Picking your list of Universities:

There are a myriad of things to consider before making the final list of universities. I remember browsing through the web and getting confused looking at a list of 100s of universities. Expect to spend a lot of time reading through their website and listing out their features.

Start by making a spreadsheet with university names as rows and different features as columns. Some of the main features that you should look for that will be the columns of your spreadsheet are a) financial aid, b) degree match, c) program reputation and success rate, d) application type and deadline, e) Common app or not, f) Standardized tests, and f) location and miscellaneous.

Where can I find a comprehensive list of universities with all the information?

This document college_list.doc was prepared by Pestalozzi Trust and enlists a total of 73 colleges and universities in the US that are generally known to take international students and are likely to provide some sort of funding. The document describes the type of university, lists some application requirements and gives information about financial aid among others. Please note that this is by no means the most comprehensive list, but can serve as a guide while students are making a list of universities. Another tool that might be useful for searching colleges might be CollegeBoard’s College Search Tool. Please continue browsing through the websites of universities for the most up-to-date and detailed information.

Which universities give financial aid?

This was definitely the top of my list when I applied for college. Coming from a difficult background, I could not afford to pay a single rupee for tuition. I was surprised when I found out that top universities are also the ones that tend to give full funding. Again the best way to find out is to go to the university’s website and look under the “Financial Aid” section for details. Make a note if your university provides partial or full aid, if they are need based (financial aid application is also considered for admission), need blind (financial aid application not considered for admission) or merit based (financial aid gets provided by merit).

What is a degree match?

My passion was in biology so I made sure that the universities that I picked provided biology and bioengineering degrees. Similarly if you are interested in a certain field, make sure your university lists it as one of the degrees. Sometimes, they are provided as a minor degree as well.

How can I decipher the reputation/success rate of a university?

There are several websites that rank US universities every year. While some may frown upon the idea of rankings, they could be useful for some applicants to navigate their way through a massive pile of universities. Although rankings don’t provide a complete picture, they are generally an acceptable way to find out the reputation of your chosen university (for example rankings are available through usnews, topuniversities, etc.) Some rankings are based on specific departments and fields within a university while some are based on the university as a single unit. There are also rankings based on the success rate of their graduates.

What are the different application types and their deadlines?

This is also one of the aspects to consider while picking your university. Check if you have enough time to submit an application by confirming the deadlines. Mainly three types of applications are available. (1) Early application can be subdivided into early action (non-binding, early action I deadlines are in November and early action II deadlines are in January), restrictive early action (non-binding, but cannot apply to other universities in early rounds), and early decision (binding). Binding means you have to attend if you are selected. Make sure you learn all these terms in the context of the college application. (2) Regular application deadlines are in late December to early January. (3) Rolling admissions are based on a rolling basis i.e. first come first serve basis with deadlines anywhere between November to May. Each college has a specific set of policies regarding deadlines, make sure to confirm the dates for each university separately.

Does your university use the Common Application platform or not?

Common Application is a single online tool that greatly simplifies the college application process. If a university uses the Common application platform, it’s much easier on the student’s end to apply to that university. There are general components within the Common Application that you just have to fill once. Upon adding a new university to the platform, you don’t have to repeatedly fill that particular information. This saves a lot of time and organizational headache. Therefore, some students pick universities that are in the Common Application to save time. However, it’s possible that your chosen university may not be on that platform, in which case, you have to apply through their website. In fact, applying to universities which do not accept the Common App might even increase your chances of getting into that university.

Does your university require TOEFL and SATs?

Most US universities have the TOEFL requirement or some form of an English language test. You should also note if your chosen university has a SAT requirement or not. Universities are now gearing towards making SATs optional with the arrival of the pandemic and some data showing that standardized tests may not be the best way to access the quality of students. Nevertheless, providing the SAT scores might give you an added edge given that you are an international student. If taking the SAT does not pose a heavy financial burden on you, we recommend you take the SAT. If you get a decent enough score, sending the SAT scores will positively impact your application.

Do location, weather and other miscellaneous factors matter?

Personally, I didn’t factor in location, weather, sport facilities, etc while applying. However, some students might prefer to choose nice weather and could choose their university based on that particular factor. If those factors matter to you, you should definitely list them as features in your spreadsheet.

What are some misconceptions with picking a list?

Some students think that applying to as many universities as possible increases their chances of getting in. It might sound counterintuitive but this is not necessarily the case. Applying to too many universities requires a lot of time and effort which takes away the time that you could spend on improving the quality of your application. We generally recommend applying to 8–12 schools.