The United States is a favored destination for thousands of students from Pakistan for their further studies. There are several reasons for that. Firstly, it has one of the most advanced systems of education in the world. The other reasons are the affordable fees, easy and transparent visa processing and the abundance of superb research and employment opportunities.

The United States is the home for Universities like Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Cornell, to name just a few. These universities and others set very high standards for themselves and their students. The United States is also the venue of most of the cutting edge research and development in the world. Combined with a strong economy and the huge industrial base, it is almost an irresistible choice for most students contemplating further studies abroad.

An alien who has a residence in a foreign country which he/she has no intention of abandoning, who wishes to come to the United States to pursue a course of study at an academic institution accredited by the USCIS, may qualify for an F-1 student visa. The alien must have a valid educational purpose for coming to the United States, and must be able to support himself or herself while in the United States without working.

The F-1 student visa applicant must have available sufficient funds and outside financial support to ensure he or she will not become a public charge or accept unauthorized employment. He or she must be proficient in English or receive training to make him or her proficient, intend to depart the United States at the conclusion of his or her studies, and be qualified to attend the particular institution. All F-1 students are given permission to be in the United States for "duration of status," that is for the period of time needed to complete the educational program plus 60 days.

At the end of the course of study a period of work authorization may be requested for the purpose of gaining experience in the field of study, known as "practical training." If qualified, the student may also change non-immigrant status to a temporary non-immigrant work visa or adjust status to a permanent resident visa.

The United States is the premiere destination for international students from all over the world, which offers students a plethora of over 3300 colleges at the undergraduate level and over 1400 colleges for the Master's program. The MBA candidate alone can choose from 700 institutions. International students who study in the US contribute more than $13 billion to the US economy. The US is the top choice for international students and enjoys over 60% applications from the total number of students applying to study abroad.

There are many competitive institutions of higher education in the United States, both private and public. The United States has 168 universities in the world's top 500, 17 of which are in the top 20. Universities are generally divided into a number of academic departments, schools or faculties. Public university systems are ruled over by government-run higher education boards. Private universities are privately funded having generally a broader independence from state policies.

The time taken to earn an undergraduate or a Bachelor's degree in the US is four years and the time taken Graduate is 2 years.

The U.S. provides some of world's finest higher education, especially in the field of technology. U.S. degrees are recognized all over the world and are considered to be one of the best in the world.

The land and people of the U.S.A. are incredibly varied. Wherever students choose to study, they will encounter a regional culture rich in history, local traditions and customs. The U.S.A. is a multi-racial society that is still absorbing new immigrants, which makes it a very dynamic and exciting place to experience. While students must exercise caution in a few locations, in much of the U.S.A., streets and university campuses are clean and safe.

The U.S. is the right choice for research professionals. There are many opportunities to do research in any field. The funding for most of the research projects are sponsored by the U.S. Government or by corporations. Also, many companies provide projects for the students in the neighboring universities to gain practical experience during their studies. Most of the research students receive waivers for their tuition fees and in some cases they are also provided with a stipend to help with their living expenses.

While most programs are structured very well, students also have the option to choose many other subjects as part of their course. Students have an opportunity to emphasize and narrow down topics of specific interest in their field of study. Sometimes students may even choose subjects from other universities as part of their studies.

Financial assistance is normally provided to international students, because pursuing higher education in the U.S. is expensive. Most of the universities financially support the international students either in the form of providing teaching or research assistantships. These assistantships are based on academic merit, rather than financial need.

Most schools in the United States operate rotational semesters. There are 3 entry dates:

This is an important entry date with a large intake and many scholarships on offer.

This entry date is available in only a few schools and most reputed schools do not have a Summer entry date.

This entry date is also quite popular with students and colleges in Pakistan. It coincides perfectly with the board examination and thus, is probably the most common entry date here.

Schools in the U.S. have several Admission requirements for foreign students and especially for those whose native language is not English.
The following is a listing of all entry requirements:

This is a score on a scale of 0-4.0. Your high school and Intermediate marks can easily be translated onto this scale. Many of the better and more reputed and higher ranked schools will require a GPA of more than 2.5, while many schools will be satisfied with a GPA of 2.0 and above. However, many small schools will not require you to translate your scores onto the GPA scale. They will be satisfied if you provide them with mark sheets that show averages of above 50%.

There are many undergraduate and graduate schools that require you to score only 450 (paper based scores) in the TOEFL. However, these schools are small and your chances of getting a visa are not very good with a school like this. Many state universities will require a score of 500 while the larger state universities will require 550.

A certain score in the SAT 1 is required by most of the better undergrad universities and schools. Courses like Engineering, Computer Science, IT etc. in larger universities come attached with a hefty SAT 1 requirement. A score of 1800 can get you into many large schools. 2000 and above can get you into many top 100 schools while a score of 2200 and above puts you in the same league as the Harvard or Stanford student body.

The best undergraduate colleges will also require you to take the SAT subjective tests and require a certain score in them. Such schools will also indicate which of the subjective tests they require you to take.

GMAT is more or less compulsory for admission into an M.B.A. or M.B.S. course in North America. Most schools do not really require a certain score in the GMAT. To be on the safe side you should at least break 550 or try and obtain as many marks more than 550 as it is possible.

GRE is for Graduate entrants into Engineering, Science, Arts and Humanities courses. A score of 1100 and above assures your entry into most schools that run Graduate courses.

Many colleges will also require you to submit an essay about yourself. These essays should contain your brief autobiography, an insight into what kind of person you are, your reasons for choosing your course, your career objectives and amusing anecdotes that give an insight into what kind of person you are. Many colleges will, however, ask for more specific information.

Certificates from social organizations you have worked for, certificates of achievement etc. are also useful in helping admissions officers in making up their minds whether you are the kind of student that they want studying in their university.

Most schools will require you to demonstrate that you are financially capable of completing the course. Many of these schools will require you to fill in a Financial Affidavit signed by an official from your bank. Many schools will also be satisfied with a simple bank statement or even a sponsor letter.

To study in the United States one must allot a budget of at least US $ 15,000 for the first year. There are several small schools and state universities that have tuition fees around the $ 10,000 mark. Larger State universities will have tuition fees of $ 20,000 to $ 25,000. The higher ranked and bigger schools may have tuition fees from $ 15,000 to $ 30,000 every year.

Most Pakistan students go for the smaller universities that have tuition fees of $ 10000 to $ 15000 per year, as these are the most affordable. Living expenses (if you're living with other students off-campus) come up to roughly $ 7000 per year. On-campus living expenses vary from school to school.

The United States has a vast range of colleges for all budgets and courses.

You are not allowed to start working in the United States as soon as you land there. Once you arrive you will have to wait for 2-3 months till your social security card is issued. Upon the issue of your card you are allowed to work only on campus and for only 20 hours a week. During holidays and summer breaks, students are allowed to work full time. Most students use the 3-month summer vacation working full time to recover the next year's fees and expenses.

During your second year in the United States you may work outside the campus with special permission from U.S. immigration. The job must be related to student's field of study, the student must enroll in an internship class, and the work is allowed only for one semester.

Shortly before you graduate, most US schools will help international students apply to US immigration for Optional Practical Training. OPT allows International Students to work outside campus for 12 months after they graduate in a job that is related to their field of study.

The procedure of obtaining a student visa for the United States is relatively easy and stress-free. The steps are outlined below:

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