@USUKFulbright
Commission-wide, scholar & alumni news@USAStudyAdvice
US study advising tips and events@FulbrightAwards
Fulbright Awards updates and application tips
Next Steps
Find Out What Types of Universities are Available »
Consider These Factors When Choosing a University »
Download a Handout With Information About Your Field of Study »
If you can imagine yourself as a first year on that campus, go there and don't worry too much about where it sits on college rankings: if you enjoy yourself, you'll succeed....
Meet Colette Martin
at University of Virginia
(2010 - 2014)
Our Three Step Process
There are real rewards for those who put in the time to carefully choose universities.
Investing time in choosing universities ensures you will only apply to universities you would attend, actually saving you both time and money. It also results in better, more tailored applications and makes choosing between university offers in the spring much easier.
If you can imagine yourself as a first year on that campus, go there and don't worry too much about where it sits on college rankings: if you enjoy yourself, you'll succeed. Colette, University of Virginia
Step One - Think before you search.
Prioritise the factors that are important to you. You will want to begin by thinking about the factors that are important to you more broadly and prioritise these. Talk this over with a trusted adult like a parent, teacher or careers officer if possible.
Factors you will want to consider:
- minimum academic qualifications
- type of degree and university
- academics
- location and campus setting/size
- campus life
- competitiveness of admission
- cost of attendance and availability of funding
- accreditation and reputation
Step Two - Begin your search.
Use an online search engine or print directory to identify a more manageable list of universities meeting these criteria that you can research further. Narrow down your list from 4,000 universities to 10-20 good options.
Consult university websites and several external websites for your research:
- Online search engines
- Print guides
- College fairs, like USA College Day
- Teachers, friends and family who have been to the US
- For accreditation, look at CHEA
- US News and World Report, Princeton Review, QS, and Times Higher Education for unofficial rankings of US universities
- For location, check out weather.com or Find Your Spot, where you can take a short survey to see which geographic area matches you best.
Step Three - Do your homework.
Roll up your sleeves and research your 10-20 good options, and then narrow the list to the 4-6 you apply to. Make sure your list is well-rounded in terms of competitiveness of admission.
First, check the US university website, and look at the academic department, international student services, financial aid and student activities pages.
Then, utilise resources to find out even more:
- Attend USA College Day
- Visit the campus if possible
- Ask the admissions office to be put in touch with a current student
- Talk with local alumni
- Virtual tours, YouTube videos, Facebook