research and narrow your undergraduate options - Visa USA Expert

Are you an undergrad student? Research and narrow your options to help you define your priorities and identify the factors most important to you; as an undergraduate you need to research and narrow your options.Start surfing college websitesTo research and narrow your options effectively  the quickest way to narrow your options when it comes to schools is to get on the Internet and start surfing. Refer to college and university websites to get the most details for your time and money. Almost every college and university in the United States has a website with detailed information about degree programs, application procedures, academic departments, on-campus facilities, and other topics. Often, you can also find a copy of the course catalog to read online or download to read later. This course catalog will let you know the varieties of programs available, what the requirements are, and you can also find the costs of each college online.Use search enginesIndependent websites allow you to search for institutions by the subject you are interested in studying, by geographic preference, or by a range of other criteria that you specify.•        National Center for Education Statistics—College Navigator•        College Board — College Search•        CollegeNET — College Search•    ��   CollegeSource® Online•        National Association for College Admission Counseling — International Student Resources•        Peterson’s College Search•        The Princeton Review•        ThinkEducationUSA•        Hot Courses Abroad  •        Cappex•        American Association of Community Colleges — Community College Finder•        Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges Attend education fairsIf you cannot visit the US, colleges and universities may come to you or close to your home town or city. Many educational fairs take place in the spring or fall of the year before you intend to begin your studies so it is a good idea to start your research early. You can also learn about opportunities for you to meet with admissions officers face to face on college websites.Understand how degrees are recognized in your countryA US degree is highly valued in many countries. However, in some countries, particularly those with educational systems that are very different from the United States, US undergraduate degrees may not be officially recognized or they may be recognized at a different level.To find out more about degrees and levels, you will need to do more research. I suggest going to or finding more info from your ministry of education or other appropriate authority before you begin your application to you know exactly how your degree will be viewed when you return to your home country.US higher education is different from many other systems around the world because it is not subject to a central government authority and institutions are free to design whatever curriculum they desire. Regional and national accreditation is given to US colleges and universities to ensure institutional standards.If the school you attend is not properly accredited, you may find that your degree is not recognized in the US or other countries, or by other universities, professional associations, employ and government ministries and departments. To verify that an institution is properly accredited, visit the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org/).Go USA!– MikeAll information presented here is from my personal research and my attempts to save you time and money when pursuing your dream of coming to the USA to study. Do not take any of this information as LEGAL advice – I am not an attorney, nor do I play one on TV. This information is gathered from a variety of sources including many U.S. Government websites and I urge you to validate this information as much as possible, just as I do when posting on this blog.