The difference between undergraduate and graduate students applying for studying in the United States
1. Application difficulty
In the United States, it is getting harder and harder to apply for both undergraduate and master's degrees. Take the undergraduate application in the United States as an example, the number of applicants is increasing, and the diversity of applicants' backgrounds leads to fierce competition and increasingly difficult application, especially in the top 30 comprehensive rankings of American universities.
For the application of American master's degree, there are also hidden rules with excellent application conditions and increasingly high application background. Especially different from American undergraduate students' tolerance of professional background and academic experience, some American master's majors have requirements for academic experience of related majors.
Therefore, whether applying for undergraduate or postgraduate courses in the United States, the application difficulty and competitive pressure are increasing. Therefore, whether you want to apply for undergraduate or graduate studies in the United States, you should consult overseas experts as soon as possible and make a study plan as soon as possible, so as not to get off to a bad start because of insufficient preparation.
2. Application materials
Application materials for studying in the United States can be divided into hardware conditions and software conditions:
Hardware conditions refer to standardized test scores such as TOEFL, SAT/ACT, GMAT/GRE, GPA and graduation certificate. Whether you are a senior high school student, junior college student, undergraduate student, or even a vocational high school or online school, you can apply for studying in the United States as long as you have a degree recognized by the Ministry of Education.
Software requirements are the applicant's application background, such as overseas study and life experience, personal growth experience, internship work, scientific research experience, etc., which are reflected in the study abroad documents, namely PS, recommendation letter and CV.
Then, what is the difference between the application materials for applying for an American undergraduate course and an American master's degree?
Education: both graduation certificate and transcript GPA need to be submitted by the applicant, and they are selected on the basis of merit;
Language scores: TOEFL or IELTS, both need to be submitted. You can choose a language course if you can't meet the requirements;
Study abroad documents: PS, letters of recommendation, resumes, essays, etc. , all need to be submitted.
The difference is that applying for American undergraduate courses to take the American College Entrance Examination (SAT or ACT) and applying for American graduate students need to take GRE. For example, liberal arts majors generally need to provide GRE scores; Business subjects need to provide GMAT scores. Some American universities recognize GRE and GMAT scores, and applicants can take only one exam; But some universities only recognize one of them. I suggest you go to American universities as much as possible to determine what test scores you need to provide before applying.
3. Study abroad expenses
There is little difference in the cost of studying abroad. According to the USNews ranking of American universities, the annual cost of studying abroad is about 250,000 ~ 350,000 RMB, regardless of undergraduate or master's degree, and the cost of business and art universities may be more expensive. Especially the American private universities with relatively high comprehensive ranking.
4. Test scores
Applying for undergraduate courses in the United States to take the American College Entrance Examination (SAT or ACT), applying for graduate students in the United States requires GRE. For example, liberal arts majors generally need to provide GRE scores; Business subjects need to provide GMAT scores. Some American universities recognize GRE and GMAT scores, and applicants can take only one exam; But some universities only recognize one of them. I suggest you go to American universities as much as possible to determine what test scores you need to provide before applying.
5. Academic system
Undergraduate courses in the United States are generally four years, and graduate students in the United States are generally two years. Some master of business programs will be completed in September, while the master of medicine program may take three years. The length of study abroad determines the cost of studying in the United States to a certain extent. Therefore, the budgets of undergraduate and master students studying in the United States are still different.
6. scholarships
It is different from the situation where there are few scholarships at the undergraduate level. There are many scholarships for graduate students, and the probability of applying for scholarships is high. From the applicant's point of view, this is a good thing, but from the school's point of view, every student admitted means a certain amount of expenditure.
Scholarship has also become a key factor to be considered when colleges and universities enroll majors. If there is no financial guarantee, this major will not even enroll students, so you must fully understand the current situation of this major in the school you want to apply for before applying for preparation.
7. The advantages of studying abroad are also very different.
1. Undergraduate course
(1) Undergraduate admission in the United States adopts the application system, and more attention is paid to the evaluation of students' comprehensive ability in the process of deciding admission.
(2) By choosing to study in the United States, students can master pure English ability, learn professional knowledge and better integrate into the pluralistic society of the United States.
(3) American undergraduates pay more attention to students' all-round development and personality shaping. Freshmen and sophomores learn comprehensive knowledge of all subjects, and juniors and seniors choose majors according to their hobbies.
(4) After graduation, American universities and enterprises prefer American graduates, whether students choose to continue their graduate studies or take up jobs.
2. Graduate students
(1) The American education system is of high quality.
(2) There are many high-quality schools in America.
(3) There are many internship opportunities while studying in the United States.
(4) broaden your horizons and enrich your life.
Further reading: introduction to the types of American study visas
The first type: F visa
This type of American student visa is suitable for international students who intend to study for a degree in an officially recognized American college or university, or who come to a university to study English or strengthen their English language. F There are three types of visas:
? F- 1 visa is suitable for full-time students.
? F-2 visa is applicable to families of F- 1 visa holders (spouses and unmarried children under 2 1 year old), including same-sex spouses.
? The F-3 visa is applicable to "border commuters"-students who rent houses in their countries of origin, Mexico and Canada, but attend part-time or full-time schools in the United States.
Students with F- 1 visa can work on campus for 20 hours or less every week. Students who want to work longer hours and do off-campus work must get the prior approval of USCIS-they can also get the work approval authorized by CPT and choose a full 65,438+02 months, excluding 90 days of unemployment.
The second type: M visa.
This type of American student visa is suitable for international students who want to attend non-academic or vocational studies or practice in American institutions. There are three types of M visas:
? M- 1 visa is suitable for students who take part in vocational study or non-academic study.
? The M-2 visa is applicable to the family members of the M- 1 visa holder (like the F-2 visa).
? M-3 visa is suitable for "border commuters", and like F-3 visa, it is suitable for vocational study or non-academic study.
Students with M- 1 visas are allowed to enter the United States for a fixed period of time-their training courses plus the length of any optional practical training. Their stay in the United States cannot exceed 1 year, unless it is for medical reasons. M- 1 visa holders are not allowed to work on or off campus during their studies, nor can they change their status to F- 1 visa.
The third type: J visa
Finally, this kind of American student visa is suitable for international exchange visitors who participate in American cultural exchange programs. Regardless of whether they have received medical, commercial or other training, all applicants must meet the eligibility criteria of the project under discussion and receive funding from private sector or government projects. J visa holders usually only stay in the United States for a short time, maybe 1 or 2 semesters. There are two types of J visas:
? J- 1 visa is applicable to exchange students in related exchange programs.
? J-2 visa is applicable to the families of J- 1 visa holders (like F-2 visa).
J- 1 Visa holders, if they are part of an exchange program sponsored by the government, will meet the requirements of returning to their country of origin for two years, receive postgraduate medical education and training, and receive training that has been included in the list of exchange visitors' skills (that is, J- 1 Visa holders' country of origin considers their professional knowledge or skills necessary for national development). These requirements mean that J- 1 visa holders need to return to their country of origin at least two years after the exchange of visits.
Further reading: the application process for studying in the United States
First, take the exam.
The first thing to start is English preparation, because to study in the United States, you need to provide qualified standardized language test transcripts, and both IELTS and TOEFL need to be trained in advance to be familiar with and adapt to the model and content.
The recognition of the two types of exams is very high, so you can choose one type of surprise study, and basically there will be exams every week, so you can agree on the exam time in advance when preparing to ensure that you can get the exam results within the specified time.
Second, confirm the goal.
It takes time to get to know the colleges and majors you are applying for in advance, which is generally not very time-consuming. Because at least one of them will have a clear goal, and then we will make a comprehensive investigation according to the planning, ability and ranking.
Third, prepare materials.
In formal material preparation, the hardware needs to be prepared in advance, so you can get it directly after the time, and get the academic certificate, GPA transcript and language test certificate directly after the date.
Reports and rewards in document preparation should be prepared as required, fully showing the real situation and explaining future study and employment planning. These are complicated contents, and we should do them wholeheartedly.
Letters of recommendation should also be highly valued, especially those that need to confirm their writing methods, which should have a higher status; Other materials, such as ability certificate, internship certificate, published articles, etc. , will have a good positive effect, can improve the admission rate.
Fourth, submit an application.
Submit the application early, so that you have enough time, and you can get the final result of the audit as soon as possible. Don't worry about missing time, because some majors are popular, and the channel will be closed when the number of people is full, so submit them early.
The waiting time for review is about two months. In the meantime, you can keep in touch with the school to confirm your material review status and ensure that it can be carried out smoothly. After getting a satisfactory offer, you can directly confirm the admission.
Extended reading: how to quickly adapt to the new life of studying in the United States
I. Clothing
Buying clothes and shoes locally is relatively simple and easy, and the price is not very expensive. Therefore, you only need to change two or three sets of clothes when you go abroad, without increasing the burden, but you can bring formal clothes and dresses, which need to be worn on formal occasions.
You can usually go directly to the mall to buy clothes. Some fast-selling brands often have discounts, and the seasons change faster and the prices are more cost-effective. But don't buy too much, because the update will be faster and it will be a big expense.
Second, food.
The dining here will be western-style, and the staple food is bread and noodles. In addition, sandwich salads are also common. The meat is mainly beef. If you eat in the canteen, you will usually provide self-help. You can choose many dishes, from staple food, drinks and desserts.
If you eat out, you need to tip, and all drinks can be refilled indefinitely; You can also order takeout, and APP Yelp and Pinterest are very convenient; ; Chinese food is also easy to handle, but the price is a bit expensive, or you can cook it yourself.
Third, live.
Students' accommodation is generally a dormitory in the school dormitory. There are many bedrooms on the first floor, and there will be public toilets and toilets on each floor, as well as a kitchen and living room. All public goods can be used at will, but health needs to be maintained.
You can also rent a house. The more common apartment is the apartment, which provides Studio, 1B 1B to 4B4B. The former is a single room, and the latter is one room, one hall, and many rooms and many halls. Generally, the area will be larger, and everyone can enjoy a more comfortable life.
Fourth, ok
If your school is in the urban area with convenient transportation, you can take the bus and subway directly to meet your own needs. It will be more cost-effective after getting a card, and the traffic route is perfect. You can go directly wherever you want.
But if it is a remote suburb, or even the bus route will be longer, it will be more convenient for everyone to consider cycling by themselves during the day. If you have a driver's license, you can buy a used car and save money without walking.