UNITED STATES

FURTHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE US.

Higher education in the United States is an optional stage of formal
learning following secondary education. Higher education is also referred as post-
secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education. It covers stages 5
to 8 on the International ISCED 2011 scale. It is delivered at 4,360 Title IV degree-
granting institutions, known as colleges or universities. These may
be public or private universities, research universities, liberal arts
colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. Higher education in the United
States is an optional stage of formal learning following secondary education. Higher
education is also referred as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or
tertiary education. It covers stages 5 to 8 on the International ISCED 2011 scale. It is
delivered at 4,360 Title IV degree-granting institutions, known as colleges or
universities. These may be public or private universities, research universities, liberal
arts colleges, community colleges, or for-profit colleges. To gain admission to a US
degree or pathway program, you must meet minimum academic and English level
entry requirements. About cademic qualifications, you need good grades in previous
academic study – high school diploma or undergraduate degree – that are equivalent
to the minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) for entry to your chosen degree. GPAs
are on a 10-point scale. You may have the option to join an undergraduate pathway
program if your GPA does not qualify you for entry directly to a bachelor’s degree.
With advanced English proficiency, you may be able to start a bachelor’s or master’s
degree immediately. You can join a pathway or intensive English program if your
English level does not yet meet the requirements for a degree. Generally, they accept
scores from any of the following English language exams like: Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT, International English Language Testing System
(IELTS), IELTS Indicator,… Next, the tuition fees range from $5,000 to $50,000 per
year. Most undergraduate degrees last four years, so, on average, students are
graduating with $132,860 worth of debt. And the last, about the study program,
following high school, students can choose to study a bachelor’s (or “undergraduate”)
degree at a college or university. Bachelor’s degrees in the USA typically take 4 years
to complete. The first 2 years include common required courses, such as math,
history, literature, and communications. This develops a broad-based
knowledge across many subject areas — an advantage for competing in the global
workplace. The final 2 years focus on the your chosen “major” subject. US bachelor’s
degrees are flexibly designed to allow students to change their major after 1 or 2
years. You can also add on a “minor” (a “mini-major”) in a different subject,  study
more than one major, or get a head start on graduate studies through an accelerated
degree program. Within your degree, you can have a huge choice of elective
courses so you can customize it to your interests and strengths.
In addition, the US is unique in its investment in highly competitive NCAA sports,
particularly in American football and basketball, with large sports stadiums and
arenas.

PROS AND CONS OF STUDYING IN THE US.

PROS
1. Diversity

With a country, comprising 50 states spreading on an entire continent, you can

imagine the overwhelming range of courses and majors that are at your disposal,
and, with English being the universal language, you can practically choose any area
of study in any university. Another positive side of the US education system is that,
with such a big potential, there is a considerable chance for you to find a program
which best suits your interests. In addition, as an international student in the US,
you may find a program, which is looking for candidates from your region.

The US education system has a lot of diversity programs which encourage students
from all over the world to apply. This is a golden opportunity for the student
communities which belong to the underdeveloped countries to gain international
experience, thus helping them improve their quality of life in return.

Further to this, the universities also offer different funding options in order to
encourage international applications, thus filling their quota and raising their
international and domestic recognition. There is also a high regard for sports
education in the US education system and there are a lot of scholarships aimed at
developing the athletes’ potential.

2. Flexibility of Education

The US education system is one of the most diverse in the world. Students have
unlimited choices on what they could study. Usually the U.S. universities offer you
the possibility to experiment with different courses in the first two years of your
education, as opposed to European universities, where you pick a specific subject
with predefined curriculum and you follow it throughout your studies.

This diversification in the US education system allows you to gain a different

perspective and to avoid spending money on something that you don’t want to study.
It also encourages you to broaden your knowledge on other fields so you could better
develop your skills and personality. For instance, if you are studying to be a lawyer,
you might want to cover courses for public speaking, reasoning and argumentation,
literature, PR; instead of only covering courses that are directly connected to your
subject.

Another interesting feature of the US Education system is the focus on the

development of an all-round state of mind. This means that your talents are
recognized and nurtured by encouraging you to participate in extracurricular and
outdoor activities, round tables, research etc. In addition, U.S universities provide up
to date facilities and advanced technologies, which are being developed onsite and
can be used for work on government and private projects.

3. Academia and student life

Because of the high academic standard, many US universities attract the best and
brightest scholars from around the world every year. You will have the opportunity to
meet and interact with top-notch researchers who acquires in-depth field knowledge
and experience. This will give you access to extensive knowledge and contacts. 

In addition, visiting professors will not only read lectures but will also expect from
you to get in touch with them, so you could share your thoughts.

In this regard, academic life in the U.S may be more hands-on and interactive than
the one in other countries. In class, students may be expected to express their
opinion and the lecture itself is in open form. This creates an environment that
tolerates discussions and dialogue.

Usually, the student life is situated mostly on the campus. The dormitories are also
located there. Commonly the campus is outside of the city or in a designated area.
There, one can also find the necessary utilities, restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs.
Since you will be spending most of your time on the campus, the student life is
regarded more like a community, where you can interact with other students; engage
in different activities, clubs and organizations.

We strongly recommend you to get involved in such activities, as they will help you
with the cultural integration and will create opportunities for friendships,
collaboration and academic ties.

4. Global recognition 

With some exceptions, US universities are highly regarded around the globe and
candidates with US Diplomas have a better chance to be picked by Employers.

In a survey for top universities in the world from 2014, 40 out of 100 universities are
located in the U.S, 7 of which are in the top 10. 

CONS

1. Diversity as a negative 

As the number of international students in the US has escalated dramatically over

the years, students can find high diversity in the courses offered by the US education
system. Each state follows a different curriculum of courses creating students of
varying standards of education. This creates a gap in the education and breaches the
knowledge of the student in general. This leads to certain universities becoming more
favored by employers and thus raising the inequality in the workforce.

2. Tuition Fees

One of the major setbacks of US education is the cost as the high standards of quality
education comes with a freight. The US education fees are among the highest in the
world, reaching up to $50 000 per year. 
One paper shows the undergraduate tuition and living expenses in MIT:
Nine months' tuition for 2014–2015 is $43,720. In addition, undergraduate room
and board is approximately $13,224 depending on the student's housing and dining
arrangements. Books and personal expenses are about $2,790.
In addition, due to the immigration status of the international students, the
possibilities for student loans are limited.

3. Holistic admission process

Applying for a university in the US is a rather complicated process as compared to

any other country. Students who are willing to apply in the US, strong academic
results are a must in order to be eligible for the top universities. Students have to
excel academically as well as socially i.e. participating in community activities,
volunteering in social work, science projects, arts projects etc. Universities usually
consider all-rounder students as they require students who indulge and participate in
different competitions and contests. 
Another side is the need to cover standardized tests.  Most U.S. colleges require that
you take one or more admission tests in order to be eligible for their programs. Such
tests as SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, TOEFL or IELTS, which are not always
available in other countries or online.

4. Social benefits and work

The major drawback of studying in the US is the finite accessibility to benefit from
programs like social security, healthcare or other types of benefits offered by the
Government for US citizens. 
Students who are willing to avail social security will require a social security number
(SSN) issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA). In order to be eligible,
students will need a letter from the International Social Service (ISS). Students must
have a  job offer to ISS which displays the proof of job regulated by the F-1
international student visa in order to receive an ISS letter. 
Students who are willing to avail healthcare, each university has its own system
which varies in standard or in the services provided to them. Smaller colleges may
offer only basic coverage for general illness, where other top universities may offer
full packages or coverage of healthcare. In any of these cases, students are required
to sign a healthcare plan from their respective university. However, students must
know that the US does not provide socialized healthcare and the treatment is very
expensive as compared to other countries. 
Work options are also limited and are regulated by the F-1 international student
work visa.
WHY DO I CHOOSE THE US?
I choose America not only because of the benefits this education brings, but also
because I always want to explore new lands, especially a large and developed country
like the US. Through movies, I really want to see the landscape here directly. And
another very special reason is that America has a very developed sports background,
especially basketball, my favorite sport. I look forward to being able to directly attend
the matches of the toughest basketball tournament on the planet (NBA) as well as
play basketball at this place. I believe that if I can experience the environment in the
US, I can definitely bring a lot of things to develop my country.