Admission requirements for study in USA
You will find the admission requirements to study in USA depending on the type of studies you need: Undergraduate or Graduate.
Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Studies
In the US undergraduate education is referred to as College. College admission in the US is extremely competitive, especially among international students. If you do not have a strong academic background, sufficient financial resources, and proficiency in the English language, you will be at a disadvantage in the admissions process.
Each school sets its own admission requirements. Because of the large number of international students seeking a US education, the schools do not make exceptions to their requirements. Most schools require a minimum of a high school diploma with solid coursework in science, mathematics, English, and humanities. They will also require academic entrance examinations such as the TOEFL, SAT, or ACT. The higher your scores on these exams and the better your grades, the better your chances of being admitted. Generally you must have a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale to be admitted, especially for graduate school. Some schools set very high standards for admission.
The more well-known institutions are often among the most competitive. While every international student would love to attend Harvard University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not every student will be admitted. Certain fields of study are also highly competitive. These include engineering, computer science, pre-medicine, pre-law, architecture, and marine biology.
Note that to apply for a graduate or professional degree program, including medical school, law school, veterinary school, and dental school, you must first obtain an undergraduate bachelor’s degree. Law students must also generally be licensed attorneys in their own countries before applying for admission to a US law school.
Admission Requirements for Graduate Studies
In the US graduate studies refers to Masters and Doctorate degrees studies. International Applicants for graduate studies in the US must be graduates of recognized academic institutions outside the United States and should hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Applicants would be required to submit official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies completed. If your academic records do not include official evidence of the award of your degree, you must also submit additional documents that verify its award. Records or transcripts must be issued by the school and include the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature of the authorizing official.
All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from non-English-speaking countries in Africa and as such students from Ghana are exempted from this requirement by most Universities.
Most departments, schools, and groups require applicants to take a standardized test such as the General Test of the GRE, a Subject Test of the GRE, the GMAT, MCAT, OAT, or LSAT. Applicants will be required to submit at least three letters of recommendation.
Applicants are responsible for forwarding these forms to your recommenders. All letters of recommendation should be submitted directly to the department to which you are applying. Some departments have early deadlines for fellowship applicants. Be sure to inform your recommenders of the department’s deadline. Your recommenders are asked to give their personal impressions of your intellectual ability, your aptitude in research or professional skills, your character, and the quality of your previous work and potential for future productive scholarship.