#3. Choose what kind of environment you will thrive in.
Would you prefer having a large international student community? What kind of environment
and climate do you want to live in? These are a few questions to help you narrow down your
list of universities.
#4. Choose between Private vs. Public or Urban vs. Rural
Similar to the step above, deciding on what kind of campus life you would like to have is
important. You will be spending the next four or more years at this school so be sure that you
have opportunities to enjoy it!
#5. Check the Student to Faculty Ratio
Do you study well in a large group or more individualized settings?
This is an important question because if you are taking a lecture
course with 500 students, then the professor will realistically not have
enough time to help each and every student. However, if there are 15
students in your lecture, professors will be able to dedicate more time
to each student.
“There are some 4,500
accredited institutions of
higher education in 50
different U.S. states. So
dare to explore those that
you may not have heard
of before.”
Greet Provost, Director of
#6. Consider the competition
Office of International
You’ll also want to consider the selectivity of the institution. For
Programs, University of
example, 14 percent of the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign’s
Mississippi
undergraduate population is international, and 63 percent of
undergraduate applicants were admitted. In comparison, the
University of Florida has an international population of only one percent, but is more selective
with a 44 percent acceptance rate.