Study in America, 2nd Edition

Table of contents

1. Cover
2. Title Page
3. Contents
4. Author's Note
5. Foreword
6. Getting Started
7. 1 - The Evolution of the American Education System
   1. Education in Early Times (17th–19th Centuries)
   2. The Ivy League: The League of Eight
   3. Secularization of Higher Education
   4. Architecture of the American College and Campus Layout
   5. Town and Gown Affiliation
   6. Philanthropy and the U.S. Education System
   7. Land Grant Act 1862
   8. Private and Public (State) Universities
   9. The Philosophy Underlying the “Liberal Arts”
   10. Points of Entry into the U.S. Education System
   11. Affording an American Education
   12. 3-2 Colleges
   13. Community Colleges
   14. Accreditation
   15. International Students
   16. The Strengths of the U.S. Education System
   17. Students with Learning Disabilities
8. 2 - Why America as a Study Destination
   1. Open Doors: Interesting Statistics and Trends
9. 3 - American History: A Capsule
   1. Prehistory
   2. The Native Americans
   3. The Coming of the Europeans
   4. Expansion from 13 Colonies to 50 States
   5. The Curse of Slavery
   6. The World's Education Powerhouse in the 21st Century
10. 4 - College Argot
    1. Glossary
11. 5 - Fundamentals of the Admission Process
    1. Fall Admissions Versus Winter or Spring Admissions
    2. Standardized Tests and Preparation
    3. Advanced Placement Tests
    4. Liberal Arts Colleges or Large Universities
    5. Early Action and Early Decision
    6. An Interview with Susan Whipple
12. 6 - Application Basics for Undergraduate Students
    1. Flow Chart for the Application Process
    2. The Importance of “Extras” in Your Application
    3. Application Flow chart
    4. Organizing Your Application
    5. Timelines, Early Action, Early Decision, and Rolling Admissions
    6. Your Presence in Cyberspace: Blogging, Facebook, Youtube, or Orkut
13. 7 - The “W” Graph and Its Implications for International Undergraduate Students
    1. A Conundrum for International Admissions Committees
14. 8 - Application Basics for Graduate Students
    1. Application Components
    2. Membership of Professional Organizations and Associations
    3. Professional Magazines and Journals
    4. Scholar @ Google
    5. Maturity of Graduate Applicants
    6. A Note on Financial Preparedness
    7. Communicating with Faculty
    8. Graduates of Three-year Bachelor's Degrees
    9. Application Flow Chart
15. 9 - Rankings and Choosing Universities
    1. Rankings and How to Make the Most of Them
    2. Choosing Universities
    3. Think Beyond the Ivies and the Top-ranking Institutions
    4. Dream, Reach, and Safety Schools
16. 10 - The Common Applications and Credentials Evaluations
    1. The Common App
    2. Completing Applications
    3. Credentials Evaluation
    4. An Interview with Margaret Wenger
17. 11 - Recommendations and Résumés
    1. Letters of Recommendation
    2. Résumés
    3. Issuing Letters of Recommendation
18. 12 - Standardized Tests
    1. Tests for English-Language Proficiency
    2. Standardized Tests for Undergraduate Admissions
    3. Standardized Tests for Professional Schools
    4. Standardized Tests for Graduate Students
    5. Navigating College and University Web Sites
19. 13 - Application Essays
    1. Important Features of Good Writing
    2. Examples of Common Errors in Writing and Speaking
    3. Admission-winning Essays: Undergraduate
    4. Additional Tips for Graduate Essays
    5. Admission-winning Essays: Graduate
    6. Business School Essays
20. 14 - Money Matters: Finances and Work Opportunities, Bank Loans, Certification of Finances
    1. Finance Basics for Undergraduate Students
    2. Harvard President's Widely Reported Initiative on Funding
    3. FAFSA or FSFAA? Neither; It's the ISFAA
    4. How Much Aid Should an International Student Ask For?
    5. Finance Basics for Graduate Students: Types of Funding
21. 15 - Effective Ways to Trim Costs During the Application Process
22. 16 - Rich Universities and the International Student
    1. Endowments of U.S. Universities
    2. Money for International Undergraduate Students
    3. Money for International Graduate Students
    4. Not-so-Rich American Universities and the International Student
23. 17 - Interviews, Deferrals, Waitlists, and How to Handle Them
    1. Interview
    2. Deferral and Waitlist
24. 18 - Transferring to an American University: It's Easy!
    1. The Procedure
    2. Transfer of Credits
25. 19 - Visas, Sevis, and VFS
    1. Visa
    2. The Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
    3. Visa Fee Payment: VFS and Other Banks
    4. Expedited Appointments for U.S. Bound Students
    5. The Visa Interview
    6. Organizing Your Documents
    7. What You Must Establish as an F-1 Visa Applicant
    8. What the Consular Officer Seeks to Understand at the Interview
    9. Visa Denials and What You Can Do
    10. Finance Basics
    11. Immigration
    12. Dos and Don'ts at the Visa Interview
    13. Frequently Asked Questions About U.S. Student Visas
26. 20 - For Aspiring Doctors and Dentists, Architects, Lawyers, and Pharmacists
    1. Aspiring Doctors
    2. Aspiring Dentists
    3. Aspiring Lawyers
    4. Aspiring Architects
    5. Aspiring Pharmacists
27. 21 - Useful Information and Web Sites
    1. Web Sites to Begin With
    2. Credentials Evaluators: WES and ECE
    3. Scholarships for International Students: All Levels
28. 22 - Before You Go
    1. Tickets
    2. Port of Entry
    3. Traveling in the United States
    4. Money
    5. Credit Cards
    6. Academic Documents
    7. Contact Details
    8. International Student Accommodation
    9. Driving in the United States
    10. Clothing
    11. “Linen n Things”
    12. Personal Stuff
    13. What to Carry on the Aircraft with You
    14. What to Check-in
    15. Homesickness
    16. What to Do During Vacations
    17. Safety Concerns for International Students on American Campuses
    18. An Interview with Charles Grim
29. 23 - Students Speak: Real Visa Stories and Experiences
    1. A Visa Interview: Delhi
    2. A Visa Interview: Chennai
30. 24 - Financial Aid Statistics for Undergraduates
    1. Financial Aid Statistics
31. 25 - College Folklore, Myths, and Legends
    1. How Stanford Got the Better of Harvard
    2. Dubya Bush, Yale, Skull and Bones, Geronimo
    3. More Myths
    4. What's in a Name?
    5. American Humor and Way of Life
    6. Student Activism
32. 26 - A Note to Parents
    1. Involvement of Parents
33. 27 - Mentioning the Unmentionable
    1. Social Intercourse
    2. Food and Eating Habits
    3. Language
    4. Recommended Reading and Viewing
34. Appendices
    1. 1 - State-wise College Locator Maps
    2. 2 - Top 125 U.S. Universities
    3. 3 - Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges
    4. 4 - Sample Declaration by Parents and Affidavit of Support
    5. 5 - Format of “Capability Certificate” Issued by a Public Sector Bank in India
    6. 6 - Format of Bank Education Loan Sanction Memorandum
    7. 7 - Religious, Historically African-American, Women's and Men's Colleges
35. Notes
36. Acknowledgements
37. Copyright