Organization

Your choice of the university or the business schools will be influenced by either the geography of the US (live by the beach or in the mountains, north in New England, south in Florida…) on the level and type of study (undergraduate, graduate, liberal arts, medicine, law…) or the cost and financial aid opportunities. But no matter where you go in the US, education is a special part of your life. Aside from team work in the classroom, individualism is strongly encouraged through liberal curriculum that you form on your own (with the help of your advisor) and the responsibility you are taught to take and assume in work. The smaller the institution is, the more personal the relationship is with your advisor and professors. The bigger the institution, the greater the chances for on-campus employment and career centers.

Different Types of Schools

Higher education in the United States is completely decentralized and is given a large amount of autonomy. Certain educational establishments are public and controlled by the state, while others are private.

The difference between "college" and "university" is not officially distinct. It is a mere question of organization and scope. Universities tend to be divided into colleges, while colleges tend to be divided into departments. Colleges tend to only offer undergraduate programs usually with emphasis on the social sciences, arts and letters, and natural sciences usually all under the heading of "Arts and Sciences" or "Liberal Arts". They tend not to offer graduate or postgraduate programs. Universities tend to offer undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs in all academic areas.

Duration:
Undergraduate: 4 years- rewarded by a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Sciences (BS) at the end of the program.
Graduate: 1-2 years in addition to an undergraduate degree- rewarded by a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Postgraduate: 3-8 years in addition to the undergraduate degree- rewarded by a Doctorate in Philosophy(PhD)

Community/Junior Colleges offer 2-year associate degrees that can be transferred as credit in attaining you undergraduate degree.

The three basic requirements for admission to educational institutions in the U.S. are:
- A strong academic background.
- Adequate financial resources.
- A command of the English language.

True to the tradition of freedom and diversity in the United States, each institution sets its own admissions standards. Almost all colleges and universities, however, require the following for academic admission:
- Twelve years of education with the appropriate high school diploma or secondary school certificate;
- Academic achievement level sufficiently high to enter a university in your own country; and
- Any academic entrance examinations required by the institution(i.e. SAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT).

Academic Credentials Required for Entry into Undergraduate Study or Vocational Training
In the United States, students complete 12 years of primary and secondary education to begin higher (postsecondary) education. Most U.S. students complete secondary education at about age 18. Students with fewer than 12 years of preparation cannot expect to be admitted, unless they have an outstanding academic record and have already completed a year or two at a university abroad. The level at which you are admitted to a given institution depends on the policy of that institution, as well as the equivalence between the educational system in the U.S. and that in your country. U.S. colleges, universities and technical institutions vary in the requirements they set for previous academic achievement. Some have very high and exacting standards, while others are more flexible.

Admission
All colleges and universities have different Admission requirementss. To compare them consider the following:
- Acceptance Ratio. The number of students who apply and how many are actually accepted into the college or university.
- Grade average or achievement ratings of successful applicants.
- A standardized admissions test like SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test is a college admissions exam.  There are seven sections: three math, three verbal, and one experimental which is not scored but is used only for research) and ACT (American College Testing Assessment Test is a college admissions exam given five times a year.  There are four sections: English, math, reading and science) required. For all further information on test dates, places, scores and preparations visit:
http://www.sat-acttestprep.com/index.html

Admission to internationally-known institutions is highly competitive. Students who apply to such institutions will need to have excellent academic records and high scores on academic entrance examinations and the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) examination. For all further information, visit the official web site: www.toefl.org
Entry to some fields of study is also highly competitive. To apply for study in the fields at left, which are also some of the most popular fields that U.S. students pursue, you will need outstanding grades and test scores.

Diploma acknowledgment by the state and internationally
Accreditations: The United States does not have a Ministry of Education responsible for regulation of educational institutions. Instead, institutions agree to voluntary self-regulation in the process called accreditation. There are two types of accreditation: institutional and professional.
Institutional accreditation refers to the institution as a whole. For conferring institutional accreditation, COPA recognizes six regional accrediting agencies, as well as accrediting agencies for independent schools and religious colleges.
Professional accreditation exists only in fields or programs where professional or occupational competence in the field is a major concern, such as medicine, engineering, business and law. Professional accrediting associations usually require that the entire institution be accredited before they will accredit a particular program. The importance of professional accreditation varies from field to field. Often professional accreditation applies only to the first professional degree.
It is important to distinguish between accreditation and state authorization. State authorization or "state approval" may not involve regulation of quality at all, but simply indicate that an institution complies with financial and licensing regulations. Some states do not regulate educational institutions at all.

University calendar: the academic year is divided into two semesters: Fall (from September to December) and Spring (from January to May). You may enter school at the beginning of any of the two semesters. The application deadlines are due several (up to 6 for International students) months before.