This is
the VOA Special English Education Report.
A
listener in Poland recently sent us an e-mail. Slawek Loboda writes:
"There are many American universities and colleges that provide long
distance education to the world. The trouble is that each university says that
it is the best. After an hour of searching and reading what they have in their
offer, one gets a headache. You simply don't know whom to trust and what to
choose."
Slawek
goes on to say, "I have been listening to VOA for years and I would trust you if you made an interesting program about American universities for
foreigners. Is there a university that you could recommend?"
Well,
choosing a school is an individual decision. But we may be able to help inform
that decision.
Slawek's
letter happened to come at just the right time. It gives us the perfect opening
for not just one program, but a series -- our Foreign Student Series. We update
the series every two years to provide fresh information for anyone interested
in higher education in America.
The United States has more than four
thousand colleges and universities to choose from. They come in all sizes --
from a few hundred students to enough to populate a city. And students may not
even have to be in the United States to take classes. Some universities have
campuses in other countries. And, as Slawek pointed out, many programs are
offered over the Internet.
Over the
coming weeks, we will talk all about the American system of higher education.
Our reports will take you inside some of the nation's colleges and
universities. We will explore programs of study and report on student life. We
will talk about financial aid and employment, and about admissions tests and
English language requirements.
We
will also explain the process for becoming an international student in the
United States. And we will talk about how the terrorist attacks of September
eleventh, two thousand one, changed some of the rules.
Many
of the subjects in our Foreign Student Series are based on your questions and
suggestions. So keep them coming! Send e-mail to special@voanews.com, or click
on the Contact Us link at voaspecialenglish.com. Or write to VOA Special
English, Washington, D.C., two zero two three seven U.S.A.
In case you miss any of the programs,
our Foreign Student Series will be archived at voaspecialenglish.com.
And
that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach.
I'm Steve Ember.