Selecting a University

There are more than 600 major fields of study in the U.S., and no university offers every one of them. You will want to be sure that the university you select offers the academic program you want. This is less important for first-year undergraduate students who can change majors or institutions than it is for undergraduate students who are interested in specialized fields that require heavy course work or admission to the particular department (for example, some programs in music, architecture, or engineering) or for graduate students. The more focused you are on your academic goal, the easier it will be to select a university.

The U.S. has some universities that accept a very small percentage of those that apply and others that accept most applicants. Your task is to assess your academic ability (your rank in class, your school grades, and your scores on standardized tests can help you with this), learn about the selectivity of U.S. universities, and identify universities that will be appropriate for you. Costs Costs range from about US$15,000 to US$40,000 per year for tuition, fees, housing, books, insurance, and living costs.

Universities vary in size of student body from widely; they may have 800 students or 40,000. At the smaller institutions, you will get to know many of the students and professors. At the larger institutions, you’ll have a greater range of course offerings and extra-curricular activities, but less personal attention.

Universities can be found in quiet rural communities, orderly suburban locations, and cosmopolitan urban areas. While some students thrive on busy, crowded, hectic cities, others prefer quieter, calmer environments.

The U.S. is a large country with many different types of geography: deserts, coastal areas, mountainous regions, tropical climates, and flat plains. Some parts of the U.S. have four distinct seasons (winter, fall, spring, summer) and others have more moderate temperatures all year long.

Each college or university has its own personality depending on its size, location, course and extracurricular offerings, selectivity, history, and student body.