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When selecting and applying to colleges, you
may have used the services of a U.S. educational information
or advising center. These centers also can provide assistance
as you plan your departure for the United States. More than
450 U.S. Department of State-affiliated educational information
and advising centers are located in virtually every country
around the world. They are stocked with a wealth of information
and staffed by trained educational advisers.
Your nearest U.S. educational information or advising center
can provide you with predeparture materials and may conduct
predeparture orientation programs for students from your country
or region who are going to the United States to study. Some
programs offer participants the chance to meet fellow students
who have recently spent time in the United States. Contact
your nearest center well in advance of your departure for
their program schedule and to reserve a place. Some centers
may charge a fee for these programs.
Educational advisers can be found in a variety of institutions,
including U.S. embassies, Fulbright Commissions, U.S. nonprofit
organizations with operations outside the United States, binational
centers, local universities, private foundations, and other
local institutions. The educational advisers are there, first
and foremost, to provide general information about the U.S.
system of education. Secondly, they clearly explain the process
for gaining admission to an American college or university,
usually through regularly scheduled presentations. The educational
advisers can also offer individual advising services, sometimes
for a fee, to help interested, qualified students choose a
course of study and an institution that is best suited to
them.
The kinds of information available at advising centers include:
- profiles of U.S. institutions, including course descriptions,
- application procedures and strategies;
- financial assistance options;
- information on standardized tests required for admission,
such as the TOEFL, SAT, GMAT, and GRE.
All U.S. educational information and advising centers are
supported by the U.S. Department of State, with the goal of
providing objective information on the range of study opportunities
available in the United States. However, the names of the
centers and the organizations that run them vary from country
to country. To locate the educational information or advising
center nearest you, contact your closest U.S. embassy or consulate,
or consult the list available.
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