Guide To USA Study Abroad & Scholarship in USA

Before discussing anything about the Universities and scholarship programs in the USA, let’s talk a bit about the geography, time zone, currency, people, and culture of the country, to get a better idea of the country and the people. You will need to understand these things before going to the US, so, you do not have any difficulty blending in with the people and culture of the country.

How many States are in the USA?

The most common question that arises when thinking about studying in the US is, how many states are there in the US and which state to choose for study? Sometimes even US citizens get confused in answering this question. There are fifty states in the USA and the capital city, Washington D.C.

These states are:

Alabama (AL) Alaska (AK) Arizona (AZ) Arkansas (AR) California (CA) Colorado (CO) Connecticut (CT) Delaware (DE) Florida (FL) Georgia (GA) Hawaii (HI) Idaho (ID) Illinois (IL) Indiana (IN) Iowa (IA) Kansas (KS) Kentucky (KY) Louisiana (LA) Maine (ME) Maryland (MD) Massachusetts (MA) Michigan (MI) Minnesota (MN) Mississippi (MS) Missouri (MO)

Montana (MT) Nebraska (NE) Nevada (NV) New Hampshire (NH) New Jersey (NJ) New Mexico (NM) New York (NY) North Carolina (NC) North, Dakota (ND) Ohio (OH) Oklahoma (OK) Oregon (OR) Pennsylvania (PA) Rhode Island (RI) South Carolina (SC) South Dakota (SD) Tennessee (TN) Texas (TX) Utah (UT) Vermont (VT) Virginia (VA) Washington (WA) West Virginia (WV) Wisconsin (WI) Wyoming (WY)

The choice of the state depends upon the universities you are applying for and your field of interest, but regardless of that, every state provides all most equal number of opportunities in terms of education, employment, and other facilities.

Time Zone

The boundaries of the US are spreader over a great stretch of land, therefore, time in the USA varies from state to state. The US is divided into six time zones: Hawaii-Aleutian time, Alaska time, Pacific time, Mountain time, Central Time, and Eastern time. There is a five hours difference between Hawaii-Aleutian time and the Eastern time zone. Pakistan is 10 hours ahead of Washington D.C. USA.

Currency 

The currency used in the United States is the US dollar, which is a worldwide accepted currency for trade. The exchange rate of the US dollar rate in Pakistan keeps changing on a day-to-day basis, currently, the US dollar to PKR is 177.97.

People and Culture 

The USA is the third-largest country in the world in terms of population, according to the US Census Bureau the total population is over 332 million. The majority of the population is comprised of immigrants coming from many countries, in addition to some Indigenous Americans. According to the Census Bureau, a new immigrant arrives in the United States every 666 seconds. Therefore, the US is one of the culturally most diverse countries in the world. Most of the culture is influenced by the English due to colonization.

According to the US government, there is no official language of the United States. Almost every major language spoken in the globe is spoken in the United States, Spanish, Chinese, French, and German are the most commonly spoken non-English languages. Ninety percent of the population of the United States speaks and understands English, and the majority of official business is handled in English.

The main religion followed in the country is Christianity, around 70% of the population identify themselves as Christians. Around 27% of the rest of the population don’t associate themselves with any religion, and the remaining 6% are non-Christians.

Social status, geography, occupation, and climate influence the clothing styles of the inhabitants. Jeans, baseball caps, sneakers, boots, and cowboy hats, are some of the most popular items of apparel among Americans, though there have been many additional styles over the years.

Burgers, potato chips, hot dogs, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese are among the dishes that are generally classified as American today. Despite their non-American origins, the dishes like “as American as apple pie” have become something that is truly American.

The US is a sports-mad nation, with millions of followers of sports teams, the most popular sports among the population are baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Baseball is America’s favorite pastime; however, football has surpassed baseball in popularity in recent times.

Study in the United States

The land provides immense opportunities for international students to come and study from top universities of the world. The country has the largest number of international students, with over a million students choosing the USA to improve their education and life experience. International students make up over 5% of all students enrolled in higher education in the United States, and the number is growing.

The USA has one of the best universities in the world, with a great program in almost every discipline. Excellent undergraduate programs are available both in traditional fields and in contemporary fields. Graduate students have the opportunity to work directly with some of the most brilliant minds in their field, as well as participate in special research and educational initiatives. Degrees from the United States are regarded as the best in the world. So, how can you pursue your education in the US? Here are a few steps to follow.

1. Search for Universities  

Start your research about universities that offer the discipline you want to study, at least 6 months or a year before the academic year starts. The US is home to the top three most highly ranked universities in the world. It is home to more than 150 of the world’s best universities, according to the QS World University Rankings. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the world’s top-ranked university, is located in the US. Among these Universities search for what best fit your needs and requirements.

2. Scholarships in the US

The expense of living and education varies from state to state in the US. But with proper planning and research, pursuing higher education in the United States can be made affordable. Begin preparing your financial strategy as soon as possible. Each year, many scholarships are given to international students to help them pay for their education. However, there is a lot of competition. Financial aid applications are submitted together with admissions applications. Or you need to apply for different scholarship programs before admission. Therefore, always keep an eye on a scholarship program to make your education affordable.

There are exclusive scholarship programs for Pakistani students as well, which include study exchange programs – like semester exchange programs between US and Pakistan – as well a fully and partially funded scholarship programs are available to Pakistani students like Fulbright Scholarship Program. There are two types of scholarships offered in the United States, government-sponsored scholarships and scholarships offered by universities. Many other organizations also provide financial assistance to international students. Universities in the US occasionally offer financial assistance in addition to scholarships. Financial aids are also given to students who have excelled in academic achievements or who are from underprivileged backgrounds. So, there are many scholarship opportunities. All you need to do is conduct proper research and avail them.

3. Application for Universities 

Now that you have selected universities to apply to and scholarship programs to support your financials. This is the time to apply for the universities. The application process takes time and you will need a lot of documents to support your application, therefore, do not wait until the last minute, rather start it as soon as possible. Applying for study in the US is a time-consuming and intense process that includes getting recommendation letters, writing essays, and getting the results of mandatory standard assessments, which depend on the requirement of the university applying for, but in most cases, it is GRE or IELTS. This stage requires serious determination and attention to achieve a successful outcome.

4. Application for Visa

Once you have secured admission to a university inside the USA, you will need to apply for a visa. Further details about the Visa application process and travel can be found on Edvise Hub and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Make sure to study these websites to build a strong visa application.

Once you successfully go through these processes, you are ready to take a flight to the US and fulfill your dreams.

Post-Graduation Courses in the USA

Several students around the world aspire to pursue post-graduate studies in the United States. The US is the most desired destination for post-graduate studies as it has renowned instructors, a great learning environment, and world-class facilities. There are more than 1700 universities in the country offering different post-graduate programs. Students can apply to as many universities as they want, ideally, you should search for 5 to 6 universities that are offering programs of your interest and apply at these universities accordingly.

The application process is almost the same as mentioned in the above section, still here are some of the requirements you will have to fulfill while applying for post-graduate courses in USA.

1. Application with basic details
2. Test score – depending on the university requirements, GRE is required in most the cases
3. Research Statement – which shows your area of interest
4. Academic results – transcripts
5. Recommendation letters – maybe 2 to 3
6. Personal statement
7. Resume
8. Application fee – approximately $50 – $100

MBA in USA

Among many postgraduate programs, MBA is the most desired program by students from all over the world. It gives students and professionals a variety of career options and students from different fields pursue MBA to master their management skills. The MBA degree provides students with a thorough understanding of all dimensions of management, it also provides practical applications and hands-on experience that drives them to find effective business solutions.

What is the cost of an MBA in USA?

The cost mostly varies due to many factors, duration of the program, university. However, the average cost of MBA programs is around 60,000 US dollars per year in the USA.

What is the duration of an MBA?

The majority of MBA programs in the United States are for two years durations. However, several universities in the United States offer an Accelerated MBA program that can be completed in a year.

Popular MBA Specializations

• General Management
• Marketing
• Operation Management
• Supply chain Management
• Healthcare Management
• Strategic Management
• Environmental Management

Best Universities for MBA in the US

• Stanford University
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Harvard University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• Columbia University
• University of California–Berkeley (Haas)
• Yale University
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• New York University (Stern)

Requirements for Admission

• Bachelor’s Degree or 16 years of education from a recognized university or institute
• GMAT, GRE, ILETS, TOEFL as required by the university
• Statement of Purpose
• Recommendations letters
• Resume