Applying to U.S. Colleges and Universities

The terms “college,” “university,” and “school” are used interchangeably when we refer to degree-granting institutions offering higher education in the United States. For simplicity, we’ll use the term “college.”

To apply to colleges in the United States, you should start 12-18 months in advance of when you plan to begin your studies. If you are an undergraduate applicant (applying for a bachelor’s degree), starting you application process by the beginning of Class 12 will help ensure that you do not have a gap year between Class 12 and the beginning of your undergraduate program in the U.S. Similarly, graduate applicants, those applying for a master’s or a PhD, should also start their application process 12-18 months in advance.

Why does it take so long to apply to American colleges?

In addition to having to carefully research and choose colleges, prepare for and take the standardized exams, you will need to meet each college’s application deadline date. Some deadlines – especially for colleges that are competitive and colleges that offer good scholarships – are eight or nine months in advance of the start of class.

There are two semesters for which you can apply for admission, the fall semester (classes start in August or September) and the spring semester (classes start in January). All colleges offer admission in fall, as it is the beginning of the academic year. Not all colleges offer admissions in spring. If you are searching for a scholarship, the best semester to apply for is fall (generally, not much scholarship is available in spring). The application deadline date depends on which semester you apply for, and which college you are choosing.

To apply to U.S. colleges, here’s what you should do:                        

1. Choose between 5 and 10 colleges to apply to. Use Internet resources to make your decisions. You must find colleges that are the best fit for you. Carefully research criteria such as your field of study, cost, scholarship opportunities, location, competitiveness, and admissions requirements. Applying to 5-10 well chosen colleges will give you a higher chance of admission than just applying to one or two. Certainly, you can choose to apply to more than 10 colleges if you like, but do ensure you are sending quality applications to all!
2. Access the colleges’ application formson their websites. It’s free and easy to access application forms and eligibility and application requirements.
3. Register for and take the standardized exams.All students must take at least the TOEFL (some colleges also accept IELTS), which is a test that measures your English language skills.We highly recommend that all undergraduate applicants also take the SAT (Reasoning Test) or ACT. Both exams measure your English and Math skills; ACT additionally measures your Science skills. We also highly recommend taking the SAT Subject Tests, which are subject-specific tests that demonstrate to a U.S. college that you have skills in a certain subject. Good scores on the SAT / ACT and SAT Subject Tests will be very important especially if you are applying to competitive colleges and for scholarships. Furthermore, for many American colleges, submission of a SAT/ ACT score is required in order to apply for admission. Therefore, it is in your best interest to take not only TOEFL, but also SAT / ACT and SAT Subject Tests.We recommend graduate applicants take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) in addition to the TOEFL. Student who are applying for an MBA or similar degree usually take the GMAT, while all other graduate applicants take the GRE. Like the SAT for undergraduates, the GRE/ GMAT may not be required by all colleges, but having good scores will certainly boost your chances of admission and scholarships.To obtain information about a standardized test such as TOEFL, SAT, ACT, GRE, or GMAT, refer to the test’s official website (ets.org/toefl for TOEFL, www.collegeboard.com for SAT, www.actstudent.org for ACT, www.ets.org/gre for GRE, and www.mba.com for GMAT). It is recommended that you register at least two months before your preferred test date. Many students spend a lot of time preparing for these exams: make sure you allocate enough time for preparation.
4. Send your applications to the colleges. Colleges must receive your complete application by the deadline date.
5. If you are accepted, you will receive an I-20 from the college. An I-20 contains information about you, the college, and the amount you are expected to pay each year. An I-20 is required to apply for a student visa to the U.S..
6. Choose the best I-20 and apply for a student visa.You will need to identify one I-20 to use when you apply for a student visa at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.

What to do if you have a 3-year bachelor’s ?

Since no bachelor’s program in the U.S. is shorter than four years, a student intending to join a graduate program in the U.S. should have at least sixteen years of education in the relevant field. Students who have 2 or 3-year bachelor’s degrees or who are currently enrolled in a bachelor’s program have three options to choose from:

Option 1

Complete a master’s degree in the relevant field and then apply for graduate study in the U.S. In some cases, students will apply for the master’s program again and in some cases, depending upon the institution, students can directly apply for the PhD program. Contact institutions directly to know which program you are eligible for.

Option 2

Transfer to an undergraduate program in the U.S. With this option, you can earn an undergraduate degree from the U.S. However, this option could be costly for some students as it might take between one to three years to complete the undergraduate degree. It can take up to three years because different colleges have different graduation requirements and you may not earn transfer credit for some of the coursework you have completed in Nepal.

Students are encouraged to weigh Option 1 and Option 2 and opt for the one that is best for them.

Option 3

A third option is available for students applying for an MBA in the U.S. You could apply for a bridge program (sometimes referred to as a pre-MBA) in the U.S. Very few colleges provide such bridge programs and you have to contact the college directly to find out the requirements for admission. A bridge program generally runs for one to one and a half years and you generally will need to complete your MBA at the same school.