The 7 Step Guide to Applying to U.S.

Universities

Consider whether going to a university in the U.S. is the right option for you
After finishing the KCSE exam in November (or your end-term examinations for Form 3 if you’re starting early), you should
research the various opportunities for studying in and outside of Kenya, including the U.S. Keep in mind that students going
abroad represent the best students in Kenya, normally earning an A but occasionally an A- in the KCSE exam. You should
also begin to research the different institutions in the U.S. and identify about 5 to 8 you might want to apply to. A list of
schools providing significant need-based financial aid for international students can be found on the back of this handout.
Create and complete a Common Application account online
Go to www.commonapp.org and create an online account. This one application can be used to apply to almost all major
universities in the U.S. The Common Application normally opens for the following year’s applications around August 1.
Go to your high school to get necessary documents and recommendations
The Common Application requires that you provide a number of documents from your teachers and school officials. In
August and September, you should go to your high school and get the following documents:
 KCSE result slip (if taken) and academic records (transcripts) for your entire high school career
 Two teacher recommendation forms (found on the CommonApp website)
 Two teacher recommendation letters written on school letterhead (from the same teachers filling the rec. forms)
 A school report completed by a school official, such as a counselor or principal (found on the CommonApp website)
 A letter of recommendation written on school letterhead from the official who wrote the school report
 If you are still in Form 4, you will also need the mid-year and final report (found on the CommonApp website)
 Fee waiver form (found on the CommonApp website) and supporting letter, if applicable
 Early decision agreement (found on the CommonApp website), if applicable
When collecting these documents, make sure you get enough copies to send to all of the universities you are applying to.
Ideally, each document should have an original school stamp or certified copy stamp, even if the document is photocopied.
Write your personal essay and any necessary supplement essays
Part of the Common Application is to write a personal essay. You are given five essay prompts from which you choose only
one to write on. The topics include sharing your personal background or story, recounting a time you experience failure and
what you learned from doing so, reflecting on a time when you challenged a belief or idea, describing a place or
environment where you are perfectly content, and discussing and accomplishment or event that marked your transition
from childhood to adulthood. A full list of the exact prompts can be found on the CommonApp website. Your essay should
be around 550-650 words in length and must be about a true story that really happened to you. In addition to your personal
essay, each university has a few supplementary essays that are required when applying to that particular institution. For
example: Why do you want to attend X university? These essay prompts can also be found on the CommonApp website.
Study for, register for, and take necessary examinations
Most U.S. universities require that all applicants take some kind of standardized test. The most common of the required
exams are SAT Reasoning Test (SAT 1), SAT Subject Tests (SAT 2), ACT with writing, and TOEFL.

SAT ACT TOEFL

Beginning of the month: May, June, April, June, September,
Exam dates Every weekend
October, November, December, January October, December
Registration Deadline 5 weeks prior to exam 3 weeks prior to exam 2 weeks prior to exam
Learning and Testing Services (LTS) in
Where to Register Online Online
Taj Tower, Upperhill, Nairobi
SAT1: 7,400KES; SAT2: 7,400KES for 2
Cost $85 (about 7,500KES) $170 (about 15,000KES)
subjects or 8,500KES for 3 subjects
Website www.sat.collegeboard.org www.actstudent.org www.ets.org/toefl

Complete necessary financial aid application documents with your parent(s) or guardian(s)
Most students should apply for need-based financial aid scholarships to fund their university education. To do so, you will
need to complete the required financial aid application documents. The most common documents are the CSS PROFILE
found online at http://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile (costs $10-20 to submit to each school) or the
International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) which can normally be found on individual university websites (free).
A Certificate of Finances form may also be required. Information on the type of documentation required by each university
is provided on the back of this handout and should be confirmed by visiting the individual school’s website.
Submit your online application and mail your supporting documents by the deadline
Specific deadlines for each university are listed on the back of this handout, and you should also confirm them on each
school’s admissions website. You must submit your online Common Application to each university by this deadline, as well
as mail all supporting documents by courier.
 Schools with Need-Based Financial Aid for International Students
Exam Requirements Deadlines
Rank School Location SAT Option ACT Option TOEFL Early 1 Early 2 Regular
1 Princeton University Princeton, NJ SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
2 Harvard University Cambridge, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 No 1-Nov 1-Jan
3 Yale University New Haven, CT SAT1 + SAT2 ACT No 1-Nov 31-Dec
4 Columbia University New York, NY SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
5 University of Chicago Chicago, IL SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

5 Stanford University Stanford, CA SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan

7 Mass. Institute of Tech. (MIT) Cambridge, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
7 Duke University Durham, NC SAT1 + SAT2 ACT No 1-Nov 2-Jan
7 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT No 1-Nov 1-Jan
10 California Institute of Tech. (CalTech) Pasadena, CA SAT1 + 1 SAT2 ACT + 1 SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 3-Jan
10 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
12 Northwestern University Evanston, IL SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
12 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD SAT1 + 3 SAT2 ACT + 3 SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
14 Washington Univ. in St. Louis St. Louis, MO SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan
14 Brown University Providence, RI SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 2-Jan
16 Cornell University Ithica, NY SAT1 ACT No 1-Nov 2-Jan
17 Rice University Houston, TX SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
17 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN SAT1 ACT No 1-Nov 3-Jan 3-Jan
18 University of Notre Dame South Bend, IN SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
20 Georgetown University Washington, DC SAT1+ 3 SAT 2 ACT + 3 SAT2 Yes 1-Nov 10-Jan
28 Tufts University Boston, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
32 University of Rochester Rochester, NY SAT1 or 2 SAT2 ACT Yes 8-Nov 1-Jan
32 Brandeis University Waltham, MA SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
41 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
1 Williams College Williamstown, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT No 10-Nov 1-Jan
2 Amherst College Amherst, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT No 15-Nov 1-Jan
3 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
4 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT SAT1 or 3 SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
4 Pomona College Claremont, CA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
4 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
7 Wellesley College (WC) Wellesley, MA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Jan
7 Carleton College Northfield, MN SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 15-Jan
9 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
9 Haverford College Haverford, PA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan
9 Davidson College Davidson, NC SAT1 + SAT2 ACT + SAT2 Yes 15-Nov 2-Jan 2-Jan
13 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

14 Hamilton College Clinton, NY SAT1 or 3 SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
16 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA SAT1 + 2 SAT 2 ACT + 2 SAT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
17 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
17 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
20 Smith College (WC) Northampton, MA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
20 Colgate University Hamilton, NY SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 15-Jan
22 Colby College Waterville, ME SAT1 or 3 SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
22 Bates College Lewiston, ME Optional Optional Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
24 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
25 University of Richmond Richmond, VA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Dec 1-Dec
25 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH SAT1 ACT No 15-Nov 2-Jan 15-Jan
30 Bryn Mawr College (WC) Bryn Mawr, PA SAT1 + SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
31 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO SAT1 or 3 SAT2 ACT No 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
32 Barnard College (WC) New York, NY SAT1 + 2 SAT 2 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Jan
32 Kenyon College Gambier, OH SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 15-Jan
36 Lafayette College Easton, PA SAT1 ACT No 15-Nov 15-Jan
36 Trinity College Hartford, CT SAT1 or 2 SAT2 ACT Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
38 Mount Holyoke College (WC) South Hadley, MA Optional Optional Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 15-Jan
41 Union College Schenectady, NY SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 15-Jan
45 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY SAT1 + 3 SAT2 ACT + 3 SAT2 Yes 15-Nov 1-Jan 1-Jan
45 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 1-Feb
50 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan 1-Feb
56 St. Lawrence University Canton, NY SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Feb
76 Berea College Berea, KY SAT1 ACT No 31-Oct 28-Feb 30-Apr
82 Knox College Galesburg, IL SAT1 or SAT1 ACT Yes 1-Nov 1-Dec 1-Feb
89 Agnes Scott College (WC) Decatur, GA SAT1 ACT Yes 15-Nov 15-Jan
NOTE: National universities and liberal arts colleges are equally prestigious and both do scientific research. The major difference is
that liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduate students, whereas national universities have graduate students as well.
NOTE: This page is to be used only as a rough guide. Please confirm all requirements and deadlines on each university’s website.
*(WC) Denotes Women’s College