficiency and nothing speaks better than a TOEFL score. As usual, registration is done online using credit card.

6. The ETS or Educational Testing Services sends you a package containing practice tests about a week or two later. Do familiarize yourself with them. They are immensely helpful.

7. The TOEFL test is quite easy for people with good English proficiency and there is nothing much to it (for THEM). But since it has such an important responsibility as determining your English proficiency, do well and make the most of your first attempt. Besides, it costs a lot more than the SAT’s.

 

8. All this while DO DO DO well in school for it is the primary deciding factor of your admission to U.S. universities. Meet your school counselor and have him/her prepare as many ATTESTED, SEALED copies of your academic transcripts.  You must also have at least two to three appraisals or Letters of Recommendation from individual teachers properly attested and sealed. You are NOT to break this seal.

 

9. Most kids prefer to enroll immediately (about 4-5 months) after their high-school graduation.  The ideal starting term would be the ‘Fall Semester’, which usually has application deadlines ranging from the preceding November/December to, sometimes, April/May in the case of many universities. Start applying about two to three months prior to the deadlines to the respective colleges. The College Board site offers the address of the official site of every college and 90% of them have online applications. Applying online has its own benefits such as faster information transfer, and thus, processing. A lot of colleges have ‘Application Essays’ where you must demonstrate your writing/expressive skills and personality traits. They mostly give you a subject of their own. Remember, this is the only part of the application you control, so make the best of it through a slow, comprehensive and patient work. While a lame essay can make you appear real lazy, an excellent essay will have a profound impression on the admission officers and will present a compelling and convincing picture of you for the admission decision.

 

10. All your academic transcripts should contain are GRADES (A/B/C/D) from grade IX to the most recent term in your grade XII, besides an appraisal of your work, character and your school profile. They usually do not necessarily and immediately require your final exam grades for the admission decision. So, feel free to dispatch these documents (to the universities you have heard from after your applications), according to their requirements. Also, don’t forget to dispatch the Certification of Finances. The concerned form can be downloaded and printed from the university website. You must also have ready supporting documents such as bank statements, salary certificates, assets and any other grants you may receive to support your studies. The main role of the Certification is to show the university that you can afford their education. Some universities also have independently downloadable scholarship applications that usually require the above documentation. Don’t miss these.

 

11. Remember, SAT (I & II) and TOEFL scores can only be sent to them from the respective conducting organizations. Make sure you contact them well before the deadline to have your score sent to them. Both these tests offer free test result deliveries if you indicate the recipient colleges during the time of registration, in case of SAT, and testing, in case of TOEFL. Each recipient college is assigned codes by the College Board and ETS in their own system. Remember to look their codes up from collegeboard.com for the SAT and the ETS website for the TOEFL.

 

12. If all of the above is received by the target universities well prior to the deadline, your application is processed faster and your admission decision is either e-mailed or posted (or both) to you within a month. If they just make it, not to worry if your documentation is complete. Your admission decision will take some time to get to you though due to the rush of applications.

 

13. If you have applied to about five to seven middle to top level universities, in case of an above average student you are most likely to be admitted to at least one to all of them. It is important that your grades reflect your grades reflect good performance in subjects linked to your major, than do excellently in five subjects and lose on the vital one. An Engineering aspirant would require good grades in all the physical sciences besides mathematics while an Arts aspirant would have to demonstrate thoroughness in the related subjects.

 

To sum up, here is the priority list for your university admission, highest first:

 

1. Your school grades (IX-XII)

2. Your SAT I & II Score(s)

3. Your TOEFL Score(s)

4. Your letters of recommendation

5. Your Essay(s) (If required)

 

Anyone with the best of the above can land in the best of the universities.

 

REMEMBER, IT IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO DO WELL AT SCHOOL ACADEMICS FOR IT IS THE DECIDING FACTOR OF YOUR ADMISSIONS AND SOMETIMES, SCHOLARSHIPS. ALTHOUGH THE SAT IS MANDATORY, IT IS BUT A  MANDATORY SUPPLEMENT. SO NEVER LOSE TRACK OF YOUR SCHOOL STUDIES AND CONCENTRATE ONLY ON THE SAT OR TOEFL.