Transcripts, letters of recommendation, English certificates or essays, financial commitments ... are important components for the US study abroad application.
According to the book "Why study abroad in the US", a summary from a similar book series released by the US Department of State, depending on the university, candidates need to prepare transcripts, letters of recommendation, certificates of English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE ...), essays, extracurricular activities, portfolio collections and financial forms.
Transcript
Transcripts include information about subjects at the high school, college, or university level, how long you've studied those subjects, and grades for each subject. At the US Study Abroad Expo 2022 in Hanoi on 4/10, Mr. David J. Wivell, admissions representative of Rochester Institute of Technology, New York State, said that the transcript helps the admissions committee see the academic ability and strengths of candidates.
He said the school will look at which school they come from and look at students' grades in subjects. For students studying AP (Advanced Placement) or International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the school will consider between a student with high scores but in easy subjects with good grades in more difficult subjects to choose a scholarship.
Letter of recommendation
Along with transcripts, applicants are usually required to submit at least two letters of recommendation. People who write letters of recommendation must be able to write about your work and assess the potential for you to do well in college. David said the letter that highlighted the strengths of students in high school would be impressive.
Standardized tests
Coming from a non-English speaking country, international students are always required to prove sufficient English proficiency to study in the US. At the US study abroad exhibition, Rochester Institute of Technology said a minimum IELTS requirement of 6.5, TOEFL 550 or TOEFL iBT 79; Drexel University requires IELTS 7.5... In addition to IELTS and TOEFL, the University of Nebraska Lincoln accepts Duolingo test scores (100).
Some schools may require grades SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) or ACT (American College Testing). The purpose of the SAT and ACT tests is to assess a high school student's college readiness. Test scores will be reviewed along with other documents that applicants submit to the school.
At postgraduate level, the GRE (The Graduate Record Examination) is used in the consideration of postgraduate admission requirements (Master or PhD) in the natural sciences and social sciences except Medicine, Pharmacy, Law. The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is specifically designed for admission to graduate programs in the field of business and management.
Not all schools or programs in the U.S. require scores on these standardized tests. Applicants need to follow the information on the official website of the school.
Essays
Applications with full grades and numbers do not help the school understand much about the applicant. Therefore, universities want to get to know prospective students through undergraduate or graduate essays. Through personal essays, admissions officers will assess the candidate's writing skills, academic ability, organizational skills, reasons for applying to the school and reasons for choosing a major. Many universities design questions for personal essays to assess whether candidates have certain qualities that the school seeks.
For graduate programs, individual essays help the admissions committee assess the candidate's suitability for the department or school. Candidates are advised to write a coherent, concise and persuasive essay that clearly expresses your views and aspirations.
Extracurricular activities
In addition to academics, schools also want to understand candidates through extracurricular activities. Almost everything you do outside of the classroom can count as extracurricular activities. Joshua H. Jaquins, admissions representative at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said universities don't focus on specific activities, but rather know what you've done and what you've accomplished in the activities you've been involved in.
Particularly for applicants applying to art schools, a sample collection – portfolio is an indispensable component. A portfolio is a sample collection that showcases your creative talent and the type of creativity you're interested in. Sample collections can include paintings, photographs, music composition, fashion design, architectural drawings...
Financial confirmation
In addition, most university admissions documents include a form called "Financial Statement and Confirmation" or "Grant Affidavit". Your parent or sponsor must sign this document, then get the bank's or attorney's authentication. If you plan to apply for financial aid, you must fill out and submit several forms that the school uses to determine your financial needs, such as CSS Profile, ISFAA or FAFSA forms.
When applying to multiple schools, applicants can use The Common Application – a common application system of more than 900 member universities across the US. These schools ensure that applications submitted through the general system are considered the same as applications using the school's own form.
Instead of having to declare the same information such as address, GPA, extracurricular activities a dozen times, you only need to declare once. The tracking panel of the general application system also helps you not to miss documents to be submitted (such as letters of recommendation) and important deadlines.