You can read the average SAT score for 2008 here.

So there you have it. Those were the average SAT scores for 2009. How did your scores compare to the average scores? Let us know in the comments below.

Also read: 21 Colleges that do not Require the SAT for Admission

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

The top eleven countries to send the most students to the US were:

• India
• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• Japan
• Taiwan
• Mexico
• Turkey
• Vietnam
• Saudi Arabia
• Nepal

1. TOEFL supports your F1 visa application
The TOEFL is not a mandatory requirement for obtaining an F1 visa. That being said, the visa officer will almost always want to see your scores for the TOEFL during your visa interview. This becomes more important if this is your first time going to the US for education and you are from a non English speaking country. A good TOEFL score tells the visa officer that you are a genuine student who is capable of studying in the English language. You could try substituting the TOEFL with the IELTS, GCSE but U.S. consulate officers are used to seeing the TOEFL. When I went for my visa interview, my TOEFL score was the second thing that the visa officer wanted to see after my SAT scores. Therefore, a good score on the TOEFL will strengthen your application for an F1 visa. Read 10 Commonly Asked Questions at the F-1 Visa Interview.

2. TOEFL will get you a scholarship
Many colleges in the U.S. will offer you a scholarship based on a good score on the TOEFL. Seek out these colleges and apply to them if you get a high score. Usually, the only criterion to get these scholarships is a high score on the TOEFL, unlike other scholarships for international students which are very competitive and the requirements are more than enough to make Albert Einstein cringe. The scholarships amounts are usually small in this case, but its free money.

3. Skip the ESL classes
If you do well on the TOEFL, you will not be required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes your first semester. Your ESL classes will automatically be waived. This will save you time and money. ESL credits are not counted towards graduation and can take up valuable time if you are required to take them. I have seen international students made to take only ESL classes their first semester, a semester that could have been spent taking classes that would actully count towards graduation. Another way to get ESL classes waived is to sit for an English test at your college, but my opinion is that these tests are more difficult than the TOEFL. So take my advice, do well on the TOEFL and say adios to those nagging ESL classes.

4. Accepted at all U.S. colleges
Although only a few colleges in the U.S. accept IELTS scores as proof of ability in the English language,  almost all colleges will accept the TOEFL scores. In fact some schools exclusively look at TOEFL scores for proof of English proficiency. Therefore, if you want to apply to multiple schools, it is safe to take the TOEFL because then you will be sure that it’ll be accepted at any college in the U.S.

5. Improve your English
Believe it or not, studying for the TOEFL will actually improve your skills in the English language. The curriculum for the TOEFL is set in such a way that it’ll help you learn the English language very quickly. Your reading, writing and listening skills will improve dramatically when you start studying for the TOEFL.

So what are you waiting for? If you are a prospective international student and are yet to decide which English test to take, go ahead and take the TOEFL.

Do you see any other benefits of taking the TOEFL. Let us know in the comments below.

A handful of these colleges (Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Amherst, etc.) offering need based financial aid to international students are also need blind in their admission decision. This means that your capacity to pay for your education will not factor in the admission decision because these universities have a need blind admission policy. Your chances for admission will remain the same whether you apply for aid or not. Basically if you can get in, the expenses will be taken care of. As you can imagine, the universities and colleges offering need based financial aid to international students is limited and the competition is extremely intense. International students who usually get these scholarships are well accomplished in academics and extracurricular activities. Obtaining a seat in any one of these U.S. colleges will get you through college without any financial worries.

Colleges that offer need based financial aid to international students are:

Amherst College

Brown University

California Institute of Technology

Claremont McKenna College

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Georgetown University

Grinnell College

Harvard University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Northwestern University

Pomona College

Princeton University

Rice University

Stanford University

University of Chicago

University of Pennsylvania

University of Richmond

Vassar College

Wellesley College

Williams College

Yale University

This may not be a comprehensive list of all the colleges offering need based financial aid to international students. If you know of other schools that offer similar financial aid, please add it to the comments section.

So what are the steps required to get into an U.S. institution, you might ask. It’s really quite simple actually. One needs to start planning and preparing early. The most important thing to do would be to get good grades in school. U.S. colleges and universities lay great emphasis on student grades in school. So get those grades up. Another thing to do would be to participate in lots of extra curricular activities. Get involved in after school programs and take on leadership roles. These will greatly boost your application for admission and scholarships.

Take the SAT and TOEFL exams by December of the previous year that you wish to enroll. Although some schools do not require the SAT anymore, it is still a good idea to take BOTH these tests because apart from the admission process, they also establish your credibility as a bona fide student to the visa issuing officer.

There are many institutions of higher learning in the United States. Finding a school that matches your educational and financial needs is a course in itself. So start researching early. The internet is always a good place to start. Don’t rely too much on rankings. One criterion that I use to find out if a school is good for me is to see the number of enrolled international students. If you are really serious about studying in the U.S. apply to at least five schools. One of them should be a back up school that you are sure you can get into.