Study in America, 2nd Edition

5

Fundamentals of the Admission Process

Annual costs at American universities comprise three main heads—tuition fee payable to the university, which ranges from $7,000 to $40,000 plus; living expenses that vary from $7,000 to $12,000 plus; insurance, books, and supplies amounting to about $1,500 to $3,000. A personal laptop or desktop is almost invariably required.

Application cost—standardized tests, application fees, and mailing—ranges from $800 to over $3,000, depending on the number of schools a student applies to, and the number of tests she takes.

In order to get a bird's-eye view of the admission process, it makes sense to start with the main components of the application. Understanding the broad contours of the admission cycle and ...