Data and Decisions: A Guide for Applying to College in the U.S.

It’s all about the numbers…at least that’s what high school students are told when embarking on the college search process. GPA. SAT. ACT. It’s a feat just to keep the acronyms straight, let alone understand exactly WHAT colleges and universities are looking for in an applicant. The complexities of the search process are augmented even further if the applicant is applying to a university outside of the place they are currently calling “home”.

International students, expatriate children, and “global nomads” are applying to universities abroad at record numbers. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) there are more than 3.3 million students studying in a country other than their own. Leading the pack in popularity for attracting international students is the United States with more than 690,000 enrolling in 2009-10. This figure is actually not surprising given the more than 4,000 university options available in the U.S. Other countries seeing a significant influx of international students in recent years include the UK, Germany, France, Australia, and Canada.

A recent IIE study, Open Doors 2010, revealed that the top places of origin for international students studying in the U.S. went to China, India, South Korea, Canada, and Taiwan. To put these facts into perspective, nearly 127,000 students from China enrolled at U.S. universities last year compared to just 8,700 from Brazil. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, students coming from outside the U.S. comprise just 2% of the countries’ total undergraduate student population. In fact, just 10 states within the U.S. account for 61% of all students coming from outside of the country. California, New York, Texas, and Massachusetts are currently the states attracting the most international students. The most popular universities hosting non-U.S. students this year include University of Southern California, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, NYU, Purdue and Columbia.

According to the Open Doors 2010 Study, the top fields of study for students coming to the U.S. from abroad include Business Management, Engineering, Physical and Life Science, and Social Science. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that the highest number of degrees awarded to all undergraduates in the U.S. in 2009 were in the fields of Business, Social Sciences/History, Health Sciences, and Education.

When applying to universities in the U.S., both domestic and international students can save an immense amount of time by submitting the Common Application online. The Common Application was created in 1975 through a collaboration of just 15 private colleges in an attempt to standardize the college application process. Today there are 456 universities who accept the Common Application, including both private and public institutions. In fact, 146 universities are exclusive users of the Common Application including Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago, and all Ivy League schools with the exception of Harvard. The Common Application has allowed students from around the world to apply to many universities by completing just one application online. In fact, in 2010 nearly 2.5 million Common Applications were submitted online!

Before completing an application for admission to a U.S. university, students worldwide must complete one of two standardized tests: the SAT or the ACT. Both exams are accepted by all universities in the U.S. and both offer international testing locations. In 2010 approximately 1.6 million graduating seniors had taken the ACT, while 1.55 million sat for the SAT. Many students take both exams as they are very different and test different academic areas.

The ACT, developed in 1959, includes 215 multiple choice questions in the areas of English, Math, Science, and Reading. An optional writing section is also offered. The average score for students taking the ACT in 2010 was a 21 out of a possible 36.

The first SAT exam was administered in 1901 and today includes 170 questions and an essay in the areas of Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. According to The College Board, the company administering the SAT, the mean scores in 2010 were: Critical Reading-510, Math-516, and Writing-492. The mean composite score for all sections was 1509 out of possible 2400. An interesting fact cited by The College Board is students who have taken four years of English and three or more years of math and science scored, on average, 151 points more than students who had not.

For students applying to U.S. universities from abroad the process can be daunting, as indicated by the numbers above. However, by gathering information early, preparing for standardized tests, and becoming familiar with the Common Application, students anywhere in the world can successfully gain admission to a university of their choice…and take time to enjoy their last year of high school!