about what you want most from your campus experience to help guide your research.
Special interests Are you an athlete, a musician, a dancer…a bagpiper? If so, you’ll find it easy to narrow your list of schools based on whether you can pursue your passions there. But also know that at many campuses, you may have the oppor- tunity to create your own club or coordinate an event if it’s not already offered.
…and where to find it Once you’ve answered all the questions above, the next step is to locate this information. Talking to your college counselor, attending free presentations by colleges that visit your school or city, and even utilizing college rank- ings and other well-known publications to find out about locations, number of students, and majors offered can be a great starting point. Look at where alumni from your secondary school have attended and explore colleges attended by some of your role models. After you’ve added several colleges to your “maybe”
list, you’ll need to start some in-depth analysis. See if there are any alumni in your area that you can connect with. Ask admission counselors to put you in touch with current students (by far the best way to find out about engagement and life on campus!). Check out school web- sites and find out what graduates do. International stu- dents can’t always visit campus, and that’s okay! Many schools now offer virtual tours on their websites that allow you to explore campus from the comfort of your home. You should just try to get in touch and research any way you can.
Can I really commit to a college abroad? Studying in any foreign country is an experience that brings both challenges and great benefits. Colleges and universities worldwide welcome students from across the globe, allowing you to engage in respectful dialogue
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about politics, culture, economics, religion, and so much more with students from backgrounds that are entirely different from your own. US colleges and universities also encourage research, internships, and other experi- ential learning opportunities that allow you to put your theory into practice. The university experience is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that sets you up with the soft skills you’ll need for success after graduation, in- cluding creativity, communication, critical and analytical thinking, and leadership. You may also be concerned about the cost of a uni-
versity education. Universities know this, and because they want international students on their campuses, there are often many resources available to help make that cost more manageable. Ask your school counselor and admission officers at your prospective institutions about special scholarship funds, employment programs, or other financial aid opportunities available for interna- tional students.
In the end, it’s hard to make a bad choice when picking a university. There’s no one best fit for you—there are several. A school could be a great fit even if you don’t recognize its name or it doesn’t appear on a national top 100 list. Doing your research and asking questions that are important to you will likely provide you with many solid options where you could happily spend the next four years of your life. Enjoy it!
Reon Sines-Sheaff is the former Director of International Admissions at the College of Wooster in Ohio.
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