What You Need to Apply to College in the US

The time has come for you to start thinking about college. You have gotten down to studying in the US, but what now? What do you need to go to college in the US and how do you apply?

Understand the career of your choice and your financial plan

Before you decide on anything, it is important to understand what exactly your career of choice is and decide on the college financial plan for you and your family. Picking a degree program can be very hard coming out of high school.

Some ways to determine degrees of interest is to:

1. Make a list of what kinds of topics and activities you enjoy

2. Talk to professionals in these fields. This will allow you to learn about their day-to-day life, what a career in that field actually entails, and whether or not that is the type of life you want. For example: If you want to be a doctor and are afraid of blood, being a surgeon may not be feasible

3. Talk to peers studying that degree in college to understand the academic rigor involve. For example: If you want to be an engineer but hate math, being an engineer as much as it may interest you, may not align with your personal traits and long-term happiness.

4. Trying to shadow those professionals. If you are finding it difficult to shadow someone in that field, research departments at universities that have a program in that field and reach out to faculty, or ask your parents if they have anyone in their network.

Note: It is completely acceptable to apply to a university or college as undecided. Being undecided does not limit your chances of getting into a college. Being undecided gives you the room freshman year to try out different courses and work with advisors to determine what you would like to study before committing to a program. It is frowned upon to change your major multiple times.

Finances can always be a tough subject to discuss, but it is important that you and your family set realistic financial goals when it comes to your education. Not everyone can afford an Ivy League education, but that does not mean you cannot get a great education. Understanding your financial constraints, if you have any, can aid in picking the right school or even region to study. It will help shape what you look for in a school because instead of just looking for a great program, you can look for schools that provide financial aid to international students and have job opportunities for international student on-campus. Maybe this means you do not go to college right away, so you can work to save some money to reduce student loans. Your college journey does not need to match the cookie-cutter 4 year plan. Maybe you to afford college, you go part-time for a longer time to ensure you and your family can feasible afford college, but you need to keep in mind whether or not that may impact scholarship opportunities. Having a financial plan for your education is important to ensure that these situations are planned for. It is important to note that most US colleges, especially public or state universities, do not provide financial aid to international students; this is because these schools are funded by the state government, and are given funds to support local students whose families pay state taxes.

Pick the right school

Now that you understand what you would like a degree in and you know your financial limitations, it is time to pick the right set of schools to apply. When I applied to college, I applied to 3 reach schools (schools that I dreamed of getting into but I may not check all the boxes) 4 safety schools (schools that I know I will definitely get into). It is important to have a mix of schools that you apply for, so you have a few options to select from. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the US, many of which you have likely never heard of, but that does not make them any less valuable in attaining your education. Many of the largest universities in the US, including Ivy Leagues and the top public universities, have many paths to gain entry. I wished someone had told me about transferring schools or that some universities provided 3:1 or 4:2 year programs where you can attend a local community college or a small university (which costs a lot less) and transfer into a larger university like an Ivy or top public university. You get the same degree if not more for a fraction of the price. If you want to learn more about a specific program at a university or college, email them. To learn more about their various admissions routes, email their admissions office. Take advantage of this information.

In addition, it is important to understand the impact of climate when choosing a school. We are very sheltered in the Caribbean, growing up with fairly consistent weather. The rest of the world does not share in this luxury. It may be easy to think that -5 degree weather is not all that bad and fantasize about making snow angels or snowmen. Really think about your limits. How does driving in the middle of a snowstorm sound or having to take an exam when the sidewalks are slippery with ice that melted yesterday and froze overnight? Are you really drawn to the change in the color of the leaves? How do you feel about rain? Would you prefer a climate similar to home? With climate changes comes apparel changes. Can you afford to buy winter jackets, boots, and thermals? If you have never lived in another climate type, ask a peer that has what it is like. The more you know before packing, the better prepared you will be.

When thinking about a new place to live, research what is the city like? Are there things to do around the college? Are you near or in any major cities? How far is the airport? Is there public transportation? Does the university provide access to public transportation? What are the demographics like? Is there a religion or political climate at that school that aligns or conflicts with your beliefs? Where is the nearest grocery store? Where is the nearest hospital? Unsure, ask a peer. No one you know lives there or attends that university? Use Google maps to look around. If you can afford it, consider doing a college visit.

Taking entrance exams

You have picked your schools, you have your financial plan, you know what you want to study, now how do we get into these schools? All American colleges and universities require some sort of standardized testing scores from which to gauge your level of knowledge coming into college. There are two common types used: the SAT and ACT exams. The SAT mainly tests your English and mathematics skills, while the ACT also includes a level of science knowledge as well. Research which exam format you prefer and register to take the exam at one of the various testing centers on your island. It is recommended to prepare for the SAT and ACT; there are many practice tests online that you can use as well as books for purchase.

SAT

The SAT has two components ( math and reading/writing ), and in each section you can get a max score of 800, with a total max of 1600. The exam lasts 3 hours, which is divided into the different test taking sections as well as timed breaks. The SAT costs anywhere from ~$50 - $65 USD depending on if you are taking the essay portion or not.

ACT

The ACT has four sections (math, English, reading, and science reasoning). You can get a max score of 36 on the ACT. Just like the SAT, the exam lasts 3 hours with timed test sections and timed breaks. For international students, the exam costs $51 USD.

Note: It is advised that you take either of these tests (SAT or ACT) a maximum of 3 times; this allows you to maximize the score you send to colleges. You do not have to take both the SAT and ACT.

SAT Subject Tests

Not every university or college requires SAT subject test scores. It is important to research which schools require them because you can save yourself a lot of money and headache studying to take these tests. These exams are standardized versions of high school subjects like math, physics, chemistry, biology, foreign languages, etc. Taking a SAT Subject Test can supplement your college application if you are very proficient in a subject, but they may not be necessary for entry.

TOEFL

As an international student, it will be required that you take the TOEFL exam to prove your English literacy. They can be waived if you can prove your English literacy through other means; however, the TOEFL often helps your college application. Most TOEFL exams are done electronically at a testing center and are scored out of 120. Some schools have strict TOEFL score minimums for entry; it is important to know what that score is when preparing for the exam. The cost of the exam is $195 USD and lasts ~ 3 – 4 hours. If English is your first language, the exam is fairly straightforward; if English is not your first language, it may be worth doing some practice. There are available practice tests online to prepare for the exam.

Advanced Placement Courses

Not every high school in the region offers Advanced Placement courses. It is possible to take these courses through an online platform; however, this is something your high school would need to determine. AP courses are the American equivalent to IB or CAPE courses, so if your school does provide those, it can be used as a substitute for APs. AP courses are essentially college introductory courses that can garner you college credit. This may accelerate your degree program if you complete the right number of courses in the right areas for your degree program and university. AP credits vary from school to school. It is important to research the conversion of any college introductory course like APs, IB, CAPE course before-hand. This will help you prioritize the types of courses you should be taking.

Filling out the application

Tests are done. You have your scores. It is important to check your scores with your college list to ensure that your scores meet the requirements for those schools. This may result in changing your application list a little, but it is important that you do so to save yourself money applying to the wrong schools. Applying to college will cost you money. Each school typically has an application fee associated with applying. Some schools may offer a waiver of their application fee, so it may be worth reaching out to their admissions office to receive one. Most American colleges and universities accept the Common Application or Coalition Application. These are two platforms from which you can submit multiple college applications at once. This typically saves you a lot of time because a lot of the information will be the same across schools, and you just have to write one major college application essay that can be used for all applications (aka the Common App Essay). The Common App essay is your opportunity to tell YOUR story and what makes you special. In addition to the main essay, each college will have separate and often different short essays that answer college specific questions like why would you be a great fit for that college and also allow you to dive a little deeper into who you are and the types of things you have done as part of your high school education.

Some schools have a unique university application that is different from the Common or Coalition Application. Research if your school accepts the Common or Coalition Application as it may require you to do a bit more work when applying to that university. These applications do ask a lot of personal information that for most of your life you were never really asked. For example, they may ask about your ethnicity and race, your sexual preference or gender identification, financial information, aspects of your high school education, and more. It is important that you know all of this information is private and will only be viewed by the college admissions board. A lot of schools are pushing for diversity and inclusion as part of their classes, and so if you are a minority, that is something to take advantage of in your application. This does vary from school to school, so do your research about the school’s demographics prior to applying.

Note: Applications have two types of deadlines, early action and regular decision. Most students will apply regular decision; however, for your reach schools for the schools you really want to get into, apply early action. The early action deadline is usually November 1 for MOST schools, while the regular decision deadline varies from school to school. Decided which applications you want to send early and which you want to send regular. The difference is primarily in when you will hear back from schools and the class-size you are compared against. There are usually less applications submitted early. You may have to send your test scores at different times for early action and regular decision.

Pro Tip: Make sure your college essays (short and long) are reviewed before you submit them. Go over them 100 times if need be. Once you submit your application, that is it. You cannot edit it. This application is the only part of you that the admissions officers will see and you want to make the best impression possible. Some schools may conduct an interview as part of the application, but most do not. Make sure your essays are edited. Ask a professor, a friend, or your parents to review your work.

Next Steps …

The applications are in… now we wait. This can be the most nerve-wrecking part. Eventually you will can get an email or a physical piece of mail that tells you whether or not you were application was accepted and you were offered a seat at the university or college. When this happens, it is time to celebrate. You got in. You did it. Sometimes, you will receive a letter where they do not offer you a seat and that is OK. That does not mean you will never go to that school because like I said there are many routes to gain entrance into a university or college. Maybe you go to a different school and transfer a year later, so keep that in mind. For the schools that did accept you, now it is your turn to decide where you go. Now is the time to working on immigration if you require an F1 visa for the US. You typically get a few months to decide whether or not you will take your seat at the university. That is the only school that you need to respond to. When deciding amongst your acceptances remember your financial plan, the program, what it will like living there. Weight these different factors before making up your mind. Maybe the school offered you a merit-scholarship (scholarship based on the strength of your application) to reduce the cost of tuition. Again, network with students and faculty at these universities.

Congratulations you just got into college. This is the first step in your career, go celebrate!