Introduction

USA is a dream destination for almost every Indian student who wants to pursue higher studies abroad. Besides the fact the American education equips one with the state of the art professional skills sought by the employers all over the world, the opportunities that it provides, in getting financial aid to support one’s study is also an equally big attraction. Further USA is known as a melting pot of various cultures and this cultural diversity provides a stimulating environment where students and academicians interact from the world over. Such environment is unique of USA and goes a long way in helping a student raise his potential and reach his professional goal.

Education System       ^ TOP

Before getting into the details of education system in USA it is necessary for us to understand some of the basic features of the system and acquaint ourselves with some of the nomenclature and terminology, which though sound familiar are totally different in meaning to what we understand of them in India.

• Bachelor Degrees such as BA, B.Sc., B.E., are called undergraduate degrees in all American universities and not graduate degrees.

• Bachelor’s degree comprises four year of study in American universities therefore many a times an Indian student may be asked to produce his postgraduate degree (M.A.) for seeking admission in Masters at an American university.

• Master’s degree is called graduate degree and doctoral a degree is called postgraduate degree in USA.

• Degrees like B.Sc., and M.Sc., are called BS and MS respectively.

• In the parlance of higher education, schools are specialized colleges. Likewise colleges and universities are frequently used interchangeably.

• An academic year in US is divided into two sessions or semesters. The first starting in September is called the Fall Semester and other beginning in February is called the Spring Semester. Admissions are generally in the Fall Semester however some colleges also take students in the Spring Semester. Though the semester system is the most common and constitutes of 16 weeks each, some colleges follow Trimester System or Quarter System wherein the academic session is divided into three periods of 12 weeks each or four periods of 10 weeks each respectively. Many foreign students, to take up additional courses so as to complete the program earlier, use the interregnum vacations in between.

• In first year of the undergraduate course a student is called a freshman, in the second year a sophomore, a junior in the third and a senior in the fourth year.

It is important to verify whether the university/college where a candidate is seeking admission is accredited or not. Accredition of the institution is important for many reasons like degree and diplomas from such institutes are recognized both within the USA and outside and credits are more easily transferable from one accredited institution to another besides the fact that most scholarships and fellowships are available only for study in such institutes. Candidates may also refer to the ranking of colleges and universities in terms of their competitiveness before deciding on their choice. However it may be surprising to know that neither US government nor the state governments have any role to play in accredition or ranking of colleges and universities. Accredition is a voluntary activity and accrediting bodies comprising of eminent educationalists and citizens evaluate universities and institutes on basis of certain criteria like quality of teaching, research output, expenditure per student etc. Similarly ranking is based on opinion surveys and other such methods.

Similar to the Indian system, higher education in USA begins after 12 years of schooling. After finishing school a student can join a university or a community college to pursue studies for earning an undergraduate degree or go for vocational training. In the first two years of an undergraduate degree course, a combination of subjects in humanities, social and natural sciences and arts are taught. In the final 2 years stress is laid on the subjects chosen as ‘majors’ by the student. The graphic below explains the options after secondary school level.

The ‘Terminal’ Associate programs prepare a student for a trade or technical job straight after completing a 2-year course. On the other hand ‘Transfer’ programs provide first two years of general education after which a student can transfer to a 4-year program.

Different types of institutions offer various undergraduate programs. Some of these institutions offer only undergraduate programs others also offer graduate and postdoctoral programs. A brief description on the various types of institutions imparting higher education in USA is given below:

Two Year Community Colleges or Junior Colleges: students in these colleges are primarily enrolled for 2 years Associate Programs. Junior Colleges are quite popular with international students because they are less expensive and offer attractive option for the first two years of undergraduate study. However all such colleges are not authorized to issue Form I-20, required to apply for student visa. Moreover while seeking admission in such colleges one must also ensure that the college has an arrangement with a 4-year college or university for transfer of academic credits earned at the 2-year program towards a bachelors degree program.

Four Year Colleges: These conduct Associate Programs as well as 4-year degree programs. They do not have graduate programs.

Five Year Colleges: These colleges offer 5-year undergraduate programs in professional fields such as pharmacy and architecture. The also do not offer graduate programs.

Upper Level Institution: These offer undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs. However for seeking admission in undergraduate program in such institutions a student must have at least two-years of previous college education.

University: Universities offer a wide range of choice in programs as well as subjects. Large Universities like, Harvard and Princeton, are composed of several colleges. Depending upon his interest, a student can choose the college. Each college has the flexibility to set its own standard for admission.

Another important aspect to note in case of these institutes is that they can be both private as well as public. Though most of the institutions receive financial support from the federal and state governments, public institutes rely heavily on public funds. On the other hand the private institutions though compete for state funds, depend more on tuition fees and contributions from foundations and private citizens. Some of the better-known private universities are Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford. University of Michigan, State University of New York System (SUNY), University of Illinois, University of Washington are some of the public universities.

Admission Requirements        ^ TOP

Twelve years of education is the essential qualification required for seeking admission to an undergraduate course in the US. Though most colleges in the US are aware of our education system those doing Indian School Certificate Examination (ISCE) have an advantage in the sense that the system followed in ISCE is similar to the British System and its is easy to interpret for the colleges in US. In case of CBSE and State Boards the student may have to communicate course contents, level of study etc., to the university.

Colleges and Universities in the US use tests to help evaluate applicant’s readiness for admission or to place them in appropriate courses. These tests are standardized and conducted by the ‘Education Testing Service’ an organization in USA, at various designated centres throughout the world including India. A student has to register himself for these tests and take them on his own expense. The test scores are sent to the students automatically and they may also request that the scores be reported to the college/university to which admission is sought. The chart below gives an idea on the standardized tests, generally taken by students seeking admission in different courses. In case of Master’s program the number of tests to be taken by the candidate would also depend on whether he is seeking admission with or without financial aid.