Famous us universities. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

United States leadership in science, technology, innovative technologies- undoubtedly. The foundation of scientific and technological progress is the country's higher education. Outwardly unsystematic, US university education leads all world rankings.

Naturally, the desire of Russian youth to receive better education, the possibility of an interesting, well-paid job, an international diploma. But studying in America is associated with significant difficulties, starting from the first stages.

US university education

Americans include not only traditional universities in the system. The second line of the ratings is occupied by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, there are also business schools and higher colleges. There are a lot of rating studies, so beloved in America. They determine the ranking on many factors, including dropout rates, tuition fees, and salary levels after graduation.

It is significant that in all classifications, American universities occupy at least 70% of the world list. Several decades in the top ten are invariably present Harvard University, Stanford, California Universities, Princeton Universities, Berkeley, Massachusetts, California Institute of Technology. Only three universities from other countries are constantly fighting for getting into this top ten - Cambridge, Oxford (England), and the University of Tokyo.

In America itself, the Ivy League universities are considered the most privileged and reputable (eight oldest educational institutions in seven states). It is extremely difficult to enroll in them, education is very expensive (up to $ 50,000 per year), and the prices for living are high.

In addition, the university must be chosen not only by prestige, rating, but also by the future specialty. In some specialties, prestigious universities are by no means the best. So, the best journalism education is provided by the University of Illinois, the University of Chicago is considered the leading business school.

Entrance exams, studies

There is no general system of entrance examinations for US educational institutions. Many universities are focused on their state, for natives there are benefits for admission, reduced wages. For foreign applicants coming from other states, a certain quota is introduced.

It is necessary to prepare for admission in advance, several years in advance. From a huge list of universities (there is practically no Russian-speaking), you need to choose several suitable ones, collect information about them. It is necessary to take into account the future specialty (is it in the university), since the recruitment is made for the general course (specialization is determined from the third year).

For foreign students The most important test in English is recognized, it is mandatory for foreigners. A wide variety of tests may be required (TOEFL, SAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT), some can be taken in the CIS, others must be taken on the spot. Written tests with detailed answers are also not excluded.

A number of additional documents may be required - an essay (Statement of Purpose), questionnaires, transcripts, bank statements. The application can be made to several colleges. If the answer is yes - you need to choose one educational institution, others notify about the refusal. After that, you can reserve accommodation, apply for a student visa.

The process of studying at a distance seems simple, in fact, it is built on the fiercest competition. Permanent performance ratings are conducted from the first to last day study. By their amount, employers will be guided when hiring. For the best students (even foreign ones), it is possible to receive a scholarship (from a university, a research center, a supervising company), an invitation to work.

It is not worth counting on independent earnings to pay for your studies. Opportunities for a foreigner to work in the United States are small and pay is low. Strenuous study leaves no time for work, although it is common for American students to work during vacations. With average graduation rates, finding a job in the United States is not easy, but in other countries, an American diploma is highly regarded.

Prestigious universities in the USA, higher education in America annually attract foreign and Russian students with the quality of educational services. If you have found information about that, then the next stage is getting to know the prices for educational programs. The cost of training directly depends on the rating of the selected university, as well as the chosen specialty. The most expensive specialties are those where study provides for scientific research(medicine, dentistry and others).

The cost of higher education at universities in America ranges from $ 30,000 to $ 60,000 per year in the highest rated. As for US colleges (community colleges), the cost starts, as a rule, from 10,000 USD for academic year without accommodation.

US universities for foreigners, including students - a step to the future successful career... Having received academic knowledge and practical skills at the university, each graduate can count on a prestigious job.

How to enter a university in the USA, America? What documents and knowledge the applicant needs

In order to enroll in English university, you will need not only a standard list of documents, but also certain linguistic and academic knowledge.

Main list of required documents:

• copy of the passport;
• for a bachelor - a school certificate and / or the passage of the Pathway program;
• for a master's degree - a bachelor's degree +, if required, passing the pre-Masters program;
• TOEFL certificate;
• SSAT exams (depending on the American university);
• letters of recommendation from teachers of English and mathematics, sometimes from the headmaster, dean;
• motivation letter;
• Skype interview or personal visit to an educational institution;
• additional documents on an individual basis to increase the chances of a positive decision of the selection committee.

The system of higher education in the United States: structure, features, ranking

Prestigious US universities, higher education in America for foreign and Russian students open up broad career prospects, the possibility of employment abroad, work in top positions in international companies. Finding the optimal program requires an understanding of the organization of the higher education system in the United States. American schools post-secondary education is divided into 4 categories.

• Universities consisting of several faculties, colleges accept applicants for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses.
• Colleges focused on training bachelors in a wide range of specialties, duration of study is 4 years.
• Technical educational institutions offering a wide range of programs, the duration of study is from six months to 4 years.
• Community colleges (community-colleges), offering two-year educational programs for local, foreign students, after which it is possible to enter the 2nd year of bachelor's degree in other educational institutions in America.

Education in American universities is divided into a number of stages, after each of which the student receives a degree and a profession sufficient for work:

• associate degree - degree after completing a 2-year community college course;
• undergraduate (bachelor of science / art degree) - after completing a 4-year course at a college, university;
• graduatee (master's degree) - as a result of 2 years of study in a master's degree in one of the programs - professional or academic.
• PhDD (Doctor of Philosophy Diploma) is the result of the defense of a research work, it is required to continue a career in an academic environment, the duration is from 4 to 6 years.

US universities are divided into private and public:

• state universities, as a rule, are more in terms of the number of students, the cost of education is cheaper, there are many programs to support talented students;
• private universities are usually smaller, better developed infrastructurally, offer wide choose programs of creative, sports development, the price of courses is much higher than in the state.

The list of prestigious US universities includes both public and private universities: Michigan, University of California at Berkeley, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, California University of Technology(Calteh).

Top US Universities: Best of the Best

Prestigious universities in the USA, higher education in America for foreign and Russian students are available in different categories of educational institutions presented on our website. The oldest and most prestigious universities are part of the famous "Ivy League":

• Harvard;
• Princeton;
• Yale;
• Brown University;
• Columbia University;
• Cornell;
• Dartmouth College;
• University of Pennsylvania.

No less popular educational centers, the list of which is presented below. Each of them has its own leading industry, the diplomas of these institutions are highly valued in the world labor market:

• Northwestern University of the USA (mathematics is the most developed area);
• Duke University (medicine);
• University of Notre Dame (business);
• Bard College (arts and humanities);
• United States Naval Academy;
• Oregon State University (business education, agricultural sciences).

America's best educational institutions offer international and local students balanced courses designed by world-renowned educators - students will have to learn from outstanding professors. Specialized courses are also taught by practitioners: heads of large corporations, researchers, world leaders (managers).

As statistics show, graduates renowned universities In the first six months after graduation, the United States finds a highly paid job in its specialty: the employment rate in Ivy League institutions exceeds 95%.

Universities in America: Features of Education in US Universities

Prestigious US universities, higher education in America for foreign and Russian students offers the most comfortable conditions for staying, learning: they can live on campus, freely use academic resources and infrastructure.

In American universities, specialized departments work for Russians, bachelors and masters of other nationalities, in particular vocational guidance - specialists help foreigners find work during their studies. The part-time job makes it possible to reduce the financial costs of training.

Universities in America for foreign students organize courses with the study in English: programs provide an opportunity to improve language skills for better comprehension teaching material by profile disciplines.

As you know, there are more than 150 universities in the United States. Among them are such world famous universities as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Dartmouth and many, many others. Here they study business, art, law, natural sciences and others. Thanks to the ability of students to choose the training program themselves, universities train specialists in the field of graphic communications, the capabilities of the human body and health protection, genetics, as well as specialists in other rare professions.

Everything US universities are subdivided into private and public. In public universities, students are provided with scholarships, all kinds of grants, education in them is much cheaper than education in private universities. Private universities provide an opportunity to study only on a paid basis.

How to enter US university

It should be immediately noted that in the United States there is no specific procedure for selecting applicants. Admission to prestigious universities is based on the results of interviews with potential students, the results of the graduation school test SAT. Less prestigious US universities and colleges enroll all applicants with secondary education.

Regardless of which university is chosen for admission, future students submit certain documents for consideration by the university commission. Among them: a certificate with a list of subjects studied and grades on them, characteristics and recommendations of school teachers and principals, interview results. All documents are submitted in duplicate - in English and in the language of the applicant's country (if the applicant lives abroad).

If you decide to enroll in a prestigious US university, you will certainly be required to fill out a questionnaire. The document contains several questions that the applicant must answer in the form of an essay. The questions in the survey may relate to your plans for the future, people you admire, etc. and are focused on learning more about the qualities of a potential student, his talents, the ability to competently express his point of view.

Upon admission to a US university, all foreign nationals must pass English language tests. To find out which test you need to take, ask this information directly at the university you are going to apply to. As a rule, today foreigners take TOEFL, for which you need to get at least 550 points, or IELTS for an assessment of 5.5 points.

The system of teaching at universities in the United States

It will take you an average of 4 years to complete your bachelor's degree from any university in the United States. During your studies at the university, you will study about 30 disciplines, starting from the third year you will study in depth subjects related to the profession.

Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, the student has the right to continue his studies to obtain a master's degree. They study in the magistracy for 1-2 years. Upon graduating from the master's degree, the master student is obliged to provide scientific work in the form of a dissertation and defend it.

With a master's degree, you can enroll in doctoral studies to continue your studies. It takes 2-3 years to complete a doctorate after a master's degree. Some universities allow admission to doctoral studies and bachelors, while the term of study in it increases and is 4-5 years.

All universities in the United States begin their academic year in August-September. It usually ends in May-June.

Classes in US universities are conducted primarily in the form of lectures delivered for streams (often numbering 1,000 students). Students demonstrate the knowledge acquired at lectures at seminars, laboratory work.

Each student attends only certain subjects, studying according to an individually developed program. The concept of "academic group" does not exist in US universities.

As for the grades, in American universities they are presented on a semester basis, rarely - on a trimester basis. The grade for each subject is made up of the mid-term exam grade and the grade at the end of the course during the session. The grade is also affected by independent work student during the semester - the implementation of essays, presentations, various projects.

Most prestigious universities in the USA

According to numerous polls and rankings, including the QS World University rankings, a number of US universities are the best in the world. Thus, the rating published this year showed that Harvard University, California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and Princeton universities are in the top five the best universities the world. Universities were assessed on the basis of indicators of internationalization, quality of teaching, employers' opinions, demand for graduates, and citation of scientific papers.

As you know, Harvard and Princeton are members of the Ivy League - an association of the most prestigious and richest universities in America. In addition to the US universities listed above, the Ivy League includes Dartmouth College, Cornell, Yale, Pennsylvania and Columbia universities, and Brown University.

Each of the Ivy League universities has a rich and long history. It is worth saying that the youngest of the above educational institutions is Cornell University in the state of New York, which was founded in 1865. The US University, which has the longest history of the named universities, is Harvard in Massachusetts, founded in 1636.

US University and College - What's the Difference?

As you know, in addition to universities in America, there are colleges. It is worth saying that there is practically no difference between these two concepts for Americans. Both US colleges and US universities are educational institutions where students pursue higher education.

The only thing than colleges in the USA different from universities - it is their size. Thus, a much larger number of students study at universities, usually universities consist of several colleges.

US universities and colleges for Russians

Currently, Russians can enroll in US universities and colleges immediately after graduation. high school... If you have made a decision to enroll in a US university, we advise you to prepare a high school diploma translated into English or a certificate with current grades, recommendations from your English teacher and principal of your school, and TOEFL test results. By the way, for admission to the magistracy and MBA, you will definitely need a diploma of higher education, resume, TOEFL test scores, and recommendations from your past university.

If you want to reduce the cost of education, we recommend applying to private universities or colleges in the United States, which sometimes meet the requirements of applicants in this regard. In public universities in the United States, tuition fees will most likely not be reduced.

• There is no such rich and varied extracurricular and leisure program as in traditional American boarding schools. At the forefront is academic development, pre-university training - both in subjects and in English. The same applies to personal development, education of norms of etiquette: it is assumed that high school students have already mastered the rules of behavior in society, can behave in an educated and correct manner, take care of themselves and coexist comfortably with their peers.
• Very small classes: an average of 6 people, mini-groups of only 2-3 people. This helps to practice the most practice-oriented approach, to pay maximum attention to each student, which is so important while mastering a complex high school program.
• Tuition fees: on average, the cost of studying at an international college in the United States is 1.5-2 times lower than at a university for a similar specialty (for details on available directions, see below). Of course, such a cost of education is a significant plus for Russian schoolchildren.
• Practice-oriented programs: all are compiled and regularly updated taking into account the changing requirements of society, admissions committees at universities and potential employers, which increases the chances of subsequent employment, successful enrollment. Great attention paid practical application knowledge, internships and work practices, work in real industries (if we talk about diploma or bachelor's programs, certificate courses)
• If you want to transfer from program to program, you will not need to take a large number of exams: it will be enough to confirm your high academic performance (report card) and a good level of English (international certificate /).

What programs can you study at international colleges in the United States?

In general, the programs available to foreign and American students are divided into two blocks:

• Pre-university training

Here are the well-known British standards (GCSE, A-level), and, and preparation for the programs /, and the American in-depth Advanced Placement (AP) course, and the universal quick course. Look at the list offered by the college you like and compare it with the requirements of the university you have chosen - this will make the choice easier. Students also have the opportunity to take accelerated academic courses: they usually take 2-6 months and are also aimed at improving the academic and language level.

• Professional education

It can be a professional diploma or certificate (regular level or Advanced, advanced), bachelor's degree (takes 3-4 years). The certificate allows you to immediately start working, but usually from junior positions, but a bachelor's degree is valued in the same way as a bachelor's degree in universities, that is, it is the first full-fledged stage of higher education.

What should you consider when choosing an international college in the USA?

We have prepared a list of the main points that you should go through with our specialist for the right choice International College in America:

• Think about what specialty you want to study at the university, whether it has special areas and which one is of interest to you the most.
• Browse the US International Colleges Rankings - our specialist will help you with the latest international rankings and a list of the best colleges. Choose not just the most famous, elite and expensive - pay attention to the profile of the university or faculty that best matches your chosen specialty
• Check if there are any partnership programs between a certain college or universities - this greatly facilitates subsequent admission and transfer (especially for business areas)
• If your chosen college supports the programs vocational education(certificate, diploma or bachelor's degree) - do not discard this opportunity! For a very large number of professions, the education received at an international college will be quite enough for a full-fledged and successful work activities... Let's name just a few areas: finance, design, tourism and hotel business, hospitality industry, visage and fashion, accounting, economics, information systems, banking, management, international relations. Maybe you can find great professional continuing education courses?
• Decide which is your priority - a public or private college. Everything is simple here - the principle is the same as in boarding schools: private ones provide a richer and more diverse infrastructure, but public ones cost significantly less. In general, the educational level is high in both variants.

Among the international colleges in the United States, which have long and successfully established themselves among Russian schoolchildren and foreign students, we can note the educational institutions of the international network CATS College - for example,. CATS standards are very high and are known all over the world - thousands of high school students with their help become students of the world's leading universities. It is especially worth noting specialized preparatory programs for specialties with the highest possible competition - for example, veterinary medicine, medicine, dentistry, pharmaceuticals. Together with our specialist, we can select other options for you - there are many offers, and several of them will definitely suit you!