Some Tips for International Students Applying to US Colleges

With the prestige they bring and quality education they offer, US colleges and universities attract not
only local students, but international applicants, as well. In fact, US colleges strongly encourage
everyone – no matter which country they come from – to apply to any of the programs they offer and
experience the academic culture they are known for.

US colleges and universities ensure that interested applicants from foreign countries are given equal
opportunities as local students. Moreover, some universities even provide special considerations to
international applicants in terms of application deadlines, admissions requirements, and financial aid.


College Application Process for International Applicants

Most US colleges and universities require their candidates to apply using the Common Application,
including international applicants. This means that the application process for American students is the same as that of international applicants – no easier approach and no short cuts. The college admissions requirements are mostly the same, including GPA, standardized test results (SAT, SAT II, and ACT), college application essay, and letters of recommendation, except for the interview process and required the proof of english proficiency test.

While most universities offer an optional college interview to local applicants (and others do not offer at all), they recommend international candidates to still schedule a Skype interview with the admissions office in order to know and evaluate whether the student would be a good fit to the school. For international students, it is important to opt in to these interviews to show off their English and prove to the admissions office that they can succeed in an American college.



Proof of English Proficiency

To ensure that international applicants can keep up with the mode and language of teaching in US
college and universities, a proof of English proficiency test is required, specifically for students whose first language is not English or those who haven’t received at least two years of secondary education in an English-medium curriculum. This can be reflected through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Tips To Remember When Applying for College

Applying to college is more than just filling out an application form and choosing which schools to apply to. It requires a lot of intensive preparation, diligence, and work. Although the actual application process for most colleges and universities starts around November of your senior year of high school, you have to prepare early to be able to acquire all necessary requirements, especially those that you will be getting from your school and teachers.


Getting started

In addition to deciding which colleges you will apply to, there are other things you need to start to think about and work on, such as when to take your standardized tests, what to write in your essays, who to get your letters of recommendations from, how to respond to interview questions, and other application requirements.

Additionally, you need to check and organize your schedule to be able to make sure that your teachers get your letters of recommendation in on time and your high school to send your official transcript and academic records to colleges before the application deadlines.

Applying to Multiple Colleges

One important decision you need to make is the number of colleges and universities to which you will apply. While you might have a preferred school in mind – that dream college you’ve always wanted to get into since you were young –admissions experts and coaches recommend students to
apply to multiple colleges to increase your chances of getting into a good college, such that if you didn’t make it to your school of choice, you’d still get accepted at a decent one.

If you are worried about the admissions committee finding out that you are applying to many colleges, don’t. They really don’t care, and they understand that your choice of college is an incredibly important choice you’re making in your life.

The Common Application

Applying to multiple colleges may seem taxing and stressful. Thanks to the Common Application, you can apply to as many colleges and universities in the US as you like by filling out an application form just once. However, since different schools may have slightly different requirements, you may need to submit additional forms, create new essays, or answer extra questions.


Are you ready to apply to college? Have you started establishing your academic plans and goals?

Questions Asked On College Interviews

The college interview is an important part of the college application process at many US colleges and
universities. Although it is rarely the deciding factor in whether an applicant will get admitted to or rejected from a specific school, the college admissions interview is a great opportunity for candidates to showcase themselves, share information that are not available in their application file, discuss their expectations about the school and the program, and talk about their future career plans and goals. This is where you will be tested if you can communicate well and express your thoughts in a confident manner. Combine that with an impressive application letter, you'll have a very good chance of being admitted into your dream college.


Conducted by a faculty member, admissions committee member, an alumnus, or a current student in
the school, interviews give candidates a chance to meet with someone who represents the college. Most college interview questions are meant to help them and the interviewer find out if they are a good match to the school and the program.



Common Interview Questions

Below are some typical questions asked during college interviews that can help you prepare and think

about your answers ahead of time.

 Why are you considering this college?

 What makes you think that this college would be a good match?

 Where else are you applying and why?

 What do you hope to major in?

 What do you expect to be doing ten years from now?

 How do you define “success?”

 What have you liked or disliked about your school?

 How would you describe yourself to someone who did not know you?

 What newspapers and magazines do you read?

 What books not required for school have you read recently?

 What television shows do you watch?

 Tell us about your family.

 How do you spend a typical afternoon after school? Evening? Weekend?

 What extracurricular activities have you found most satisfying?

 What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

 What has been your proudest achievement so far?

 If you could talk with anyone living (or deceased) person, whom would it be and why?

 What events have been crucial in your life?

 What is the most important thing you’ve learned in high school?

 What mark do you feel you’ve left on your school?

 What do you want to get out of your college experience?

 What makes you unique?

 What could you contribute to our college community?

 Talk about a significant challenge you have encountered.

 Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your transcript?

 What is your greatest passion?

 How would your friends describe you?

 If you had high school to do over again, what might you have done differently?

 What are your goals for your senior year?


Other Pointers to Remember

Different schools have different interview questions and guidelines. You can be interview either by one school representative or a panel of interviewers.  There is no official set of interview questions, as well.

All you can do is to anticipate what they could probably ask you, and how you will respond to their
questions. Feeling nervous is normal, but you have to contain your emotions during the interview. It is important that you be confident and show that you are well-prepared for the interview and are ready to take on whatever is in store for you during the entirety of the college admissions process.