International applicants
- Foreign (non-US citizen) students applying from another country form a large and growing percentage of applicants (including a lot of accepted applicants) to American universities. Applications to American universities from foreign students have increased dramatically in the past decade. International applications are typically similar to domestic ones but with additional complications. Most international applicants do not receive a GPA score or transcript from their college. Most will not normally take GRE or TOEFL exams, so these must be arranged.
- Non-native English speakers may be asked to provide English language qualifications. If a university requires or offers an interview, these can normally be conducted over the phone or with alumni residing in the applicant's country. International applicants often must cope with higher tuition fees and less available financial aid, although this varies significantly by college. Further, international applicants also have to apply for a student visa, which can be a complex, tense and time-consuming process.
- Normally the acceptance rate of foreign students is higher, because of four clear reasons -
- Foreign students,who apply to US colleges, are usually crème-de-la-crème of their country and cannot be compared to an average US student, who can be great, good or average.
- Foreign students, especially Indians and Chinese tend to get higher scores on standardized tests such as GRE and have good academic grades as they are used to working harder.
- Universities and colleges also prefer foreign students as they add diversity to the student body and improve peer learning due to their different perspectives.
- Reports have also confirmed that public university admissions officers were actively seeking out-of-state and international students since they paid higher rates for tuition.