1. What are the requirements for applying for studying in the United States?
1, education
Applying for graduate students in the United States requires a bachelor's degree; You need to graduate from high school to apply for an undergraduate course in the United States.
2. School performance
Whether applying for an undergraduate or graduate degree in the United States, you need to get a GPA at school. Undergraduate application needs to provide high school GPA, and graduate application needs to provide undergraduate GPA.
3. Language testing
To apply for studying in the United States, both undergraduate and graduate students need to prepare for a language test: TOEFL or IELTS. Generally speaking, American schools generally recognize TOEFL and most schools also accept IELTS. (But it should be noted that IELTS is not accepted by all schools. Students who take the IELTS test must confirm in advance whether their favorite schools and majors take the IELTS test. )
In addition, all schools are exempt from language testing. If you study in an English-speaking country for a certain number of years and get a degree, some schools can waive the language test. Most of the bachelor's degrees can be met, and the master's degree may not be met. You need to go to the school to confirm.
4. Standardized examination
To apply for undergraduate courses in the United States, especially top universities, you need to prepare for the SAT/ACT, that is, the American college entrance examination, and you need to get the highest possible score before applying. The standardized examinations required for applying for graduate students vary according to different majors. General business schools prepare for GRE/GMAT (accounting majors only recognize GMAT scores), science and engineering, humanities and social sciences prepare for GRE, law majors such as JD prepare for LAST, and medical related majors prepare for MCAT. You can prepare according to your own situation.
5. Background activities (soft power)
Both undergraduate and graduate applications require some background activities. Undergraduate application often requires students to have certain extracurricular activities, scientific research competitions and so on. If you are a graduate student, you need to know the required prerequisite courses according to the major you are applying for. If there are any deficiencies, make up lessons as far as possible through minor, elective and double degree. If it really doesn't work, you can take an online course and get a certificate. In addition, students applying for business should do relevant internships as much as possible to exercise their professional ability; Students majoring in humanities, social sciences and science can try to do more scientific research if they can publish papers. In addition, you can participate in some extracurricular activities, competitions and volunteer activities that reflect its diversity.
6. Economic situation
Studying in the United States, tuition and daily expenses are relatively expensive. Therefore, we should consider many aspects such as choosing a school and applying for scholarships, and make a good budget in advance.
2. Materials that must be prepared to study in the United States
1. American language materials for studying abroad
When choosing to go abroad, everyone seems to have a common sense-you have to take TOEFL in the United States and IELTS in the United Kingdom. But times have changed, and this concept should be abandoned. At present, IELTS is also highly recognized in the United States. More than 3,400 schools recognize IELTS scores, and some top American institutions, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will make it clear that they prefer IELTS.
Judging from the test habits of domestic candidates, we are also more suitable for IELTS. First of all, IELTS can choose paper-and-pencil test or computer test, while TOEFL only has computer test. People who are used to paper-and-pencil exams will certainly find IELTS more cordial. Secondly, from a practical point of view, IELTS speaking test is a face-to-face communication with examiners, while TOEFL speaking is a man-machine conversation. From the experience of living in the United States, it is actually very important to communicate with people in real life and study. The preparation process of IELTS speaking test is only a process of practicing our practical application of English, which is helpful for candidates' face-to-face interview and entrance interview.
Moreover, judging from the difficulty of the test, the content of the TOEFL test is academic and requires high professional vocabulary. The vocabulary is 8000- 10000, and the exam lasts about 3 hours, which can be regarded as a marathon exam. However, the content of IELTS test is daily, and the scenes and topics are common in life. The requirements for vocabulary are similar to those of CET-6. The IELTS written test 160 minutes, just the oral test is almost 10- 15 minutes. The arrangement of oral and written tests separately can relieve the pressure brought by the length of the test to a certain extent, which is more conducive to full preparation.
2. The materials of studying in the United States
In addition to language scores, the achievement materials for studying abroad in the United States mainly provide school scores (GPA). GPA refers to the average grade point average, and GPA is an indispensable condition in the application for studying abroad. Generally speaking, in order to apply to a good school in the United States, the GPA must reach at least 3.0 (4.0 scale), while the top 30 schools in the United States must reach at least 3.5(4.0 scale). It is recommended that students who have the idea of studying abroad prepare as soon as possible, and their grades can be stabilized at around 90 points.
3. Proof of studying in the United States
Proof materials for applying for studying in the United States include letters of recommendation, personal statements, resumes and other materials designated by the school.
There are usually two or three letters of recommendation. Students can choose teachers, academic thesis instructors or professors who have had academic exchanges as referees. If they have good internship experience, they can also choose leaders during the internship. The contents of the recommendation letter generally include the background, professional foundation, learning ability and research direction of the recommended person. If the application school provides a recommendation form, you must fill it out carefully according to the recommendation form.
Personal statement is mainly used to honor the applicant's professional ability and academic research, and the way of statement is not fixed. For example, it can be the subject you have studied in the professional field, the literature you have studied, the relevant internship experience, the direction you want to study in the future, and the planning and prospect after you finish studying.
Resume is an introduction to personal information, which requires conciseness and one page is enough. Generally, it should include basic information, contact information, educational experience, work and research experience, honor, skills and expertise, etc. American universities not only pay attention to grades, but also pay great attention to some non-performance indicators, such as extracurricular activities, competitive competitions, or public welfare activities, so this aspect must be reflected in their resumes.
In addition, some schools may also require papers, portfolios and proof of assets, so when preparing materials for studying in the United States, you must go to the school to check them carefully.
3. Detailed interview rules for applying for studying in the United States
1. First impressions are very important.
Arrive 10 minutes before the interview. If you encounter a traffic jam, please inform your interviewer in advance. Being late is a very bad thing, and so is the remote interview. In addition, bring copies of all your application materials in case the interviewer needs them. Of course, more formal dress is also essential. These are the most basic requirements, but they are also really important.
Stay Real
As we mentioned above, the purpose of the school interview is to know yourself, so nothing is more important than keeping it true. An important factor that attracts applicants is their different backgrounds. So no matter what your background is, you can speak freely with the interviewer. Of course, you should not present a negative side, but your most natural side.
Fully prepared
Although the whole interview process revolves around your experience and ideas, it doesn't mean that you don't need to prepare. Be good at expressing and communicating, and your outstanding deeds need to be fully prepared before they can be presented. Because you must use good language to organize and express your important experiences, stories you are proud of and your distinctive features, don't underestimate this process, which plays a vital role in the success or failure of the interview. At the same time, what you need to prepare is your understanding and enthusiasm for the school. After all, the school also values the sincerity of the applicant.
practise
First of all, the first step of interview practice should be to familiarize yourself with your application materials. Paperwork or something. But when you are familiar with it, you should prepare one more part: think about the questions that people who look at these materials may ask and prepare the answers to these questions. Then ask the teachers and classmates to help you do a mock interview. In fact, anyone who can give you honest feedback can. You can ask them some classic questions, such as your proudest achievement, who your leader is and why you chose this time to study.
Ask valuable questions
Interviewers always have different understandings of their schools and programs, so they seize the opportunity to ask questions during the interview. Some classic questions, such as: Why did you choose this school at that time, what was your favorite activity and what was your favorite class, are all good questions. It would be better if it could be more specific. These questions can not only give you a deeper understanding of the project, but also show your enthusiasm for the project.