Scholarship for USA » Colleges

Top 400 Universities in the World – U.S. Universities Dominate

Scholarship for USA — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:53:50 +0000

The QS World University Rankings 2010 reveal that the U.S. remains the dominant power in higher education. In its’ seventh year of ranking universities, QS a leading media, event and software company in the higher education field, found that 53 US universities were in the top 200. University of Cambridge, UK was found to be the number one university in the world, followed closely by Harvard University, USA. This is the first time that Harvard has slipped from the number one position. Thirteen U.S. universities were in the top 20.

Europe had the second most number of universities in the list, particularly universities from the U.K., Germany and Switzerland were heavily represented. There were many Asian universities that were in the top 50. Universities from Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kyoto, Singapore, Peking, Osaka and Seoul were all found a place in the top 50.

QS ranked universities on the following criteria: academic peer review, employer review, faculty student ratio, citations per faculty, proportion of international faculty and proportion of international students. To come up with the rankings, QS obtained reviews from 5000 employers and 15,000 academics and university administrators.

Here is the list of the top ten universities. To view a complete list, click here.

Position	University	Country
1	University of Cambridge	Great Britain
2	Harvard University	USA
3	Yale University	USA
4	University College London	Great Britain
5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	USA
6	University of Oxford	Great Britain
7	Imperial College London	Great Britain
8	University of Chicago	USA
9	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	USA
10	Princeton University	USA

Do you see any surprises in this list? Let us know what you think in the comments.

List of Accredited Universities – Is your institution accredited?

Scholarship for USA — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:57:24 +0000

There are many, many colleges and universities in the United States. There are four year colleges, two year colleges, community colleges, state colleges, the Ivy League colleges, liberal arts colleges, online colleges and so on and so forth. With such a wide range of choices, it can be a little mind boggling for the aspiring college students to decide on a college. One very useful technique of filtering out colleges in your college search is to see if the college or university is accredited by an approved accrediting agency.

What is university accreditation?
The purpose of accreditation is to make sure that higher education institutions maintain an acceptable level of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private associations, develop criteria and standards that must be followed by an educational institution in order to receive accreditation from that agency. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency’s evaluation and that meet an agency’s criteria are then “accredited” by that agency.

Also read: 10 Colleges Under $10000

So what are the benefits of attending a nationally accredited university over an university that has no accreditation? The benefits of studying at a nationally accredited university are many.

You can be sure that you are following an approved curriculum that meets or exceeds national standards
Your completed credits will be transferable to other accredited universities.
Your degree will be recognized at other universities when you apply for a Masters or Doctoral program
Your degree will be recognized by employers

How can you check that the universities you are considering applying to are accredited? The Council for Higher Education Accreditation maintains a searchable database of nationally accredited universities on their website. You can also use the database to search for accredited programs in your area of interest. To access the database, go here.

Below is a list of major national and regional accrediting agencies in the United States.

Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
Council on Occupational Education
Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education
Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical and Career Institutions
New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, Board of Trustees
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission
Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities

Further reading: Graduate Teaching Assistantship: Your Ticket to Free Tuition

Loans for College – Private Student Loan

Scholarship for USA — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:50:42 +0000

Typically, college going students in the U.S. look to the federal government for college loans. The federal government administers loans for college students through the federal Stafford loan program. If all of a students financial need is not met by federal loans, students can apply for a private student loan. A private student loan is a signature loan that is administered through a lending institution. International students do not qualify for federal Stafford loans, but will usually qualify for most private students loans. For a private student loan, students will need a co-signer that is an U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Apart from the residency requirement, the co-signer will also need to have a good credit score.

If you do decide to get a private student loan, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Get a fixed rate loan – a variable interest rate may spiral out of control, thus forcing you to default on your loan. Get a fixed interest rate private student loan, so you’ll always be in control and will know exactly how much money you’ll need each month to make your payments.
Don’t borrow more than what you need – plan well and borrow what you need. It might be tempting to borrow a little more, but keep in mind that you’ll be paying interest on those loans, so the less you borrow, the better off you are.
Make payments on time – Always make your payments on time. This is key to developing and maintaining a good credit score. If there is a chance that you might default on your private student loan, consolidating private student loans might be an option to consider.
Read the details of your loan agreement – I can’t stress this enough. Read the fine print of your private student loan agreement. Understand the terms and conditions of the loan and your obligations as the debtor.

Below are a few institutions that provide private student loans. International students would most likely be approved by most of these institutions, given they have a credible co-signer.

Further resources:

Top Engineering Schools Under $12,000

Scholarship for USA — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:15:28 +0000

The cost of tuition is one of the biggest obstacles that students face when going to graduate school. The tuition at the top engineering schools in the USA are quite higher than most other schools. I’ve compiled a list of top engineering schools where the out-of-state tuition is less than $12,000/semester. Hopefully this list can be a starting point for international graduate students looking for top engineering schools with cheap tuition. Please keep in mind that some schools charge international students at a higher rate than out-of-state tuition. Therefore, I would suggest visiting the university’s website for the most accurate information.

University	Tuition
Texas A&M University–College Station (Look)	Out-of-state, full-time: $494 per credit
Vanderbilt University	Full-time: $1,504 per credit
Lehigh University (Rossin)	Full-time: $1,100 per credit
Michigan State University	Out-of-state, full-time: $893 per credit
Northeastern University	Full-time: $1,110 per credit
Syracuse University	Full-time: $1,069 per credit
SUNY–Stony Brook	Out-of-state, full-time: $10,920 per year
University of Dayton	Full-time: $668 per credit
Polytechnic Institute of New York University	Full-time: $1,073 per credit
Illinois Institute of Technology (Armour)	Full-time: $832 per credit
University of Missouri	Out-of-state, full-time: $826 per credit
University of Central Florida	Out-of-state, full-time: $1,076 per credit
University of Houston (Cullen)	Out-of-state, full-time: $568 per credit
University of Kansas	Out-of-state, full-time: $610 per credit
University of Nebraska–Lincoln	Out-of-state, full-time: $640 per credit
Brigham Young University (Fulton)	Full-time: $10,840 per year
California State University–Long Beach	Out-of-state, full-time: $11,000 per year
CUNY–City College (Grove)	Out-of-state, full-time: $555 per credit

If you know of other graduate schools with cheap tuition, please add it to the comments below.

10 Colleges Under $10000

Scholarship for USA — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:48:43 +0000

Tuition is probably the biggest expense international students face when considering the US as a destination for college studies. It is difficult to find colleges with cheap tuition for international students in the US. Tuition at most decent colleges in the US is upwards of $20,000 per year. Add to that cost of books and living expenses and you end up looking at a staggering amount in excess of $30,000. This cost can be significantly reduced if college tuition were below $10,000. This would make an US education affordable to many international students that would otherwise never have a chance to study in the US. I have compiled a list of 10 colleges whose tuition for international students in less than $10,000 per year. This list is primarily for undergraduate students and includes tuition fees for two semesters taking 12 credits or more. A number of these colleges are in Minnesota. This is because most state universities in Minnesota allow international students to pay the same tuition rate as resident students. The list is not arranged in any particular order.

Saint Cloud State University

$6420 (30 credits with in-state tuition scholarship)
Saint Cloud State University – The ACS Scholarship

Minnesota State University Mankato

$9,386 (12-18 credits for 2 semesters)

University of Minnesota Crookston

$9,406 (13 credits or more for 2 semesters)

Brigham Young University

$4080 (2 semesters)

Eastern Oregon University

$6,465 (15 credits per semesters for 2 semesters)

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

$9,813.88 (two semesters with International Scholarship)

McNeese State University

$3400 (12 credits per semester for two semesters with non-resident fee waiver)

Midwestern State University

$5,936 (2 full semesters and one summer session for international undergraduate students with competitive waiver)

Minnesota State University Moorhead

$5,236.50 (15 credits per semester for 2 semesters; must be eligible for in-state tuition)

Southwest Minnesota State University

$6696 (12-18 credits per semester for 2 semesters)

Do you know other schools that offer cheap tuition for international students? Share in the comments below.

Saint Cloud State University – A Popular Destination for Students From Nepal

Scholarship for USA — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:12:37 +0000

Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) in Saint Cloud, Minnesota has proved to be a very popular destination for students from Nepal who come to the USA for their higher education. The university has been admitting in excess of 50 students from Nepal every semester for the last few years. A number of factors are responsible for the popularity of this Minnesota school in a country as far away as Nepal.

The most important reason why Nepalese students come to live and study in snowy Minnesota is because of the low tuition rate. SCSU allows their international students to pay in-state tuition rates through the Academic & Cultural Sharing Scholarship. In exchange, each student performs 30 hours of cultural sharing activities with the local community every semester. This arrangement has worked out well for both parties. Bijay Poudel, a Senior from Kathmandu, Nepal says that the scholarship makes the university affordable for many students and the local community also gets to learn about other cultures of the world.

Neha Agarwal, a recent graduate of Saint Cloud State University who came from Nepal says that the primary reason why she came to SCSU was because of their many accredititions, notable among them is the accreditition by AACSB International. She heard about SCSU from her cousin who was a student here. She said that is how many Nepali students learn about SCSU, through word of mouth.

Nepalese students at SCSU are organized under the Nepalese Students Association (NSA). The organization has in excess of 400 members and hosts many cultural events every year, with the main event of the year being the Nepal Night.

Nepalese students are involved in many aspects of student life at SCSU. In fact, the President of the International Students Association at SCSU is Meenakshi Vaskota, who is also a student from Nepal. These youngsters from the land of the Himalayas enrich the student body of SCSU.

Further reading: Saint Cloud State University – The ACS Scholarship

List of Most Popular Colleges

Scholarship for USA — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:51:18 +0000

US News & World Report has released a list of most popular colleges in the US. The determining factor in this ranking was the percentage of admitted students that actually enrolled at the school. This measure is called yield. A school with a high yield means that the school is usually a first choice for most students that apply for admission. Consequently, a school with a low yield means that that school is a “safety” school for most students that apply. Not surprisingly, the schools that appear at the top of this list are also highly selective in the admission process. Harvard University tops the list for the most popular National University while the top spot in the Liberal Arts Colleges category was claimed by the United States Naval Academy.

Top Ten Most Popular Liberal Arts Colleges

United States Naval Academy (MD)
United States Military Academy (NY)
Thomas Aquinas College (CA)
Berea College (KY)
Virginia Military Institute
St. John’s College (NM)
Wheaton College (IL)
Calvin College (MI)
St. John’s University (MN)
St. Mary’s College (IN)

Top Ten Most Popular National Colleges

Harvard University (MA)
Brigham Young University (UT)
University of Nebraska — Lincoln
Stanford University (CA)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Yale University (CT)
Princeton University (NJ)
University of Pennsylvania
Yeshiva University (NY)
University of Florida

What do you think of this list? Are you surprised to find/not find a college in this list. Share your thoughts below.

Further reading: Top 100 Best Value Colleges for 2009

Top 100 Best Value Colleges for 2009

Scholarship for USA — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:26:29 +0000

The Princeton Review in partnership with USA Today has released a list of 100 best value colleges for 2009. The top ten private colleges and the top ten public colleges have been ranked; the rest have been released in a list according to alphabetical order. The Princeton Review is a educational services and test prep company that releases a list of best colleges every year.

The list has been prepared by surveying students and administrators at 650 college campuses in the United States. Cost is not the only factor that was looked at while creating the list. Emphasis has been paid to the value that students receive from their education. USA Today states that the selection criteria included more than 30 factors in the areas of academics, costs and financial aid.

This list can be a good starting point for most international students that are planning on applying to colleges in the US. The private colleges listed are extremely competitive to get into, but it should be relatively easier to get admission in to the public universities listed.

Top Ten Best Value Private Colleges

Swarthmore College
Harvard College
Princeton University
Rice University
Yale University
Williams College
Amherst College
California Institute of Technology
Pomona College
Stanford University

Top Ten Best Value Public Colleges

University of Virginia
New College of Florida
College of William & Mary
State University of New York-Binghamton
Florida State University
North Carolina State University
University of California San Diego
City University of New York — Hunter College
University of Georgia
The College of New Jersey

You can read the original USA Today article here. Did you apply to any of the colleges featured on this list? Were you offered financial aid? Please share your views with our readers in the comments below.

Adrian College – Free room and board

Scholarship for USA — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:25:17 +0000

Adrian College is a private, co-educational college of liberal arts and sciences related to The United Methodist Church. Adrian, Michigan (pop. 22,000) is located 45 minutes from Ann Arbor and Toledo, Ohio, and 90 minutes from Detroit. Adrian College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and has received recognition for strong academic programs and for high quality education of undergraduate students. U.S News & World Report has ranked Adrian in the “top tier” of 137 liberal arts colleges located in the Midwestern United States. The College Board Review named Adrian one of 212 true liberal arts colleges retaining a commitment to teaching excellence focused on the individual. Adrian, Michigan (pop. 22,000) is located 45 minutes from Ann Arbor and Toledo, Ohio, and 90 minutes from Detroit.
Admissions requirements for international students are based on academic readiness and social maturity. The process is selective so before you apply, you should be certain that Adrian College can help you reach your educational goals and that you meet the requirements for admission.

Because it can be very costly for international students to attend college in the United States, Adrian College offers an International Student Scholarship. This Scholarship provides funds equal to the cost of a residence hall room and dining hall meals. International students may live on campus and eat meals free of charge during the fall and spring semesters. In addition, students may earn the International Student Achievement Scholarship of $3,000 per year by taking the SAT examination and submitting official scores to Adrian College. The minimum score for scholarship consideration is 860, verbal and math combined.

Additional Info:
TOEFL: Required
SAT: Optional for admission, required for International Student Achievement Scholarship
SAT Subject Tests: Not required

Adrian College
110 S. Madison St.
Adrian, MI 49221