How do they go to US universities

Articles about studying in the USA interested my wife so much that she decided to describe her thoughts and experience. She is not a blogger at all, but I hope the article turned out to be interesting:

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I came to the States immediately after graduation, so I know about the life of a Russian student only by hearsay. Since I have already written about learning myself , I’ll tell you

Applicants

As described in previous articles, there are two methods of admission. The first is the exam during the last year of school. If a person is fluent in English, it is best to pass the SAT , which includes a rather difficult level of English and mathematics. “Standardized Aptitude Test” is a test for testing the academic abilities of mathematics and English; it is necessary when entering universities in the USA and Canada. Americans at school rent it several times. Attempts begin at grade 10 (Pre-SAT) and end at grade 11 (recall that they have 12 grades at school).

I believe that the exam is the Russian equivalent of the SAT . At the beginning of the 12th year of schooling, students send their application forms to universities. A questionnaire is attached to the points, where the student talks about himself and his parents (general data), and also writes an essay on a given topic. Most often, the topic “Why do you want to enter this university” . With this confusion essay, you have to compose for each university. Wanting to increase the chances of admission, I want to send to the maximum number of universities.
Be sure to attach the letters of recommendation that write and send the teacher. This means that the student himself will never know what the teacher wrote about him. Letters of recommendation are usually 2 - 3 pieces. Usually, students send out their questionnaires in the fall. The admission of questionnaires ends at each university in different ways, from December 1 to February 1 (rarely March 1). Consideration of the questionnaire costs money, an average of $ 50-100 per application.
The second option is admission - the person arrived from another country, where he had already graduated from school. He needs to transfer the school certificate and pass the TOEFL . Specialist companies are engaged in the transfer of certificates, and different universities accept transfers from different companies. They translate not only the text itself, but also the estimates into the ABCDF system, calculate the GPA. True, not everywhere so strictly, sometimes a simple translation with the seal of a translator and a notary certified is enough. Next, you need to send questionnaires to universities, and how everyone should wait for an answer. Naturally, the better the university, the higher the requirements for test results (and the higher the competition).

Centralized systems

In my case, it was PharmCAS . Instead of filling in separate forms for each university, the applicant is registered in the system. All data: transcript, test results (PCAT, MCAT, GRE ...), letters of recommendation, questionnaires, essays - are sent there or are filled in online. By the way, the professors' recommendations for me were also filled in online. PharmCAS then sends the data to the specified universities. Most universities participate in this system. I had to fill in only two separate application forms for universities that do not accept PharmCAS.
Similar systems exist for other specialties.
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Choice of profession

Pupils who have chosen a profession already at school are purposefully preparing for admission to certain universities. Naturally, there are students who have not decided on the choice; they go where they take it. Often try to choose away from their parents;)
Such students will be able to decide in the profession during the first year. You ask how is it? Each university has a credit education system. Any profession requires the student to collect basic subjects such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, psychology, English, etc. Accordingly, during the first year, a student, visiting subjects, decides what he likes most. These students are called undecided . As for the more serious professions, such as medical professionals, lawyers, pharmacists, etc. (to those who study for many many years) - it is useful for them to be determined as early as possible. The advantage of free choice of subjects is the ease of changing specialty in the middle of the way. One friend studied for three years in economics, then I realized that it was “not his” and changed direction in the direction of medicine. He was credited with all the basic subjects, all that remained was to recruit only profile ones.

Grades GPA

EVALUATIONS ARE IMPORTANT . Maybe they are not so important for the person who decided to finish one education (bachelor degree) and not to go anywhere else, but for all the others they are important. Salary will be consistent with education and to advance on the career ladder, the employer may ask to complete the next level of higher education. By the way, assessments when applying for a job do not matter, the school name is decisive. You have completed MIT on threes - employers will meet with open arms. You have a diploma with honors from the University of Noname - "we will call you back."
Naturally, the higher the average score, the better. In one of the articles they wrote that when entering universities there is no competition. It is not true. It all depends on the school. Admission to the profile university at the faculty of a pharmacist is indicated by the following requirements:

GPA - average score - minimum 3.5 - that is, in general, scores should be 5, 5, and rare 4s.
About the calculation of the GPA already written

Students from community college are recommended to study in more prestigious educational institutions. For example, I took only 3 subjects in the community college , during the initial review of my documents (before entering) I was advised not to study at Community College anymore, since this lowers my rating on admission.

Competition of 1600 questionnaires for 150 places ... 10 people per place. (official data of 2008 - data for 2009 are not yet available).

When applying to / transfer to other universities, it is absolutely necessary to show ALL of your grades from all universities. Filled up the subject - passed again with excellent results, but both ratings will remain in the system. First and foremost attention will attract bad.
Many say, including the universities themselves, that the old estimate is being erased. Yes, but it is only within the university itself. When translating everything ... pops up.
The data is submitted in the form of a transcript ( “transcript” ) - a document on all subjects and estimates obtained. The originals of the transcripts are sent by the university administration, the student can see only a copy. This I mean that there is no possibility to “clean” the history.

Selection

After the initial screening of the questionnaires, approximately 2 people remain in place. Everyone is called for an interview where their fate is already decided. After the interview, a formal response comes within a month: accepted, not accepted, or queued. A queue means you can be accepted if space is made available. In case of success (you were accepted!), You must send an official response and a down payment of $ 500 - $ 2000.
All have probably noticed that the whole process takes place remotely by mail and online.

When applying for a doctor or lawyer, the competition may be much more serious or include additional requirements. For example, for admission to a doctor, they may additionally require 2000 hours of work as a volunteer in the medical field, for example, in a hospital. (for reference, 2000 hours = year of work for 8 hours a day, five days)

Also, when enrolling in specialized universities, most often it is necessary to pass additional tests, such as GRE (for PhD), MCAT (for physicians), PCAT (for pharmacists), etc. These tests, to put it mildly, are complex and require detailed knowledge of the subjects.
For example, PCAT lasts 5 hours and includes:

• English in-depth, much harder TOEFL
• maths
• biology
• chemistry
• text analysis on abstract topics. I got astronomy
• essay. My topic was “Solve the problem of dear honey. insurance "- 30 minutes.

Issue price

I applied to five universities. Total costs: PharmCAS, PCAT, additional questionnaires, etc. - almost $ 1000. You have to pay for almost everything. Even printing a copy of a transcript with a uni stamp costs $ 15.

Instead of conclusion

Well, let's say, and what happens to the person who immediately entered the university in which there is a necessary specialty. Well, for example, I wanted to be a doctor and entered Elsk University where there is such a department.
I can immediately cut off the idea that this person is already in raspberries. The first two years after school will study at the faculty of pre-med (in each university it can be called differently). During these two years, the student must collect general education subjects such as biology, chemistry, the same psychology, etc. At the end, pass the same MCAT - and get your score. Submit documents in your own university according to the general scheme and wait for the result. And it may be taken. As you understand, here the grades are again important, even despite the fact that you study at the same university and you don’t need to be translated anywhere.

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The article turned out so large that we decided to divide into two, leaving only the receipt in the first. If it is interesting in more detail about training: tests, exams, election of teachers - we will publish.