The universities of the United States are institutions that have a very complete and rigorous educational system for foreigners. For this reason, entering them can seem complicated, if you do not focus on completing the requirements and proceeding in the correct way.
To make the process easier for you, we want to show you what are the requirements to study at US universities as a foreigner?
1. Complete your high school studies
To opt for a place in any university in the United States, you must have completed the secondary phase in the country where you are. Once this stage is over, you need to go to the institute where you got certified, to request your academic record and proceed to:
- Translate documents from the last three years of high school into English
- Validate them with a specialized institution in the area.
There is no single authority for this last step, but some of the best known and most reliable are the Association of International Credential Evaluators and the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
If you are still in this stage and it is time to migrate, you can complete your studies at any High School, already within the United States.
When should I start doing this process?
The ideal is to start researching the requirements required by the universities you want to enter, at least 1 or 2 years before graduating from high school, since the admission and selection processes begin 10 months before the start of the university course.
It is important that you know that it is not necessary to have the file ready to apply to the university, since the selection processes begin before you finish your high school studies.
2. Compulsory admission exams
The universities of the United States require that the student go through a specific selection process, which consists of applying to different exams for evaluation.
- The first of these is the SAT exam, where they assess your future learning ability. This evaluation is made up of two sections, one referring to reading comprehension, which is Reading/Writing, and the other that refers to mathematics, called Math.
- You must also pass the TOEFL exam that is responsible for measuring your English skills.
To enter any university in the United States, you must pass both exams and obtain a good grade, especially if you want to opt for an academic scholarship.
3. Pass the admission process at the university
Once you have met the above requirements and have chosen the university where you want to enter, you must apply to it and send the information requested. If the institution’s response is positive and they accept you, they must send you the following documents:
- Form I20 (F1 and M1 visas)
- Form DS-2019 for the J1 visa
And what are these documents for?
These forms are part of the requirements you need to process your student visa
4. Process your student visa
In order to enter the country and begin your studies at the university, it is necessary to process your student visa, as it is a mandatory requirement for all foreigners who wish to study at universities in the United States.
5. Process an international medical insurance for students
As we already know, the health system in the United States works as a private entity. For this reason, universities require all students from other countries to take out health insurance.
You don’t have to do much research to choose, since most universities in the United States have this service and include it in the cost of enrollment, when it comes to foreign students.
6. Additional documents to consider
In addition to the documents that we have already mentioned, it is necessary that you submit an account statement of the resources that your parents manage, to demonstrate and certify that you have financial solvency to assume the payment of your studies in the United States.
Obviously you must consign your valid Passport and if necessary, your medical records and vaccinations.
Studying at a University in the United States is an excellent opportunity. We assure you that the effort you make to enter will be worth it.
