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When we refer to "undergraduate study" we are
usually talking about a bachelor's degree programme. In the Us the words
"college" and "university" mean the same thing. The
main thing to remember is that college is not "high school".
Degrees
There are two types of undergraduate degrees - Associate's degree and
a Bachelor's degree:
Associate's degree
An Associate's degree is a two-year degree awarded by technical, community
or junior colleges. The two types are Associate of Arts (AA)and Associate
of Sciences (AS)
Associate's degrees are usually very practical and offer advanced training
in technical areas, such as business occupations, data processing, nursing,
engineering technology, interior design and medical assistance.
Bachelor's degree
A Bachelor's degree is a four or five-year degree awarded by
colleges or universities, e.g. Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science
(BS) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
To receive a bachelor's degree, you must generally:
- complete a sequence of courses within a major field of study, called
"major requirements" (known as "upper division").
- complete a sequence of courses outside your major field of study,
called "general education requirements" (known as "lower division").
- students must usually complete in total 120
units/credit hours in order to graduate. With an average course
load of 15 units each semester, this means that a student can complete
a bachelor's degree in four years of full-time study
- some universities have additional requirements, such as a thesis
written during the final year of study or a final research project
 Studying
medicine and law
In the US, medicine and law are not offered as undergraduate majors.
You must complete a bachelor's degree in another field first before you
can apply to law or medical school. There are no required majors for students
planning to attend law or medical school, although some colleges offer
"pre-law" or "pre-medicine" programmes.
Admission requirements
Admission requirements vary depending on the university. Some institutions
are very selective while others accept most applicants. In general, the
following four factors will be key in the assessment of your application:
- high school academic record
- personal statement/application essay
- scores on standardised tests
- recommendations/references
Financial aid
Looking for funding
Unfortunately there is no single definitive source on financial aid
for undergraduate study in the US. A good starting point for your financial
aid search is the library at Fulbright
New Zealand's Educational Advising Centre where we have a number of books
listing sources of financial aid for undergraduate study in the US. The
Institute of International Education's Funding
for US Study website is an extensive database of scholarships, fellowships
and grants organized and maintained by IIE.
Funding
from universities
Undergraduate study in the US is expensive and financial aid for international
undergraduate students is limited. Very few schools give total financial
aid packages and they are more inclined to give partial financial aid
(generally 25-30% of the total cost) to students who will be able to contribute
something toward the cost of their own education. The primary source of
financial support for over 65% of international undergraduate students
is personal and family funding.
Applying for funding
Don't leave your search for financial aid until too late! Applications
for many scholarships and financial aid programmes close as much as a
year before the money will actually be available.
Many universities don't actively publicise what limited financial aid
they may offer to avoid being swamped with applications. Assistance from
universities varies from year to year and from institution to institution.
Athletic scholarships for undergraduate study
in the US
Athletically talented students may wish to pursue athletic
scholarships for their undergraduate study in the US. This is a good
way for top high school athletes to help pay for their undergraduate education
as well as to compete at a higher level in their chosen sport.
More on undergraduate study in the US
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