How would I go about getting into an American university/college?

Question

Hi there!

Okay, so, I'm living in Ireland and would one day love to attend college in America, NYU would be a dream come true. Only thing is, I don't know how I would go about applying to it. All the exam marks and everything are so different (we get in based on our number of points) and I don't understand the American system. Would I have to call up the school or something and run through it with them.

Has anyone any clue about this?

I know many people go to school abroad so there must be some way of doing it.. I just can't quite find it.

And also, if anyone has any opinions on NYU I would love to hear them, good or bad, both are welcome.

Thanks :)

Answer 1

There are over 4,000 colleges in the USA. Almost all of them have foreign students attending. All you have to do is check the website of the unis you are interested in and get the phone number or email address for the admissions office - many of them will have specific emails for admissions for foreign students. A large school like NYU probably has several Irish students attending this minute, they know how to evaluate an Irish school record and if you are a decent student they will be glad to have you. However, you will have to pay the full tuition. Most US schools do not give any kind of scholarship or grant to foreign students.

If you are interested in NY city, I suggest you look into Fordham University - it is a Jesuit college but has a very diverse student body - many non-Catholics. They have the nicest campus in NYC and would probably be a little easier for an international student to deal with than NYU - the son of a good friend who just graduated from there described it as 'isolating and harsh'. They have no campus - it is a great school but only if you are ready for a totally urban experience with little support.

Use the website at collegboard.com to help you find more US colleges that might fit your interests.  Some other fine schools are Fairfield, Boston College,  Providence College, Stonehill, Salve Regina, Northeastern, American Univ,  St Joseph Univ... a lot of these are Catholic related, but they are American Catholic, not Irish-style Catholic, so they are a lot more permissive!

Answer 2

Dear friend,

I know about India. If indian children want to go to NYU, they have to appear for SAT examination. After having cleared it they have to apply for admission to the University. After having received their consent, you need to approach the High Commission/Embassy of US in order to get Visa and confirm the University about receiving of VISA.

Answer 3

Just go to their website and see the instructions.  For NYU, I think that you might have to take the SAT or ACT.  They will be helpful and let you know what to do if it is not clear.

NYU itself is a very good university.  But why are you so keen on it?  Is it because it is in NY?  Or because you have some other connection/know about it?  Columbia is the best (!) university in New York City.  As the other respondent said, there are other catholic schools (ie universities) around.  Columbia does have a campus.  Otherwise, there are plenty of schools in the US to choose from.  If you like big cities, Chicago and Boston have very good schools.

Good luck with this.  But remember, it can be expensive to attend a US school.