Title: A Slice of American Pie Word Count: 328 Summary: In order to acquire an education in the United States, there

are several necessa ry documents one must have. One needs to acquire a student visa and a certificate of eligibility and to fill up several other forms aside from the applications one is to send out to prospe ctive academic institutions. Keywords: studying overseas, study abroad, education, US Article Body: This is my first time, since my first time. - Jim, from the movie American Pie 2′ In order to acquire an education in the United States, there are several necessa ry documents one must have. One needs to acquire a student visa and a certificate of eligibility and to fill up several other forms aside from the applications one is to send out to prospe ctive academic institutions. Ok - try not to get overwhelmed. Let s take this one step at a time. First a foremost, before one can be issued a student visa, there are several req uirements one must obtain, forms one must fill up and submit. (*taken from UnitedStatesVisas.gov) 1. A certificate of eligibility which you must get from your sponsoring educatio nal institution in the U.S. If you are a regular student (an F visa) you ll get Fo rm I-20. If you are part of an approved exchange program (a J visa) you ll get For m DS-1920. * Further clarification will be made regarding student visas in an upcoming post . 2. Application Form DS-156 3. Form DS-158 4. Current, valid passport or travel document 5. Photograph. Requirements are strict for photograph size, type and quality. Pl ease check with your nearest consulate for specifications before you get your pi cture taken. 6. Application fees. All applicants must pay the application fee. Some applicant s, according to nationality and type of visa, must also pay an issuance fee.

7. Evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States 8. Evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad For men between 16 and 45 years of age, a supplemental visa application Form DS157 is also required. Applications for student visas are sent through the US Embassy or Consulate in y our country of origin. An important thing to remember about applying for a student visa is to apply ear ly - that is, one is allowed to apply 90 days in advance of the date of enrollme nt stated in one s certificate of eligibility. Still hungry? Savor these starters, while I brew up the next post.