Pack your things, say your good-byes and get ready to embark on a life-altering journey away from home. You won’t be faced with any language barriers, but when you attend college or university in the U.S. you will be exposed to many different cultures and people from around the world.

Take Harvard College in Cambridge, Mass., as an example of one of the many U.S. universities that attracts students from around the world.

“We [Harvard] draw students from around the world and Canada,” says Marlyn McGrath, director of admissions for Harvard College. “So, our students enjoy the experience of meeting and living with students from many different backgrounds and cultures.”

On an athletic scholarship for basketball at Bethel College in McKenzie, Tenn., Amanda Montesano from Toronto, was exposed to a global cultural experience, as the girls on her soccer team came from Jamaica, Nigeria, Japan, England and Australia, as well as the simple lifestyle of a small southern state town.

“It was a culture shock,” says Montesano, who advises students to visit the school they want to attend prior to attending. “It was completely different from what I was used to in the city. They spoke, dressed and acted differently, and they cared about different things. It was very humbling. I learned that you can live without the fancy cars and still have fun.”

Admissions

The admissions process for U.S. colleges and universities can differ from Canadian institutions. Montesano found that out when she was scouted by two Bethel College Lady Wildcats teammates, just two weeks before the basketball season started. “It was so last minute,” Montesano reminisces. “I had to get my official transcripts and a letter from my high school signed by my principal saying that I kept a certain grade point average throughout my years,” says Montesano, adding how Bethel College fed-exed her the I-20 form, which is similar to a student visa.

But Montesano was an exception to the rule. The application deadline for U.S. colleges and universities is even earlier than schools in Ontario and their acceptances are sent out earlier as well, says Ellen Ison, head of guidance for Etobicoke Collegiate. And more and more schools are using something called “the common application” – a general form now available on-line, Ison adds.

Admissions processes vary, but Harvard admissions, for example, requires that you fill out the common application form, write a personal essay, provide school reports completed by your school counsellor, submit two teacher evaluations, complete an entrance exam and pay an application fee. Non-U.S. citizens must also submit a financial statement (whether applying for financial aid or not) in order to receive a student visa.
 

SATs, ACTs and GPAs

“There are some schools that will admit a Canadian student without the SATs or ACTs,” says Ison. “But we recommend students try to write them in grade 11 (without having to send the results) so they know what it’s like, and then rewrite them in grade 12.”

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized examination designed to measure students’ abilities in three areas: reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning. It lasts three hours and 45 minutes. The American College Test (ACT), measures English, Math, Reading and Science skills and lasts just over four hours.

As for calculating your grade point average, grading scales vary according to the school. Some consider an A to be a 4.0 GPA where a 4.3 is more accurate for others. Once you figure out what grading scale is used by the school you are applying to, it’s just a matter of addition and division. First, give all your letter grades numerical values (depending on what grading scale you are using), then add them together and divide to find the average. If your high school considers one class to equal three credits, for example, you must first multiply each grade by the appropriate amount of credits and then divide by the total amount of credits for all the classes.
 

Grades important but not everything

Keep in mind that although high academics are important and can only help your chances of getting accepted, the admissions committee at Harvard takes a very holistic approach and looks for many features of a persons record beyond academics, says McGrath.

“Ambition, energy and self-directedness are unquantifiable characteristics that are terribly advantageous at any university. I don’t think it’s just a Harvard phenomenon,” says McGrath. “I think people who want to do something great with their lives tend to put themselves in a path to do that and take advantage of whatever is in their way to use.”