Study Abroad

The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Education System

The U.S. provides some of worlds finest higher education, especially in the field of technology. U.S. degrees are recognized all over the world and are considered to be one of the best in the world.The U.S. is the right choice for research professionals. There are many opportunities to do research in any field. The funding for most of the research projects are sponsored by the U.S. Government or by corporations. Also, many companies provide projects for the students in the neighboring universities to gain practical experience during their studies. Most of the research students receive waivers for their tuition fees and in some cases they are also provided with a stipend to help with their living expenses.

Students are allowed to work in their respective fields outside the campus for approximately three months as Interns during summer vacation. There are Intern programs during the academic year as well. Internships are a valuable part of education, as they help students gain practical experience while taking classes. Most universities offer academic credit for internship experience.

Application Process

Pre-application This section is for students who wish to apply to a university themselves, without the help of a consultant, such as F1study.com. The first step of the application process is for students to get the application forms from the universities of their choice. Once they have decided on a set of prospective universities, they must collect information such as the departments general queries e-mail address. Most universities send an application form upon request, but some universities require prospective students to fill out an online request. Many universities do not send applications or brochures to international locations, so students are required to print the form off of the website. It is always preferable to apply through online applications. For Fall semester admission, students should start requesting forms in January or February of the previous year. For Spring semester admission, the application should be completed by August. As the application package takes a minimum of one month to arrive, it is advisable to do it early. Keep tabs on the universities, and if they do not respond within a couple weeks, re-send the request.

When applying to several different universities, it might be a good idea to create a separate email account for the entire application process. This will prevent other miscellaneous emails from getting mixed up with important ones.

Living Expenses

Accommodation, food, transportation, and personal expenses are considered living expenses. Expenses vary from city to city, with the cost of living in a metropolitan area will be higher than a small town. Students can choose to live on-campus housing or find their own place off-campus. Students who live on-campus do not have to worry about transportation to classes, because everything is within walking distance. Food is also less of a worry, because on-campus students either have kitchen facilities, or may select a university meal plan. Students who choose to live off-campus should consider finding at least one roommate so that the rent and living expenses can be divided.