US Admissions

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, so it is important to do your research to determine the schools to which you will apply. U.S. Colleges often admit students based on a holistic review of an application, meaning they take all aspects of the application into account: extracurricular activities, the essay, the supplement, teacher recommendations, a counselor recommendation, testing, and any other supplemental materials. However, above all, a college in the U.S. places great emphasis on a student’s four-year curriculum and will be looking at the transcript to assess a student’s academic preparation for university. Although counselors are normally the primary source of information on appropriate colleges, numerous other resources, including college review books, individual college catalogues, college videos and college search internet resources, are readily available at the School.

Every college and university in the U.S. has its own process for applying; you MUST read directions and websites carefully.

In the US, you can apply to as many schools as you want. AISV recommend that you apply to a MAXIMUM of 10 universities.

Students will receive an answer from colleges before graduating or taking the IB exams. Still, universities and colleges that have accepted students expect that they maintain their academic success and complete the final requirements for admission.

Around 700 universities in the USA are using the Common Application. The Common Application allows students to create 1 application for all universities to which they are planning to apply.

Students will create an account at Common App as a participant. Creating an account is straight-forward but time consuming. Students can start their application as early as of September of their senior year as it is a long and detailed process. Students will also have to write essays as part of their application. Students are responsible to submit genuine and appropriate information.

Today the Common App is linked directly to BridgeU, which allows the counselor to send all official documents electronically when possible.

To search for US universities, please find below some online resources:

Big Future

College Express

US News

Petersons