Admission to the magistracy in the USA. Solving household issues. Filling in application forms

Higher education in the United States has been the most prestigious in the world for many years, especially when it comes to master's degree. Russian students seeking an American degree also have a chance.

How to apply for a master's degree? What do you need? Can foreigners study for free? How much does it cost to study?

Why do students go to American universities?

A master's degree in America is prestigious. Students go to the States for the following reasons:

Want to get a master's degree and find a job in a foreign country;
To receive a diploma in the chosen specialty, return to their homeland, find a job here for leadership positions - companies will be interested in such an applicant;
Live for several years in America while studying, to understand if the country is right for you.

Admission to a master's degree in the United States is difficult, not only in terms of implementation, but from a psychological point of view. We'll have to go to another country, get used to the new climate, way of life and mentality of Americans.

Requirements for admission to the magistracy and required documents

Each American state sets its own rules for applicants, which can be found directly on the websites of universities. However, as the personal experience of other undergraduates shows, most educational institutions put forward standard requirements:

You must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university in Russia. And no matter what specialty, Americans like to change it: a lawyer goes to a magistracy to become a psychologist, an economist - to a philologist. There is such a practice in our country, but for Russians in America it is still more important to choose their own direction;
An extract with your grades and completed disciplines will be required - an appendix to the diploma;
Subject knowledge is required: universities conduct entrance examinations in the form of tests, checking how the applicant has mastered the primary course of higher education;
You need to know English well, have a TOEFL or IELTS certificate, if you plan to study in the States, start with this part, especially when knowledge is limited to the school course;
It is required to write an essay about yourself, where you indicate the reasons for admission, why the institution should accept you. You need strong motivation and personal achievements, for example, scientific publications, victories in competitions in the chosen specialty;
Get letters of recommendation from academic supervisors or peers confirming that you are a professional and worthy of admission. It will be enough 3 letters, according to the rules, their contents should remain secret from you. In practice, most likely, you will have to compile them yourself, agreeing on the details.

The documents must be translated into English and notarized.

How is the submission of documents and deadlines

The master's program in the USA accepts students 2 times a year, but if you plan to enroll here, keep in mind that on average it takes about a year to submit documents and pass all exams.

It is necessary to act according to the following plan:

Define a list of educational institutions where you would like to apply. Pay attention to the rating of the university, its location, type of program, reputation, availability. But remember that each institution will charge you about $ 80 for reviewing the documents;
Decide on the issue of funding: you will pay for your studies, your country or educational institution;
Fill out the application form. Most universities offer this online;
Send all documents - you can do this on the website, or by mail - to the address of the educational institution;
Take the tests, find out the schedule of their conduct. It's better to sign up for a month or two;
In about a month, responses for foreigners will begin to arrive. Universities announce the decision, letters contain information about the scholarship and admission. The envelope contains special forms for students;
These forms must be filled out and sent to the university, you will also need to undergo a medical commission and vaccination;
Get a SEVIS certificate from an educational institution, fill out its form, pay the fee;
Obtain a student visa at the consulate, it will also take some time to review the documents;
Notify the university of your arrival.

The main rule is to perform all actions sequentially, not missing the little things.

Free or paid education

Studying in the States for a Russian student is quite an expensive pleasure. The price depends on the specialty, educational institution and location. Jurisprudence, marketing, psychology, architecture, computer technology are popular areas, the cost of training in which is over 30 thousand.

However, a free master's degree is also provided, or students can count on help. There are several funding programs:

Fellowships - all student expenses for training are covered, a decent scholarship is paid, allowing him to live in America. Such a program is often provided only in the first year of study;
Teaching Assistantship (TA) - This type of funding pays scholarships and covers education costs. The student, on the other hand, must conduct laboratory classes or teaching junior courses for 20 hours a week;
Research Assistantship (RA) - to be awarded such a scholarship, you must demonstrate success in training, as well as help your supervisor in conducting research;
Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Waivers - awarded most often, this type of funding will only cover education costs. Accommodation comes at your own expense, or from other sources, the scholarship is not paid
Administrative Assistantship - To qualify, you need to work on campus about 20 hours a week.

Also in our country, financial programs for training are provided, scholarships, grants from the government and private foundations are issued, there are other programs in the United States - at the state or state level.

If a prestigious education in a highly developed country is your dream, it is quite possible to fulfill it.

Special programs for foreigners, full funding, attractive conditions - the USA is a country with great opportunities for obtaining a master's degree.

Be patient, improve your knowledge of English and specialized subjects, collect the necessary documents and money for moving and living for the first time. And your dream will definitely come true, and your diploma will allow you to become a sought-after specialist! Feedback from other students testifies: it is quite realistic to do, the main thing is desire.

A Master's degree in the United States is one of the most popular options for continuing your studies abroad. The early start of preparation of documents gives more options for choosing programs and funding sources. Consider how to enter an American master's program in one year.

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1. Search for a Master's degree in the USA

To find a master's degree, you can use online directories, for exampleDirectory of Graduate Programs ... You can also contact your nearest American Center for advice. The addresses of the centers and general information about education in the United States can be found on the official websiteEducation USA ... You also can . We will select for you master's programs in the USA.

2. Drawing up a preliminary list

At this stage, you should make a list of10-15 universities. Define criteria choosing the master's degree that matters most to you. For example, such as:

reputation of the program in your specialty;
the reputation of the teaching staff of the faculty;
type of program (format, flexibility, teaching methods);
tuition and living costs;
the possibility of obtaining financial assistance;
campus location and housing affordability.

Start by examining university rankings and postgraduate programs in the most authoritative sources, such as: Acаdemic Ranking of World Universities, US News & Report, QS Topuniversities, The Times World University Rankings.

3. Search for funding

After compiling a preliminary list, it should be clarified whether the selected university or faculty provides financial assistance to international students. The following forms of financial aid are available for international students applying for a master's degree in the United States:

Fellowships - Covers all tuition and health insurance costs and provides for a scholarship that is sufficient to live in a specific region of the United States. Some master's programs provide Fellowships in the first year of study, and from the second year, students receive funding in the form of assistantships.

Teaching Assistantship (TA) – Teaching Assistant must either conduct classes for junior students or conduct laboratory classes 15-20 hours a week. For this, he is not charged a tuition fee and is paid a scholarship for living.

Research Assistantship (RA) - usually awarded to doctoral students, less often to graduate students, depending on academic success and research interests. The student, as a rule, assists the supervisor in conducting research.

Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Waivers - partially or completely cover only the cost of the training itself. Most often, this is the most likely financial aid that can be counted on when applying for a master's degree in the United States. The rest of the costs must be covered from other sources: scholarships from an external source (foundation, government), personal savings, loans, work on campus.

Administrative Assistantship - financial assistance that involves working no more than 20 hours a week on campus in the international department or performing other administrative functions.

It is also worth considering scholarship programs in your country, foreign governments scholarships for foreigners,scholarships and grants private foundations and non-governmental organizations.

4. Drawing up a schedule

There are three main categories of dates that need to be included in the schedule:

deadlines for submitting documents to universities;
deadlines for submitting documents for scholarships;
deadlines for taking TOEFL or GMAT tests.

It's better to register for tests not less than 5-6 weeks in advance before the date of its delivery, and the date itself for passing the test should be planned no later than 6 weeks before sending documents to the master's program of a university in the USA.

In addition to the main dates,define milestonessuch as writing (Statement of purpose), letters of recommendation, preparation of a translation of a diploma and a transcript, registration for tests, submission of documents for a student visa, etc.

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5. Determination of the final list of universities

At this stage, the initial list should be shortened to 5-10 master's programs in accordance with previously defined criteria.

Since the preparation of documents takes a lot of time and involves payment for the consideration of documents at each university, on average $ 60, it is recommended to carefully analyze all the information collected once again, determine which criteria are most important for you, and really assess your chances of being enrolled in the chosen master's program.

If you are not going to independently pay for your studies in an American master's program, then the main criterion for you is the ability to receive funding from the chosen university or the amount of possible funding.

6. Filling in application forms

Most US universities accept documents online, so you can fill out the application form and upload supporting documents in several passes through the created account.If documents need to be sent by regular mail, application forms can be downloaded from the university website.

Recommended to docheck list to record the status of filling out application forms, the readiness of accompanying documents and paid fees for the examination of documents. In the application form and in all accompanying documents, your name and surname must be indicated as in the passport.

Do not leave blank fields- wherever it is required to indicate information that does not apply to you, write"Not Applicable". For example, in the application form, there may be a graph forSocial Security Number (SSN). If you have not studied or worked in the United States before, then you cannot have one, so indicate that this does not apply to you.

7. Passing tests

In order not to waste time in the future, it is recommended to send the test results to the selected universities on the day of the test. To do this, first find out their institutional codes on the website of the selected universities, and after completing the test, enter them in the submission form on the computer in the testing center.

8. Preparation of the transcript and translation of the diploma

Any university requires the so-calledSchool Transcript - a document indicating the courses taken, the number of hours listened for each of them and the marks.

15. Notification of the University of Arrival

To the international department of the university (International Student Office) it is important to inform about your arrival in advance in order not to lose the status of a foreign student.

16. Solving financial issues

Usually, tuition fees are due by a specific date. However, if you are expecting funds from the faculty of the university to which you were enrolled, or grant funds from an external source, then the university may provide an opportunity to pay for your studies later than the deadline. It is calleddeferment .

The procedure for granting a deferred payment should be found out at a specific American university. If you plan to use your own funds, before leaving, you should ask your bank how it can be transferred to your future account with an American bank (a bank account in the USA can only be opened in person, i.e. only upon arrival).

17. Solving household issues

For the first 1-2 weeks, you will need temporary shelter until you find permanent housing. You can stay in a hotel or, if you're lucky, free of charge with your faculty's old-time students who return to study.

To do this, it will not be superfluous to contact the program coordinator at your faculty (Graduate Program Coordinator) in order to consult on this issue and at the same time find out if there are candidates from your country or region - you can contact them in advance for joint rental housing. It is not worth counting on living in a hostel on campus, since underground living in hostels (undergraduate students).

Typically, students fromgraduate school they rent private accommodation near the campus. To get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe current housing prices near campus, you can read online advertisements in local newspapers, student forums, and other resources such as craigslist.com in advance.

If you are renting off-campus, be prepared to pay a deposit to the landlord - either a private trader or a property management company - as you will not have a credit history in the United States when you arrive. Otherwise, find a permanent resident or US citizen surety. In addition, proof of funds (Proof of Income).

This article describes the general algorithm of the process of admission to the master's program at American universities. Nevertheless, in specific cases, you should always be guided by the instructions of the selected university, the latest information on the website of the US Embassy and other official sources.

The United States is the host country for a record number of international students. Every year, about 750 thousand foreigners enter the higher educational institutions of this country. About half of them receive financial assistance from universities, foundations, government.

This attention to American universities is due to the high standards of education, the excellent reputation of educational institutions, career prospects of graduates and simply the country's attractiveness in cultural and social terms.

Obtaining a master's degree from an American university within a year or two is a very common practice among successful and ambitious young people around the world. Russia is no exception. Whatever field of study you specialize in and whatever resources you have, there is sure to be a suitable master's program in the USA.

Where to start looking for a master's degree in the USA?

The search and preparation for studying for a master's degree in the United States must begin well in advance, at least one year before the date of the intended admission. The procedure for admission to a master's program in America can be started in the last year of the institute. To do this, you need to take from the dean's office, translate and certify an academic certificate, the so-called School Transcript.

You can use online guides such as Directory of Graduated Programs or Peterson's Guide to find the right university. List the universities that will grab your attention. The selection criteria should be as follows:

The reputation of the program in the chosen specialty and the faculty as a whole;
Cost of education;
The possibility of obtaining grants, scholarships and, in general, additional funding;
How satisfied are you with the training program, its format, teaching methods, etc .;
Availability and price of housing.

Funding issue

The cost of a master's degree in universities in the United States depends on the location, prestige, and form of ownership of the university. For local residents (living in the same state), the cost of training is three times lower than for foreigners. You can expect that the amount you will have to pay for a year of master's degree in America will not exceed 35 thousand dollars (excluding the cost of housing, meals, flights, etc.).

Many international students benefit from various forms of financial assistance from the university itself. It may look like this:

Fellowship is an amount that fully covers all necessary costs: training, medical insurance and a scholarship sufficient to live in this area of \u200b\u200bthe United States.
Teaching Assistantship (TA) - this is about the same amount of funding as in the previous case, but the student must instead teach junior courses in the amount of 15 to 20 academic hours per week.
Research Assistantship (RA) - full allowance in exchange for assisting the supervisor in his research. Graduate students are rarely given: only in case of outstanding academic success.
Administrative Assistantship (AA) - Scholarship and tuition discount in exchange for 20 hours of administrative work per week on campus or university.
Tuition Scholarships are the most common type of financial aid for master's degree applicants. It involves a discount on tuition fees. The missing amount, as well as living expenses, etc., the student covers from his own pocket.

If you need additional financial assistance, it makes sense to look for grant and scholarship programs that are offered by governments and various foundations. The most famous of these in the United States is the Fulbright Program. Within the framework of this program, 6,000 one-year and two-year grants are awarded annually, most of them for master's degrees in the United States for free in a variety of fields. Another popular scholarship program for future masters is the Edmund Muskie program.

From the whole abundance of opportunities, you need to choose about seven educational programs. You need to soberly assess whether the chosen university and faculty are right for you, and how great your chances are of being enrolled there. This is important for the following reasons:

Submission of documents

University requirements for submission of documents differ. As in Russia, it is more difficult to enter some universities, while it is easier to enter others. The list of documents for admission in one place may be limited to a translated diploma, TOEFL test and application form, while others require a GMAT test, a lot of recommendations and much more.

Application forms

Almost all US universities accept documents online. You can fill out your registration forms in several stages by registering an account on the university website.
In the application form and other documents, you must indicate your data exactly as in the passport.
You cannot leave empty fields. For example, if you have not been to the United States before, then you have nothing to enter in the SSN (Social Security Number). Write "Not Applicable".
Sometimes it is necessary to send documents by mail. Download the forms for filling from the same university website.

What's next?

Expect responses from universities. Letters will come with both a positive and a negative answer. Make your final choice and pay the required prepayment carefully so that the seat is reserved for you.

Be sure to undergo a Health Statement medical examination, do tests and vaccinations.

Get a student visa. To do this, you need to send the completed documents upon request from the SEVIS service (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System), receive confirmation, and then apply for a visa to the embassy.

It seems that by the time a positive answer is received, the question "What to do next?" will be out of date. This is a well-established road to obtaining a high-quality master's degree in the United States, which will certainly open up excellent career and personal prospects for you.

Master's programs in the United States are research or applied - otherwise they are also called educational. Future scientists are trained on research master's programs, and specialists in various professions: businessmen, economists, engineers, architects, teachers, sociologists, artists, writers, musicians, etc.

In the United States, scientific and practical work at the intersection of different disciplines is very popular. This is interdisciplinary research, which is jointly carried out by scientists of different specializations, and applied developments - from technical devices to educational technologies, which are jointly created by engineers, psychologists, sociologists, teachers, and so on. Accordingly, American universities offer a significant number of interdisciplinary programs, the result of which will be not only a diploma, but also an original scientific or applied development.

The duration of study in the US Master's program is 2 years. At the same time, in the United States there are both short intensive one-year programs and long three-year programs, in which students can partially complete a doctoral program. The longest master's programs are in subjects related to medicine and complex scientific research.

Master's in the USA for foreigners

International students must have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized US institution of higher education in any country to enroll in a master's program. It is also necessary to confirm sufficient proficiency in English, to pass other tests for the master's degree - for example, the general GRE. Read more about how here.

How much does a master's degree in the USA cost

International students can choose a grant or to reduce the cost of master's programs in the United States, the prices for which vary widely, but on average are $ 20,000 - $ 30,000 per year.

The cost of a Master's degree in the United States depends on the type of program and institution. Prices for master's degrees in the ranked universities in the United States, as well as for programs related to business, scientific research and medicine, will be the highest. Read more about here. About inexpensive US universities - here.

The United States is not only a country with very different cultures and geographies, but also a reputation for top-notch higher education. It is in the United States that the majority of foreign students in the world come to study every year, including for master's programs. More than 750 thousand international students are enrolled in US universities every year.

A melting pot of ethnicities, nationalities, races, classes, opinions, USA is a great place to get additional education. No matter what area you specialize in, in the USA you can find exactly the master's program you need. In addition to full-time training, master's programs in the USA are represented by a part-time format and even fully distance education.

US Universities

A master's degree in the United States lasts one or (more often) two years and usually combines study with the execution of a research work or project.

The US is famous for its heavyweight universities - Harvard, Stanford, MIT and others. However, across the country, the selection of excellent universities is by no means limited to those that make up the Ivy League. There are 1,700 public and 2,500 private universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Graduate programs exist only at universities, while colleges usually only offer bachelor's degrees.

An important advantage of master's programs in the United States is their relatively narrow specialization and practical focus, while the undergraduate program is usually much less specialized and specific.

Applying for a Master's Degree in the USA

As in many other countries, applying for a master's program in the United States can be very difficult or quite simple depending on the university and the specific program. Sometimes it is enough for applicants to provide only a translation of a diploma of first higher education, an application and a certificate of passing the English proficiency test (IELTS or TOEFL), and sometimes it is necessary to add a letter of recommendation to this and pass the GMAT test.

Tuition fees in the USA

Tuition fees for master's programs also vary depending on the university (private or public), the study program, and even sometimes on the student's nationality (more precisely, citizenship). If, for example, a resident of the state where the university is located pays an average of $ 12,000 per year, then a resident of another state or international student is forced to pay $ 30,000. Usually, the cost of training for international students does not exceed $ 35,000 per year, but there are exceptions. To this it is worth adding the cost of living, which in some areas and cities of the United States can result in a lump sum. In this regard, it is most profitable to live in small student cities, of which there are a lot in the United States.

Scholarships and grants to study in the USA

Despite the relatively high cost of studying for a master's degree in the United States, there are many opportunities for scholarships, grants and educational loans.

The Fulbright International Exchange Education Program is one of the largest scholarship programs to study in the United States. Here, both university graduates and graduate students, as well as scientists, university professors and even art workers can find funding. It is also possible to get a grant for studying in master's degrees at US universities under the Edmund Muskie program.

Post-graduate employment in the USA

Masters in the USA are highly regarded by employers. Graduates of such programs rarely experience difficulties with work both in the United States and in other countries.