Top Universities & Colleges for Pure & Natural Sciences Abroad

According to the 2019 Open Doors Report on the International Educational Exchange, there were about 1,095,299 international students in the U.S. 5 universities among the top 10 universities abroad are from the United States according to QS World Rankings, 2020. Around one-third of universities among the top 75 are US universities in the list.

Be it interactive classroom experience or vibrant campus life, Universities in the USA provide the best to their students. U.S. masters and bachelor degrees are not just globally recognized but have an excellent reputation. The educational institutions are well funded and invest profoundly in research areas. The staff at U.S. universities are understanding of international students’ needs and queries. International students in the USA flourish in a multicultural environment instilling an important trait of cultural sensitivity among them.

Commonly, the top courses in the US pursued by students are Computer Science, Architecture & Medicine. Also, housing some of the top universities in the country such as the University of California and the University of Southern California, has made California the most preferred state for international students in the USA.

Popular Cities in the U.S

Although the USA is like a dream for most. But the country is huge and there are certain cities in the USA, known best for their education and exposure. Whether it is MS in US or Bachelor degree or MBA or Phd , these are some of the most popular cities among international students:

1. New York
2. San Francisco
3. Los Angeles
4. Boston
5. Chicago
6. Washington DC
7. Seattle
8. Austin

These are some of the well-known cities but a lot of times, you also have to prefer a university over its location when it comes to your study in the USA. Students may choose to study in a great university based in a small town versus an average university based in the city.

Popular courses to study in the U.S.

1. Technology & Engineering: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, Mechanical, etc.
2. Journalism
3. Medicine
4. Psychology
5. Business and Management
6. Maths
7. Marine Biology and other Life Sciences
8. Fine arts (music, painting, poetry, acting, etc.)
9. Social Sciences
10. Physical and Life Sciences

Popular Universities in the U.S

According to World QS Rankings, 2020 following are the top universities in the United States.

• Tuition fees in US depend on the level of the study and an educational institution.
• Generally, $20,000-40,000 is the average tuition fee for a bachelor's degree per year. 
• Professional programs such as medicine, law, dentistry, design, MBA cost higher. 
• If a student chooses to study at community college, the fees can be lesser. 
• Private universities generally cost more than public universities in US.
• According to the College Board, the average tuition fees and other charges for undergraduate students studying in US in 2019-2020 based on the type of college is mentioned as follows.

• Students who plan to study in universities located in states/cities like California, New York City, Chicago, New Jersey, Washington, Florida, and Boston have to keep in mind that owing to the popularity of the location, they might have to spend more for their education - MS in US, Bachelor Degree, MBA, Phd 
• Graduate degrees including Masters and doctoral degrees may range from $20,000 to $55,000. 
• You can also know the expenses to study a MS program in the U.S. 

U.S. Academic Calendar 

• The U.S. academic calendar typically runs from August to May and can be divided into two academic terms of 16-18 weeks known as semesters. 
• Alternatively, some US Universities may operate on a quarter or trimester system of multiple terms of 10-12 weeks.

• University application deadlines may vary based on the intake. 
• Many students are confused about when college applications are due. A student can check the deadlines for your desired universities. 
• Many universities require a student to apply before the early deadline, to be eligible for scholarships. So it’s always recommended to apply early.

• Shortlist universities and courses
• Search about scholarship availability
• Take English proficiency and subject-specific test
• Prepare documents - SOP, Essay, Letter of recommendations
• Appear of personal interview over a video call with university officials
• If you receive an acceptance letter, confirm its acceptance to the university
• Pay non-refundable fees to confirm admission.
• For undergraduate admissions, students can use an app called 'CommonApp ' that lets them apply to multiple colleges through a common platform without having to fill in for individual colleges. This can save a lot of their time. Deadlines of target universities can also be checked through the app that helps students keep track on dates. However, it is important to know which colleges are registered with the app.
   

Documentation

• Attested copies of mark sheets till last qualification 
  • For a Bachelor's Degree in US, universities require all 4 years of high school transcripts (9th,10th,11th & either the Mid-term marks of 12th or predicted final marks of 12th board).
• Academic reference letters, there may be more than 2 letters required depending on the university
• Letters of recommendations from workplace
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Resume
• Essays, if required
• Scorecard of English test such as TOEFL or subject-specific test such as GRE, GMAT, SAT/ACT 
• Portfolio, if required

• The steps to obtain an F1 Visa are simple and straight. Follow this link to know about the same. 
• Before starting applying for a Visa, you should know what an I-20 form is and why it is required.

Some points you must remember while filling your DS-160 form are as follows.

• Go through our comprehensive guide for filling the DS-160 form. 
• You must submit your DS-160 application online before making an appointment for an interview at the Embassy or Consulate.
• The interview post you select at the beginning of the Form DS-160 must be the same post where you schedule your interview appointment.
• All questions must be answered in English using English-language characters only, except when you are asked to provide your full name in your native alphabet.
• If you stop working on this application for more than 20 minutes, your session will expire. You will have to start over, unless you have recorded your Application ID Number or have saved your application to a file on your computer.
• Once you have printed the barcode confirmation page, hit the "Back" button on your web browser and then email yourself a backup copy of the DS-160. The emailed file will be in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat to view or print.

You would need to be prepared to show proof of sufficient funds to support your education. It is advised to explore the funding options to be involved before the visa interview.

Few points to remember before scheduling your Visa appointment are mentioned below.

• Most applicants will be required to have an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) before their appointment at the Consular Sections. Biometric information including fingerprints and digital photographs will be collected at the VAC. 
• You must schedule the VAC appointment at least one day before the interview appointment date. You can schedule both appointments, either online using the website or through the call center

There is a set of documents a student would need during the visa application. A student can read about how to prepare for Visa interviews. A student may also know about general rejection reasons for the visa application to prepare better. 

Some points to know about scholarships are:

• High grades and test scores are important to get a scholarship
• Do not miss to look for university-specific scholarships
• Read about eligibility for scholarships carefully
• Get in touch with university officials
• You can also approach the public affairs department at the US embassy in your home country.

Government-funded Scholarships

• Fulbright Foreign Student Program – For Masters and PH.D. programs
• Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program- For non-degree aspirants who want to pursue a 10-month course in the U.S. 

Other Scholarships

• Abbey Road Summer Scholarships
• #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship
• Civil Society Leadership Awards – Masters specific
• David P. Shapiro Autism Scholarship
• Preply Scholarship
• Tortuga Backpacks Study Abroad Scholarship
• Surf Shark Privacy and Security Scholarship
• East-West Centre Scholarships and Fellowships
• Wesleyan Freeman Asian Scholarship Program
• Japan-United States Friendship Commission
• AAUW International Fellowships- females specific
• MIT-Zaragoza Women in Logistics and SCM Scholarship- female-specific
• Rotary Peace Fellowships- Masters specific

University-specific scholarships

• American University Emerging Global Leader Scholarship
• Clark University Global Scholars Program
• Brandeis University Wien International Scholarship Program
• Emory University Needs-Based Scholarship Program
• Illinois State University International Awards
• Harvard University Scholarships
• Iowa State University International Merit Scholarships
• New York University Wagner International Scholarships
• Michigan State University International Scholarships
• University of Arkansas International Scholarships
• University of Iowa Scholarships for International First-Year Students
• University of Minnesota International Scholarships
• University of Oregon International Scholarships
• University of Wisconsin Superior Non-resident Tuition Waiver Program

Life in the United States of America is something people from most countries dream of, as the US constitution gives a lot of importance to the freedom and the quality of living of its citizens. Here everything is based on merit. Americans like to approach their problems head-on, and being interactive with natives and people of other cultures around you in the university and your neighborhood will only do one good. International students can learn about American culture, history, and traditions by talking to American students and professors. Indian students usually have the option of living in dormitories (similar to a hostel system in India) or private accommodations. Wherever you stay, we advise you to live close to your university or near a university shuttle bus or metro station. A lot of times, the cost of studying masters and bachelors in the US depends on this.

The weather in the U.S. is diverse, depending on your location in this gigantic country. Now, deciding what outfits you might need is something very specific to the place you are going as one can see, form the section below that the weather can swing from one end of the spectrum to the other in a single location or stay in extremes in certain locations.

You cannot afford to fall sick if you don't have insurance is the rule you live by in the U.S. international students must have medical insurance to pursue higher education in the U.S. Most college and university campuses offer some type of general medical care. The cost of on-campus medical services is normally not very expensive. If you are a student studying using a scholarship from USAID or Fulbright, then they have their health insurance policies. Usually the university itself will provide options for international students to avail an insurance policy that suits their needs and budget.

Safety is a key concern no matter where you go to study. It is mandatory by federal law that the U.S. institutions where you are going to pursue your education reveal the crime statistics within the campus so that the students are better equipped to face situations in and around the campus. One will be able to find this statistic on the official website of the school or institution. Most institutions are very responsive to the safety needs of all their students, including international students as a result most institutions offer services such as late-night escort services and designated safe spots on campus to call for help during an emergency. Colleges also employ an on-campus police system that can respond much quicker than the police can. It is essential to research the locality that you are going to stay in, discover the kind of security facilities that you have in the locality.

• Universities can give you opportunities to interact with companies or connect you for internships but in most cases, there is no concept of ‘placement’ (which is common in Indian universities). 
• When you study at any of the top universities in US for either Bachelors or Masters, in a way it does show a good ROI. But there are no guarantees. 

For graduates with Bachelor's degrees, the following are the stats for field wise average salary in US dollars according to Erin Duffin in 2020.
 

For promising fields after a Master's degree, see the following table.

• Since the U.S offers a plethora of courses to international students, knowing minimum wages according to the field of study gives a clear idea of what to expect after one graduates.
• If you are an MS in mechanical engineering aspirant, you can read about the job prospects, top recruiters, and states to live in after MS in mechanical engineering.
• MS in Robotic aspirants can read about the best universities and career prospects after completing MS in the U.S.

Off-campus jobs

• For international students holding F-1 Visa, these are allowed only after the first year of the academic program.
• There are strict rules for allowing a student to work off-campus- either one has to qualify for economic hardship or emergent circumstance
• An application with  student's Designated School Official has to be initiated to get permission for working off-campus 
• A maximum of 20 hours per week of working time is then allowed.
• Few Schools offer Co-op work as well. 

On-campus jobs

Since the rules for obtaining off-campus jobs are strict, listed below are some points for on-campus jobs.

• Prepare a resume to highlight your educational qualifications, volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, leadership experience, technical skills, project experience, and internship experience. 
• Some common on-campus jobs include those at the library, cafeteria, student offices, fitness center, computer labs.

Other programs

• Employment with International Organization: 
  • If a student has an internship or employment offer with recognized international organizations, he can work with a valid F-1 visa after at least one academic year. 
  • The work should be related to a student's field of study.
  • Work starts after obtaining an employment authorization document (EAD). 
  • It doesn’t add to credits of the degree

• Severe Economic Hardship:
  • Has to be approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS)
  • Student can work off-campus for 20 hours per week while classes are on
  • During breaks, a student can work full-time
  • To be applied after completing one academic year
  • Evidence of economic hardship has to be provided
  • Reasons for not taking up on-campus job need to be stated
  • Apply to the International Student Office
  • Valid F-1 status should be maintained while working as well
  • Student can work anywhere in the U.S

• Circular Practical Training 
  • For working off-campus if practical training is a part of the academic program and credits need to earn by working
  • Offered by sponsoring employers to schools
  • Authorization by school’s International Students Office (ISO) required
  • Permission from USCIS is must
  • For graduate students, CPT may start immediately as the course begins
  • For other programs, one academic year must be completed before starting CPT
  • Before submitting a request to go for CPT, a student must have received a job offer
  • Job has to be related to the student's field of study
  • While in school, a student can work for 20 hours per week
  • The rules may differ for undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates
  • It is advised to check with ISO to help with all the information and guidelines.

• Optical Practical Training
  • International students with valid F-1 Visa can apply for an OPT while studying 
  • This lets them work off-campus
  • Require approval from ICO and USCIS and has to be applied while studying
  • To be applied after completing 1 academic year 
  • Requirement of a prior job offer is not applicable
  • Students can work anywhere in the U.S.
  • Job should, however, be directly related to the field of study of a student
  • OPT should be applied before completing the degree
  • This allows students to work full time for 12 months. This includes part-time work while studying. 
  • While studying, 20 hours is the maximum limit to work per week
  • During summer breaks, full-time work is allowed.

Post completion of degree, OPT can be extended up to to 24 months if a student was enrolled in an STEM course.

1. OPT: After completing studies, a student can make use of post-degree OPT work limit to stay in the U.S. If one has utilized, say, 4 months of OPT work during studies which is also called part-time work, then after studies, one is left with 10 months of full-time work tenure. However, a job should be found within 90 days of completing graduation. STEM students can get an extension of up to 24 months of OPT work limit. Speaking with the international students department at the university is extremely helpful to understand the process of applying and knowing the eligibility.
2. Non-immigrant H-1B Visa (Specialty Occupation): This can be applied if a student already has an employer to sponsor him and the job is related to the major field of studies in his U.S Bachelor’s degree. A labor condition attestation is required before applying for this visa. It is granted for 3 years and can be extended up to 6 years.
3. Green Card: Though available in fewer numbers, a working professional can explore applying for a Green card depending on his employability status and other categories.

Permanent Residency

You can ask your company to sponsor your stay in USA. It is called employer sponsorship. The company shall fill EB-2 or EB-3 basis your employment status.