Region guide
Four-year bachelor's programs with a flexible major/minor system, two-year master's programs, and PhDs that combine coursework and research. Liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduate breadth; research universities emphasize graduate work. Most applicants apply via the Common App or Coalition App to multiple schools at once.
Last updated
Application platform
Common App
Intakes
Fall (Aug/Sep) · Spring (Jan)
Tuition (USD/yr, undergrad)
$11,000–$65,000
Student visa
F-1 Student Visa
Home student of the United States?
GlobalStudyBoard is built for international students applying to the United States. If you are a citizen or resident, you usually apply as a domestic student — tuition is typically lower, you may qualify for home-student finance, and you do not need a student visa. We don’t cover the domestic home-student route in depth; for fees, funding and the home-student application process, use the official United States government and university sources (for example Common App).
20 institutions we cover in the United States.
Cambridge, Massachusetts · Est. 1861
MIT is consistently ranked among the world's top universities for engineering, computer science, physics, and economics. Admission is highly selective and need-blind for all applicants, including international students. MIT uses its own application portal rather than the Common App.
Cambridge, Massachusetts · Est. 1636
The oldest higher education institution in the United States, Harvard is known for its liberal arts undergraduate program, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law, and Harvard Medical School. Admission is need-blind for U.S. applicants and need-aware (still generous) for international students.
Stanford, California · Est. 1885
Stanford sits at the heart of Silicon Valley and is a top destination for computer science, engineering, and business. The Graduate School of Business and School of Engineering are among the most competitive in the world.
Pasadena, California · Est. 1891
Caltech is a small, intensely research-focused institute with about 1,000 undergraduates. It has produced more Nobel laureates per capita than any other university and operates NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Princeton, New Jersey · Est. 1746
Princeton emphasizes undergraduate education at the highest level and offers full need-based financial aid to all admitted students, including internationals. Known for mathematics, physics, public and international affairs (SPIA), and the senior thesis tradition.
New Haven, Connecticut · Est. 1701
A founding Ivy with an undergraduate residential college system, Yale is strong across humanities, social sciences, drama, and law. Yale Law School is consistently ranked first in the U.S.
Standardised tests used by universities in the United States.
Digital SAT
The ACT Test
Graduate Record Examinations
Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-Based Test)
Duolingo English Test
8 curated tracks — pick a path, then go deep hub by hub.
US Admissions · Application Components Deep-Dive · College Essay Mastery · Admissions Strategy & Positioning
5 topic hubsSAT, ACT & Testing · Test Prep & Test Day · AP, IB & College Credit · More US Admission Tests
4 topic hubsUS Universities · Elite Admissions Deep-Dive · Public Universities & Systems · Choosing & Comparing Colleges
8 topic hubsMajors & Careers (USA) · STEM Majors Deep-Dive · Engineering Disciplines · Business & Economics Majors
8 topic hubsFinancial Aid (USA) · Scholarships Deep-Dive · Financing Strategies & Loans · Financial Aid Deep Dive
4 topic hubsUS Graduate School · Graduate Programs by Field · Professional School Admissions · US Professional Licensing
5 topic hubsInternational Students (USA) · International Student Life & Work · US Work Visas & OPT · Applying from India
4 topic hubsUS College Life · Campus Life & Student Support · US Student Life & Logistics
3 topic hubsMost applicants apply via Common App. Confirm current requirements on the official university or application-platform website before applying.
The main intakes are Fall (Aug/Sep), Spring (Jan). Application deadlines vary by university — always verify on the official source.
Undergraduate tuition is roughly $11,000–$65,000 per year (USD). Fees change every academic year — verify on the official university website.
F-1 Student Visa. Immigration rules change frequently — verify on the official government source before applying.
Up to 20 hrs/week on-campus during term; full-time on breaks. OPT after graduation. Work rules can change — verify on the official source before relying on them.
Official sources for the visa and work rules above
Free tools
Each tool opens on the destination you have chosen in the header or, if you have not chosen one, on the United States, and needs only a free account. The tools keep what you enter, so confirm your own dates and figures on the official site. Where a tool adds something of ours — a validity rule, a university’s details, a cost line — it links the official page or our guide wherever we have one.
Questions students ask
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