Archive for January, 2010
Minimum Test Requirements for International Students – Update
Posted by admin in Test requirements - International students on January 27, 2010
International students who want to study in the United States must get certain minimum scores in TOEFL, IELTS, and GRE. Following is a listing of indicative minimum test scores.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
This is the most well-known test for international students. If your native language is not English and you do not hold a degree from a university, college or institution accredited in the United States, and then you need to take TOEFL.
Some American community colleges accept foreign students without TOEFL score, provided that you take it at your earliest convenience.
Minimum Internet-Based Test (IBT) is 100, minimum computer-based test is 250 and minimum paper-based test is 600 for many universities and colleges. Some universities and colleges accept international students who received 550 TOEFL score.
The SPA institution code for TOEFL score reporting is 5007. There is no department code.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
As an international student you may want to take IELTS instead of TOEFL. Minimum score required by many universities and colleges is 7.0.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
If you hold a higher education degree from an institution and the main language of instruction was not English, then you need to take GRE. It does not matter whether your educational institution was in or outside the United States.
Many U.S. universities and colleges require average 560 GRE scores for verbal, 630 for quantitative, and 4.5 for analytical.
The average GRE scores are 560 for Verbal, 630 for Quantitative, and 4.5 for Analytical.
This information set the general averages. Different universities, colleges, and higher education institutions in the United States have different minimum scores and they make adjustments over the years.
Tuition Fees of U.S. Universities and Colleges Still Attractive for International/Foreign Students
Posted by admin in Financing your education in U.S. on January 26, 2010
Studying at U.S. higher education institutions is still attractive for international students as a result of weak dollar. While the annual tuition fees increased by 5.9 percent from 2008 to 2009 in general, the real cost of education at American universities and colleges is still reasonable.
Due to worsening economic conditions in the U.S. economy and budgetary cuts in federal and state governments, public universities and colleges had to raise their tuitions 6-10 percent while private and non-profit institutions raised their tuitions only 4.4 percent according to data gathered by College Board, a non-profit organization.
Traditionally, private higher education institutions in the United States have higher tuition rates as compared to public universities as they try to admit highly successful American and foreign students. However, higher tuition fees by private higher education institutions are partially, compensated by scholarships and grants provided by foundations and endowment funds.
Tuition rates differ widely within the United States. Private universities and colleges in south-west regions of the U.S. have lower rates as compared to those in north-east regions.
Tuition of “private” universities and colleges: In 2009, the average tuition fees in southwest are in the range of $22,500 for four-year higher education institutions and about $3,992 for private two-year colleges in south-west.
Tuition of “public” universities and colleges: Students paid $9,400 for four-year universities and $1,857 for two-year colleges in south-west in 2009.
In general, out-of-state students and foreign or international students pay higher tuition fees as compared to in-state students (living in the same state).