Embassy of the United States Brunei, Darussalam

What is the distinction between Private, State and Community College?

Private Colleges are funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees, research grants, etc. Tutiion fees tend to be high, and generally these instituions are smaller in terms of student population.Private colleges generally focus on Undergraduate education and often have generous financial assistance availabe for students.

State Universities tend to be very large with enrollments of 10,000 or more, founded and subsidized by U.S.state governments and taxes (e.g, California State University). They are also called public universities to distinguish them from private institutions.Tuition costs are generally lower than at private ones.

Community Colleges are a less expensive higher education alternative. They are community-based institutions, providing two-year associate degree programs, called Associate of Arts (A.A) or Associate of Science (A.S) degrees, as well as excellent technical and vocational programs. Work completed at community colleges is often transferable to 4-year institutions to count as the first 2 years of a 4 year degree.

What are the entry requirements at American universities?

Entry requirements can vary tremendously. Most students can enter a US institution by having completed their high schools and most will require students to have A levels or 12 years of education prior applying. One of more standardised admissions test are usually required.

What is the Standardized Admissions Tests?

There are 3 main Undergraduate Admissions test namely, SAT, SAT Subject Test and the ACT-American College Testing Assessment. Please review for more information at http://www.educationusa.info/pages/students/research-testing.php

What about Admission deadlines?

Read the article on a list of admission deadlines for 2007 by USNEWS "Getting a Late Start? All is not lost"

What about Scholarships for International student?

A good webiste for searching scholarships interms of country of origin, field of study or program name is http://www.fundingusstudy.com. Good luck!

What is G.P.A?

Grade Point Average is a number quantity (U.S school scoring system) representing a student's academic performance of a semester, trimester, or school year. An A is 4.0 point, B=3, C=2,D=1 and F=0. To calculate GPA, divide the total credit points received for one semester by the number of credits taken that semester. Example: you enrolled for 16 credits in 1 semester and you receive 4 credits of A, 4 credits of B, 4 credits of C and 4 credits of D. Your grade points are (4x4) + (4x3) + (4x2) + (4x1) = 40 total grade points. Your GPA for the semester is 40 divided by 16 = 2.50. To calculate cumulative GPA, divide total grade points received by total number of credits earned.

What are the common application requirements?

Schools have differing criteria for admission. In general, the following are required:

• Application Form - basic personal information. Allow plenty of time to complete them. there is no centralised application system in the U.S, so ingeneral you will need to complete a different application for each institution that you apply to. There is one exception to this rule and that is that some institutions use a 'Common Application', For more info, please see: http://www.commonapp.org
• Application Fees - A non-refundable one-time payment for the school to process your application.
• Transcripts - your academic records or credentials from at least your last 4-5 years of studies.
• Financial Documents - proof that you can support yourself whilst overseas.
• Standardized Test Scores - Find out from each institution's website which standardised test are required. You will need to arrange for the testing organistions to send your scores to each institution that you are applying to. Institutions will not accept scores sent by the applicant.
• Application Essays - Some colleges may require you to submit an essay along with the application form. Common topics include; Your goals, Why you want to study in the USA, Personal Abilities, etc.
• Letter of Recommendation - Also known as References, these need to be written  about you by previous teachers or professors. In the case of Graduate students these can also be form of past employers.
• Other Materials - The University may ask you to submit supporting material such as pieces of work if you were an art student, evidence of past work experience,etc.

Can foreign students work in the U.S?

International student visas allow undergraduate students to work on campus during teh academic year. Check each school for specific hours allowed per week during semester as well as breaks. Upon graduation, students may apply to work for one year in American companies in order to gain work experience.

Is it possible to earn an MBA for students who majored in fields other than business?

Yes. In fact 70% of students doing MBA received other bachelor degree in fields other than business. Usually, there is a pre-requisite for at least 1-2 years work experience.

Information about study in the U.S. can also be found on the State Department's Education USA web site at http://educationusa.state.gov/