Campus Visits
Although you can learn a great deal about a university from brochures, Web sites, and DVDs, no substitute exists for actually visiting a campus. If it is possible for you to visit in person, you should consider having a first-hand look at the institution you may call home for the next four years. Universities are always looking for students who can contribute to the unique character of their institution. As an international student, you should be looking for an institution that offers you a comfortable, high-quality learning environment, and there is no better way to determine if a campus is right for you than by visiting in person.
Some
schools allow you to set up your visit and to select your activities—a
tour, faculty interview, lunch at a dining hall, meeting with a coach
or organization director—online via their Web sites. Others recommend
that you contact the admissions office directly by phone or e-mail. If
you and your family will be spending the night, be sure to ask them
about local hotels. In some cases, they will make those arrangements
for you. In a typical campus visit, you
learn basic information about the university, its programs, admissions
policies and application processes, scholarships, and housing
opportunities. The core of a campus visit is the campus tour. Current
students often serve as tour guides for the school, and they can tell
you about their college experiences and answer questions about student
life. You'll typically visit academic buildings, classrooms, residence
halls, recreational facilities, and other areas of special interest to
you. Once you've found the perfect educational environment,
you can begin researching academic programs. Many programs of study at
U.S. universities require or strongly suggest students take part in a
cooperative education program. Cooperative education programs partner
education and industry together to apply the theories taught in the
classroom to the workforce. A co-op allows you to gain valuable
insights while on work assignment that you simply wouldn't experience
in the classroom. When you participate in a
co-op, you alternate your time between the classroom and full-time
work. Most co-op programs begin after the third or fourth semester of
university study, and employment typically requires three semesters. A
co-op extends the U.S. bachelor's degree from four years to five, but
in the end, co-op students have the advantage of on-the-job experience.
In fact, most co-op employers use their programs to identify and train
students for career-track positions within their companies. During
the 2002–2003 academic year, the number of U.S. higher education
students receiving credit for study abroad increased by 8.5 percent
from the previous year (Open Doors 2004, Institute of
International Education). Study abroad is highly valued by employers
internationally. In fact, both Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and
Technology have included global perspectives in their accreditation
standards. Many institutions actively seek schools with which to form
exchange programs. As a result of this collaboration, in most cases
students pay their U.S. universities' tuition and fees before they
leave and don't pay tuition to the school abroad. Cooperative Education
Study Abroad and Exchange Programs
Of the numerous
opportunities available at U.S. colleges and universities, study abroad
is one of the most exciting and beneficial. Learning and understanding
new cultures, improving your foreign language skills, studying your
discipline from an international perspective, and seeking out new
challenges are byproducts of engaging in a study abroad experience.
