Introduction

You have decided that you want to study in the United States. Perhaps you wish to pursue a college education or a post-graduate degree. Or you want to study English or attend a short-term course or program or a professional certificate course, etc. But how do you get started? There are over 3,700 two and four-year colleges and universities, literally hundreds and hundreds of English Language programs, other specialized programs and certificate courses, thousands of summer camps and much much more. How can you search through this bewildering maze of educational opportunities. There is so much information available on the internet and in resource books. How do you begin?

First, read through this web site to familiarize yourself with what types of educational offerings are available. There are so many options that you want to see clearly what is available and how these options might fit in with your goals.

For an idea of careers check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Profiles of thousands of careers are outlined here.

Does your current educational background prepare you for the course you want to pursue? If not, what do you need to do to be prepared? For example, if you want to attend college in the US, is your English at the level required to do college level work? If not, you may have to take an English language course before you can attend a college or university.

Before checking through the web sites listed in the specific section you are interested in, we recommend you look through the following web sites and participate in Think Link.

Think Link is a cooperation with the U.S. Journal of Academics and is an interactive information link for students wishing to study in the US. The link features an exclusive guide to US universities, community colleges, English language programs, summer schools, internships and executive education opportunities for non-U.S. students and executives.

The other web sites will give you an overview of the US academic system, additional information to help you make informed choices and additional links to other information and institutional web sites.

Once you have worked through the above web sites and have looked through the sites listed in your specific sections you should be ready to start narrowing down specific schools, camps programs etc. If you are looking for a college or university program then start looking through the College Search in Cyberspace. It is not necessary to use all the web sites listed, but it is important to use more than one or two in order to be sure that you are receiving the most comprehensive up-to-date information available. It is also important to look at a variety of web sites so that you can develop a true picture of the educational institutions you are interested in. For example, when researching a specific university it is also a good idea to take the virtual tour of the college campus. Check out the university student paper or other student web sites to see how students view the academics on campus and get a feel for how the students see their school.

Take the time to visit one of the Educational Resource Stations located throughout the country. At these stations you will find a variety of reference books on study in the United States. Use these materials, in conjunction with your internet research, to help you find the best educational options for your and your goals.

Swiss students who intend to use the diploma or degrees obtained in the US for further education in Switzerland or for employment, should find out if the degree or diploma will be recognized by the relevant authorities in Switzerland. For example, if you wish to become a physical therapist will that diploma be recognized by the authorities in Switzerland allowing you to practice as a physical therapist here.

Good Luck and enjoy the selection experience. Remember that thorough, extensive planning will make your educational opportunity in the United States a wonderful experience.