Feature

Ticket to Distant Destinations

Tanzina Rahman

HAVE you ever dreamt of going abroad for higher studies? See what it is like to dwell in the western part of the world? Live the American dream or experience their aspiring lifestyle? Sure once in a while we all envisage such things. But only a handful of us chase that dream and go through a tedious process for higher studies. If you are one of them then this article will certainly be guidance for you and will set a direction as to where to start searching for that ticket to abroad!

First thing first, depending on whether you are opting for undergraduate or postgraduate, make a list of the schools that you want to apply. If you are completely oblivious as to which universities you want to select, perhaps educational advising centres such as The American Center may assist you to find your perfect destinations. The centre offers full guidance on undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, university catalogues, update of test preparatory study guides such as the TOEFL, SAT I and SAT II, GRE, GMAT, USMLE, GED and many more.

Since the procedure to get into the universities in United States can be complicated for some, The American Center often organizes programmes for the students who are keen to apply and venture the possibilities to get into the top-notch institutes in U.S. Recently they organised such a seminar, as part of their Education USA' programme, where the Director of The American Center Lauren Lovelace explained about the reasons of studying in U.S. and how international students are benefited from such quality education. She said that U.S. institutes provide a global environment for the students and the graduates have preference in the global job market worldwide. "Currently there are 62, 3860 international students studying in the American universities and we would like to double the figure. We think Bangladeshi students have the potential to pursue higher studies in U.S.," she added.

The seminar covered basic information about undergraduate study in the U.S., tips on application process, scholarship and student visa procedures. Universities require students to have a strong academic background, solid financial support and good English language skills. Nevertheless, there is a wide range of scholarship opportunities offered to the students that are given on merit or need based. According to the representative of The American Center, short-listing the universities is necessary before starting the application process. These days most applications are sent via online, hence it is a plus point for those who wants to send their applications immediately. Early application has advantages. Another important aspect of the application process is writing recommendation letters and personal statements. U.S. institutions look for recommendation letters that grasps the reader's attention. While personal statement or essays reflects the student's personality and who they are. When going through the pile of applications, university officials often search for those students who stand out from the bunch. Hence personal statements can portray their inner potential may that be in academics or extracurricular activities.

The American Center plans to organise other events as part of their Education USA' programme in future to assist the students in Bangladesh.