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What should I know when studying abroad?
Gathering information about colleges and universities.
If you are considering study abroad, the right information is essential.
The quickest route to learning about colleges and universities is to decide your minimum requirements, and gather information about colleges and universities based on those requirements.First search using Map Search or Search Criteria as a trial, and find two or three colleges/universities that interest you. As for the data, there is an explanation under "How to look at data on colleges and universities".
Doing this, you will understand what types of differences exist between various colleges and universities. Next, in order find out more about the college/university you searched, look at that school's website and contact the Sakae Institute of Study abroad for more information.
Picking a college/university
There are many factors when choosing a college/university, such as what you want to study, matching your abilities to the school and particular program, your budget, etc. However, the following are some examples of things Indian people must think about when studying abroad in America.
State Colleges/Universities or Private?
In America the saying "the more money you pay the better education you will get, which is why there are many high quality private colleges/universities" is common sense. Furthermore, of the private colleges/universities with high tuition and fees, many are high quality and take excellent care of their students. While many state colleges/universities are inexpensive, as a general rule they are very large in size and student population, lack the flexibility that private colleges/universities have to deal individually with each student, and priority for admissions and tuition is given to residents of the state in which the particular state college/university is located.
Among private colleges/universities, many of the smaller sized schools are called "liberal arts colleges". You can expect small group instruction, detailed instruction and care from these types of colleges. Liberal arts colleges are very well suited to study abroad students.
College/University Size
In America colleges and universities range from small schools with less than 1,000 students, to mammoth sized schools with more than 30,000 students. Generally in America a small school for undergraduate studies and a larger school for graduate studies are desirable. It may be good to think about a larger college or university when wanting to do a particular sport, or when you desire a rich multitude of facilities, but remember that the main goal of larger colleges and universities is research. This means that many courses are not taught by actual professors, but by what are called Teaching Assistants (TA). Therefore, the level of individual attention paid by the faculty to each student, is low.
Area
In general, the level of Education is very high across the east and northeast of the United States. In particular, in the New England area（Maine、New Hampshire、Vermont、Massachusetts、Rhode Island、Connecticut）there are many famous, traditional colleges and universities. If you do not yet have your heart set on a particular area, we suggest looking first at schools in the New England area and its surrounding States.
In the southern and western United States, there are many promising State colleges/universities and community colleges emerging. Many minorities (non-Caucasian peoples) live in the American south and west, and many Hispanic and Asian immigrants make their homes in these two geographic areas.
Degree of Difficulty of Admission
When judging the degree of difficulty for admission to a particular American college or university, use the following criteria as a guide.
- Applicant's average SAT*（ACT）score
- Barron's and Peterson's（※）ranking
- Applicant's average high school grades（GPA）
- The particular college/university's minimum required TOEFL® score
- Rate of Admissions
Even if the degree of difficulty for admission is high at the school you want to go to, don't give up and see Sakae Institute for more information.
Budget
For study abroad in America, you need to budget on average 30,000 to 40,000 US Dollars per year. Within that amount, the breakdown is approximately 15,000 to 30,000 US Dollars per year for private colleges/universities, 10,000 to 26,000 US Dollars for State colleges/universities, and 5,000 to 10,000 US Dollars on average for living (dorm) and food expenses. In addition, we suggest that you estimate about 10,000 US Dollars for books, materials, telephone bills and the like.
Also, wanting to save as much money and cut costs is natural, but do not pick a school just because it is "cheap". There are many stories where students pick a "cheap" school, but because it is cheap, the education quality of that school is low, and the students are unable to receive a real college level education. We also hear many stories in which a school's tuition is cheap, but to compensate for the low price there is no dormitory, forcing the student to rent an apartment on their own and budget for travel expenses, etc., and in the end the student ends up far exceeding his/her original budget. Make sure to look for a college or university with a level and environment that matches the money, time and work you will put into your study abroad.
Reassurance and piece of mind in Study Abroad: the Sakae Institute's Select Colleges and Universities
In the Sakae Guide we introduce colleges and universities that meet our requirements for ease of learning for foreign students, at the same time are schools that offer high quality education, and offer advantages for receiving good scholarships when admitted. For more information, please see our Introduction to Sakae Select Colleges and Universities page.
» Sakae Select Colleges and Universities
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