The View From Campus: Finding Your College Needle In The U.S. Haystack

In this View from Campus blog post, Stefano Papaleo, Director of Undergraduate Admission at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, shares his best advice for international students who are beginning their search for the right college or university. When confronted with the enormous range of options for higher education in the U.S., it is easy to become overwhelmed. Finding that right institution where you wish to study, can be compared to the difficulty of finding a needle in a haystack. No easy task. Here are some helpful tips from Mr. Papaleo.

Q. How would you describe your institution in 5 words?                                                                                  
A. International, Individualized, Innovative, Well-Placed, Safe

Q. For what is your institution best known overseas?
A. For being one of the most international universities in the country and for providing excellent services to international students

Q. What are your top academic programs (undergrad & grad)?
A. Undergrad: International Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Sports Management, Psychology, Biology.

Grad: MBA Marketing, MBA Financial Valuation and Investment, MS Applied Psychology, MBA International Business Management, MA Communication and Media.

Q. What are the top 5 countries represented at your college?
A. Venezuela, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and China.

Q. How does your institution use an IELTS result in the admissions process?
A. minimum of 6.0 is required for undergraduate admission, and a minimum of 6.5 is required for graduate admission.

Q. What is the most significant challenge most international students have when first considering the U.S. for post-secondary education?
A. I believe it is a very complicated system with an even more complicated admission process. For someone without the help of a high school counselor or an educational consultant it is very hard to navigate the system.

Q. How far ahead should students start the planning process if they are planning to come to the U.S. for study?
A. No later than the equivalent of their junior year in high school.

Q. How should prospective students begin their research when considering higher education in the United States?
A. If they have no help in the process they should look at online resources and guides that can help them narrow their choices.

Q. If a student needs help narrowing down their choices of schools, where can they turn for assistance?
A. If they do not attend an international high school with an experienced high school counselor it is not very easy. EducationUSA can help. There are also several educational consultants around the world that can guide the students for a fee.

Q. There are a lot of possible tests international students might need to take. How can students find out which ones they must / should take for each institution?
A. From the universities’ websites