University Planning and the Key to Success

Introduction

For an international student it takes a long time to apply to an American university. You will need to prepare paper work, research all your options, and finally make your decision. Planning is the key to your success. Many students have said, “If I only knew, I would have done it differently”. Making the right choices from the start will save you a lot of headaches in the future not to mention money and time.

In this section, we will introduce important planning steps and discuss what you should keep in mind throughout the entire process.

Advantage of early planning

Once you get into the application process you might feel overwhelmed by the new terminology, all information that your need to collect and requirements you need to fulfill. The key to your success is planning and time.

It can take up a year to go through the entire process from start to finish.Take a look at the Application Quick List below to get a feel for common deadlines.

The main reason for the long time is the wait between the different deadlines. If you are an international student, all universities in the United States require passing an English test. These are standard tests taken by all international students and are only offered a few times every year at specific locations around the world. If you do not plan ahead and sign up, it might delay your application for a whole year! Some tasks must be performed on or before a certain date whiles other deadlines are more flexible. Other tasks could be performed up until the actual submittal of the application. For instance, the translation of high school transcripts and gathering of financial data is important but does not need to be completed until shortly before you send in your paper work.

As a part of this package, we have put together an Application Check List of major deadlines and tasks you need to complete. Use it as a guide and check off finished items as you progress in your application process.