Application to US Universities and Colleges: American universities are diverse and the education sector is enormous. Application to US universities and colleges is a complex process.

If you are thinking about going to the United States to study, begin your preparations at one year before the date you plan to begin your studies.

The academic year in US universities begins in August/September and ends in May/June. There are over 3,000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States.

Many universities have more than 20,000 students. Some small colleges have fewer than 1,000 students. Courses vary from two-year associate degrees to research-based doctoral programs.

To make an application:

• Pick up to five colleges or universities
• Contact these institutions and ask an international student application packet.
• Register for the required admission tests.The deadline for registration of most tests is normally six weeks before the test. It can take up to a month for the colleges/universities of your choice to receive your results.
• Undergraduates are required to take Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) and sometimes the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Graduate students may need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). These need to be taken before October of the preceding year.
• From the application pack, you receive; select about three universities/colleges. Make applications to these universities by October and latest December of the year preceding that which you wish to begin your studies. Be sure to check the deadlines applicable for the individual university/college.