Is it difficult to apply for undergraduate study in the United States?

The difficulty of applying for undergraduate study in the United States is closely related to the students' own software and hardware conditions and the target institutions they want to apply for.

Generally speaking, it is more difficult to apply for a prestigious university. The higher the ranking, the higher the application requirements and the more difficult it is.

In addition, the number of applicants for studying in the United States is different every year. The number of students enrolled in each American university is basically fixed, and it will not fluctuate greatly. The more applicants, the lower the admission rate will be. Therefore, it is very important to know in advance the data of the number of applicants, admission rate and international student admission ratio of the target universities in previous years in the process of applying for American universities.

Then, let's specifically list the materials and basic performance requirements for applying for undergraduate study in the United States, which is believed to be of certain reference to students who want to apply for undergraduate study in the United States.

To apply for an American course, three basic requirements should be met:

1. Language requirements (required) and standardized test requirements (usually Top5)

TOEFL or IELTS

Language scores mainly refer to TOEFL or IELTS, and you can take either test. Basically, there are 3-4 tests every month, mostly on weekends.

TOEFL score is 12, IELTS score is 9., and the score is valid for 2 years. Generally, 8+ (IELTS 6.5) is required. If you are in the Top 5, you'd better be 95+ (IELTS 6.5-7.). If you strive for the Top 3, you'd better get 11+ (IELTS 7.5,-8.), which will be more competitive.

SAT or ACT

in addition to the above language scores, it is the standardized test scores of SAT1(Scholastic Assessment Test), SAT2(Subject Tests) or ACT (American College Testing) or even AP(Advanced Placemen).

SAT or ACT is equivalent to the national college entrance examination for American students, and students' learning ability and academic level are examined. There are 6 or 7 opportunities a year, so don't feel too much psychological pressure when taking the exam. If you can't do it, you can do it again. Of course, it costs a lot. Because China only has test centers in Hong Kong and Macao, many students have to fly abroad to take exams.

Among them, SAT is divided into SAT1 and SAT2 (single subject/subject test), and SAT1 is out of 16, which is generally required by Top5 universities. If you strive for Top3, you'd better get 15+(ACT33+) (of course, we also have students who get TOP3 below SAT15 every year).

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Universities also pay more attention to SAT1 reading scores. For example, some universities explicitly say that if the reading part reaches 65+, you can avoid submitting TOEFL. SAT2 is a single subject test, and most students in China choose mathematics, chemistry, biology, language, literature, American history, world history and other subjects, with a full score of 8, which is a compulsory test compared with SAT1. However, many top universities or science and engineering majors require 2-3 exams.

This year's situation is relatively special. Influenced by Covid-19, SAT/ACT, TOEFL/IELTS have been cancelled or postponed. In response to the new application season, many American universities, such as Tufts, MIT, Case Western and Harvard, have recently introduced new standardized examination requirements to cope with the impact of COVID-19.

2. Grade requirements GPA

This grade refers to the "school grade" (GPA), which is mainly reflected by the official report card (paper version or electronic version) provided by your school. Grades from grade three to grade three should be provided for four years. Because junior high schools in the United States have a 2,4-year academic system, it is necessary to provide four years.

Every school you attend during the period needs to provide it (the time period should correspond to your educational experience), and some schools will also require students to provide the results of the HKCEE to make up for six semesters. Of course, it depends on what curriculum system your school offers, Pugao. AP？ IB？ Or an A-Level?

College admissions officers can get a general idea of your learning attitude, subjects you have studied, specific scores, grade ranking, etc.

GPA reflects the applicant's total score in high school, and the grade ranking reflects the gap between the applicant and other applicants in the same school. The more top universities, the higher the requirements for GPA, especially the fierce competition of popular majors in popular universities, which require students' GPA not to be lower than 3.8 (95 out of 1 in China).

However, some schools (such as some senior high schools in the British system) do not set the minimum standard of GPA. In some schools with high education level, students' GPA is not low, even close to full marks, which is not far from the language test mentioned above.

It can be seen that, although grades are the main criterion for the school to judge admission or not, they have gradually broken the tradition and become non-unique criteria. What you study in high school is the most basic course. I suggest that you try not to be partial to the subject when choosing the course, and lay a solid foundation for the basic skills. If the current good state continues, all subjects can keep good grades, which will be of great benefit to the application itself and future university study.

3. Documents and other materials require

the basic materials to be prepared include:

passport

proof of school attendance (bilingual version)

original report card (bilingual version)

2-3 letters of recommendation from teachers (English)

bank deposit certificate (bilingual version)

resume (.

There are countless people read by admissions officers. From the documents (written materials), we can see what kind of person a student is, how to highlight your "individuality", whether your "uniqueness" matches the style and temperament of the school, and thus decide whether to admit the student. It can be understood that if a student has passed the first round of grades, then it is the document that competes in the first round.

In addition, the person who writes the recommendation letter can be a culture teacher, a physical education teacher, a teaching director, a grade director, a principal or an intern teacher, but you must be familiar with your own teacher. It is necessary to fully communicate with the teacher in advance, so as to avoid the gap between what the teacher wrote and the requirements of the school.

In addition, if you are good at oral English, good at expression and strong in logical thinking, you should not miss the interview in Top3 private university. You should cherish it, which is an excellent opportunity to fully show you.

depending on the school, if some schools don't require interviews, you can also actively get in touch with the school to get opportunities, or attend an interview with a third-party organization in the last semester of senior three, such as Chujian, Weilike and so on.

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Next, you need to know the basic information of the university, the admission conditions and the specific application time, which involves "school selection". Briefly list several points:

1. The classification of universities: for example, the most common are public and private universities, comprehensive universities, liberal arts colleges and community colleges

2. Basic information of universities: there are 3, regular universities in the United States. Top3' s location, scale, surrounding cultural and climatic environment, strong majors, tuition fees, teacher-student ratio, etc. (refer to the official website of each university for details)

3. University admission conditions: mainly the language and standardized test scores mentioned above, GPA requirements (refer to the official website of each university for details)

4. The specific time and methods of university application are different: ED1,ED2, EA and RD. Through the analysis of famous schools, professional analysis, career analysis and the evaluation of your own achievements and specialties, combined with your most important factors in choosing schools, it is necessary to initially decide on your sprint, moderate and guaranteed university in the summer vacation of senior two, and prepare documents and other application materials to formally submit the application.

Emphasis:

Especially in extracurricular activities, American universities hope to recruit students with all-round development but individuality, so it is suggested that you not only pay attention to academic performance, but also participate in various social activities. Academic science and technology, culture and sports, public welfare, social interaction, writing, etc., if leadership or academic research ability can be fully reflected in these kinds of activities, the activities themselves will shine and increase the chances of being noticed and admitted.

With regard to the application for undergraduate study in the United States, we suggest that students plan as early as possible, and plan their grades and soft background, which is more conducive to sprinting for a better prestigious school. If you have difficulty in planning and preparation, you can also find professional help.

I hope my answer will be helpful to the subject, and you are welcome to visit my home page to learn more about dry goods for studying in the United States.