Applying to U.S Universities

Why study in the US?

There are many reasons why hundreds of UK students choose to take their higher education overseas to the US. These include:

1. High quality education
2. Wide range of educational opportunities
3. Latest technologies
4. Research, teaching and training strengths
5. Program flexibility
6. Fantastic career prospects
7. Campus life
8. Great support services
9. Good graduate employment records.

For more information, take a look at our Why Study In The US? guide.

What is the higher education system like in the US?

Bachelor’s degrees in the USA typically take 4 years to complete. The first 2 years include common required courses, such as math, history, literature, and communications. This develops a broad-based knowledge across many subject areas — an advantage for competing in the global workplace. The final 2 years focus on the your chosen “major” subject.

US bachelor’s degrees are flexibly designed to allow students to change their major after 1 or 2 years. There is a huge choice of elective courses so you can customize your degree to your interests and strengths.

It is common for students to change university after 1 or 2 years of undergraduate study in the USA, or to transfer into a US university after studying in another country. It’s not necessary to complete all 4 years at the same university in order to get a degree from there.

This flexibility means students can improve their grades for transfer to a more selective college or university.

How do I choose a US university?

To choose the right universities for you, we recommend you:

1. Decide where your interests lie and choose a subject
2. Look at which US universities match your requirements
3. Check the course content covers everything you want to learn more about
4. See whether you can afford the tuition fees, living expenses, etc.
5. Research the accommodation, location, etc. to see if it suits you
6. Try to attend a visit day, virtual event or other online sessions providing more information about the university.

For more help and advice, please see our Choosing A US University guide.

What are Ivy League Universities?

Ivy League universities in the U.S. began as a group association of eight highly competitive athletic colleges, namely:

• Harvard University (Massachusetts)
• Yale University (Connecticut)
• Princeton University (New Jersey)
• Columbia University (New York)
• Brown University (Rhode Island)
• Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)
• University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
• Cornell University (New York)

As their athletic teams began to attract more funding and gained popularity, the standards for student performance and admission became increasingly more demanding and rigorous.

As a result, since the 1960s, these Ivy League schools and colleges gained a widespread reputation for producing graduates with high academic performances, social prestige, and promising career futures.

Today they are always ranked amongst the best in the world according to the QS University League Tables.

How do I apply to university in the US?

To apply to university in the US, you will need to:

1. Research and decide a shortlist of universities
2. Check their entry requirements and deadlines
3. Complete the application forms
4. Write a great personal essay
5. Take the admissions tests
6. Receive replies from your chosen universities
7. Pay your deposit and any other fees

What the entry requirements for US universities?

Typical academic and English requirements for US universities are as follows:

• Minimum 24 and maximum 96 transferable undergraduate university credits.
• Minimum GPA 2.25 to 3.00 (or equivalent)
• Minimum TOEFL 61 to 100 (or equivalent)

How can I fund my degree in the U.S?

Unfortunately, studying for a degree in America doesn't come cheap.

Depending on where you choose to study, the average cost of tuition alone is anywhere between £2,800 and £28,000 every year.

And unlike in the UK, where you can get a tuition fee loan to cover your fees, in the USA your fees need to be paid in advance of each semester. You can pay for the whole year at once, or semester by semester, but either way it's a significant sum of money to have to find each time.

In terms of living costs, the required spend is much more equal across the different types of colleges. You'll likely be looking at something between £11,000 and £13,000 to cover the cost of accommodation, transport and all your other expenses each year.

This means that, depending on the type of university that you attend, your total annual costs could be anywhere between £13,915 and £40,746.

However, these are all average figures, so check with the individual universities you are applying to and see what their costs are like.

What documents do I need to study in the US?

For your US university application, you will need the following documentation:

1. DD/Bank check for the application fee, if you have not paid the application fee online already
2. Recommendation letters from three tutors (one from each)
3. GRE/TOEFL/GMAT/IELTS Score Xerox (please give your official scores for this)
4. Transcript and certificate for your Bachelor's degree
5. SSC/10th or Equivalent Certificate
6. 12th/ intermediate or Equivalent certificates
7. Statement of purpose
8. Photo copies of first and last pages of your passport
9. Copies and proofs of all your other activities, e.g. presentations, essays, etc.

For more information and advice, take a look at our US university documents guide.