EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | страница 18

Country
Overview

Choosing
Universities
in the US, UK
and Australia

Choosing the right university may be the most
important decision in your life. Here are a few
factors you need to consider when choosing
universities abroad.

The United States (US)
The United States has thousands of colleges
and universities renowned for numerous quality
programmes of study, and the ?exibility to change
?elds of study and schools. The US remains the world’s leading
destination for nearly 700,000 international students. One reason
for this includes the Ivy League – a name generally applied to eight
prestigious universities (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth,
Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale) which attract highly
talented students in USA and across the world. These eight
institutions stand in the list of Top 15 universities in the USA
every year. Besides the eight, other top-class institutions like the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), California Institute of
Technology (Caltech), Stanford University, John Hopkins University,
University of Michigan, Duke University, etc which constantly make
the Top 20 World Universities ranking are in the US.
There is more to life on campus than just studying to pass
examinations as the US universities have various active student
societies, clubs and sports teams for players of all abilities. Besides,
accommodation is an important part of the student experience
since a caring and supportive environment is essential for students
to be able to focus on studies and to live more independently
and make long-lasting friendships. For international students,
university residence halls, private student housing and homestay
accommodation are provided.

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EASYUNI Guide 2013

Most US universities require students of the ?rst two years of
undergraduate study to live on campus in residence halls. Living in
a residence hall gives you convenient access to all campus facilities
and social opportunities. Most students who live off-campus are
in housing that is shared with other students or in a property
occupied by a family or non-students such as an apartment
complex, a townhouse, etc. Students who need to feel the care
and comfort of a family home are advised to choose homestay
accommodation, which helps them to be exposed to and
participate in others’ cultures and customs.
Of course it’s not only the quality of education that draws students
to choose the USA. If you are drawn to the shiny lights and fast
pace of big cities such as New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas,
or sun-kissed beaches of California, Honolulu, Miami etc., this
huge and massively diverse country will be able to deliver. The
biggest city by population is New York, followed by Los Angeles
and Chicago, although Washington DC is the capital city of US.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand the local accent right away
because some regional accents vary greatly in the US. The climate
in the US is incredibly varied due to its immense size and spread.
Hence, it is important to keep the weather in mind when selecting
your university since that is where you will be spending most of
your study years.