Colleges in U.S. offer only undergraduate degrees whereas universities offer undergraduate as well as graduate degrees, but the terms are often used interchangeably.

The academic year for universities in the United States is usually from August to May. Most universities use either the semester system (two terms), the quarter system (students attend three out of four total terms), or the trimester system (three terms).

A credit is a value assigned to each course reflecting the number of hours the class will meet the professor each week.

Grade Point Average (GPA) is a numeric indicator for a student's academic performance which is calculated on a scale of 4.0.

It’s essential to explore your options and set your priorities before you decide which schools to apply to in U.S.

As an international student you may work on campus up to 20 hours/week in the first year of study in US and can apply to work off-campus in the subsequent years only with due permission of the International Student Office under CPT or OPT.

The best way is to refer the college and university guides to find which institutions are renowned in different fields of study.

A liberal arts college offers courses in humanities, languages, math, social and natural sciences, and students take 25-50% of their courses in their major.

U.S. universities require an English language proficiency test before admission and the test requirements vary depending on the course you apply for.

Undergraduate Level Examinations

SAT: A standardized test to evaluate the written, verbal and mathematical skills of the applicants.

ACT: To test the student's ability in English, Math, Science, Reading and Writing sections.

Graduate-Level Examinations

GRE: A standardized test of verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing for graduate-level study.

GMAT: A standardized test for MBA applicants and for business programs that measures basic verbal, mathematical, analytical writing and integrated reasoning skills.

MCAT: A standardized examination that assesses problem solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of science concepts and principles essential for the study of medicine.

LSAT: A standardized test to measure the reading and verbal reasoning skills used by the law schools as an assessment factor for admission.

DAT: A test to measure general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and perceptual ability, used for admission to Dental schools.

An F-1 visa is a student visa that is needed to study at a college, school or university in the USA. A J-1 visa is for an exchange student for temporary stay in the USA.

No, the US government does not require any specific immunizations. However, the University Health Service (UHS) strongly recommends that students come to school fully immunized to protect their health.

CPT is defined as employment which is an integral part of an established curriculum, including: “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education in USA, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.”

STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects are mostly opted by international as well as domestic students in the USA. However, Psychology, Business Administration, Education, Economics and Political Science are certain other popular courses.

Scholarships and grants are usually awarded to international students in USA on the basis of merit, need or any other exceptional excellence like proficiency in sports, cultural activities or a remarkable contribution in community service. The scholarships are highly competitive.

Many American universities also offer grants for foreign students who wish to study at their institution but these vary substantially from university to university.

The Standardized Test scores play a vital role in U.S. universities granting scholarships.