What Every Asian Student Must Know Before Applying Overseas

There are a few main things that you must do when applying for a college or university. They are

• Determine your purpose for your educational experience overseas

• Mentally, physically, and financially prepare yourself

• Research: get information, ask for advise and/or seek professional assistance from Yes-Asia.com

• Make a schedule

• Learn all that you need to know about applying for a visa

  purpose

  The decision to study abroad is not to be taken lightly. It is extremely important for you to predict how this experience will relate to your personal and professional development plans. Perhaps the best question you can ask yourself before you start picking schools is "Where do I see myself in 10 years?" Obviously, you want to be happy and successful, but what does that mean given your personal goals? To be happy and successful, you should know what you are most capable of doing and take advantage of those abilities. Know that the schools you choose play an important role in pursuing a life where you are doing what you are most capable of doing. You should decide whether this study abroad experience will give you and opportunity to work overseas, or whether you intend to take your degree back home and work there? If you intend to work abroad in addition to study abroad, you can choose a school with a regional reputation, but if you intend to return home, or relocate to another part of the world, you had better consider schools with an international reputation. Schools with a regional reputation maintain strong networks of alumni primarily in the region surrounding that school, but other schools have international networks and are renowned all over the world. Alumni connections determine in part how easy or difficult it will be for you to find your desired employment after graduation. Schools with strong alumni associations open more opportunities for you after graduation. The fact is that not everyone can be accepted into high profile institutions: not only is it difficult to be qualified, but also these schools are expensive. Schools with regional reputations will give you more career opportunities in their surrounding area and are more affordable. Deciding on where a school will place you after graduation also requires that you look at the faculty. In many cases, they are the people who will determine the direction in which you will go. For example, if you are interested in a future that requires you to do research, you might want to look for faculty strong in research, but if you are more interested in the educational end of your field, then look for excellent teachers. Some professors are even quite "commercial" in how they view their educational role, so if you are interested in the business aspect of your chosen area of study, look for those kinds of professors when selecting a school.

  prepare

  Study abroad is not for everyone. You will enter a different culture, a different environment, and you will have expenses that you would not face at home. You then need to prepare mentally, physically and financially for your study abroad experience. Prepare yourself mentally. In addition to fulfilling all the required research into schools and faculty, you had better do some reading up on local culture. Many students have acceptance anxiety. That means they are afraid that the local students will not like them. If you want to get the most out of your study abroad experience, you have got to do away with this anxiety. The best way to do that is to simply emerge yourself in the culture and don't bother about those adolescent concerns. Emerging in a culture is not always so easy. You have to learn to accept ways of behaving and living that seem backward to your own. Although you can read books and watch movies from the culture you wish to visit and learn such things like 'it is taboo to ask someone their salary,' or 'it is not ok to act too friendly to strangers,' some lessons can only be learned through emergence. Prepare yourself physically. You will have to know ahead of time what to expect about the weather conditions of your chosen schools' area. Some students end up transferring simply because they never imagined a the Midwest could possibly have such cold winters, others may freak out at London's dreariness or the American Southwest's dryness. Such physical things may matter to you more than others, so be aware of your limits. If you didn't know already, we're telling you now: study abroad is expensive. Prepare yourself financially for the investment you are about to make in your future. Just as you would never consider starting a business without the proper backing, you should not start your education without proper financing. How much money can you allot to yourself for personal spending? We advise that you don't plan on working part time. For one thing, local students may have all the on-campus and off-campus jobs through work-study financial aid, and for another, employers are more likely to hire local, i.e. legal, employees. If you are getting financing from family, make sure they know how you intend to budget yourself and they will be more willing to support you if you can show them how you intend to use their assistance. Last but not least, working takes away from valuable study time and could lead to poor grades.

  research

  Thanks to internet technology, you can do much of the necessary research on schools online. Checkout our links page as well. There is also the yearly Newsweek report on schools in America, and other regular reports you can access, (which incidentally might actually be found on the web too.) It may be necessary for you to seek professional assistance from Yes-Asia.com. Students seek our services for three reasons. 1) timesaving, 2) English proficiency, 3) strategy and planning. Professional services like Yes-Asia.com can help you quickly find schools you would like to attend and apply for them while you are in your busy senior year, and can help you and your teachers with the writing of your essays and letters of recommendation in English. Finally, and perhaps most important, we guide you to shop for the schools most appropriate for you, and then find the best way to market yourself.

  schedule

  Most schools have similar enrolling timelines, with the deadline being between January and March. You should also try to get in on any scholarships or financial aid early, because some funds run out early even if you qualify. Therefore, if you want to complete a good application, start before September. We suggest a timeframe as below:

January	February
*recheck application and send any missing pieces *apply for you visa	*follow-up *obtain your visa *consider what will you bring

We suggest that you follow-up on your applications by calling the schools that you have applied for. Keep in contact with the admissions office and be sure your application is in progress.

visa

Most Asian students head for schools in the United States, so we will brief you on the process for the US.

For a study visa in the US, you need to submit the following to the local United States service center for study abroad:

1)Proof that you are qualified to study aboard, including:

a) TOEFL score report

b)SAT, GRE, GMAT, or other required tests for the academic program to which you have been accepted

2) A form I-20 issued by your chosen college or university, which requires:

a) Evidence of sufficient funds for one full year of study and living expenses.

3) The letter of acceptance you received from the school

4) A passport valid for travel to the United States.  If more than one person is listed on the passport, a separate OF-156 must be submitted for them and the below 3 requirements 5), 6), & 7)

5) Form OF-156, completed and signed, which you can get at the nearest consular office.

6) A 1 1/2 square inch (37x37mm) full face photograph with light background.

There is also,

7)An interview.

And you must establish

8)Proof that you intend to return home after your term of study.

Form I-20
Your school will require that you provide evidence of sufficient funds for the study abroad, which they will list on the Form I-20 and send to you to be submitted when you apply for a visa. This may include bank statements (or other liquid funds), scholarships, waivers, on-campus employment, and assistantships. Proof of a scholarship requires proof that the organization has the intent and ability to pay the scholarship.

Interview
You will be required to have a brief interview with a consular officer as part of your application. Don't be nervous, but be prepared. They just want to be sure you intend to study in the United States and will return home when your studies are complete. You are allowed to bring letters from people you know as proof of this.

You may bring a spouse or unmarried child to the United States by fulfilling the six requirements above.

Form I-94
Form I-94 is received at the airport. The Immigration officer will determine your length of stay at the border. This form guarantees you can stay in the United States. In extreme cases, the INS has the authority to deny admission or determine your length of stay (usually 12 months.)

Other requirements
Immigration requires that you prove to the satisfaction of your consular officer that you have binding ties to a residence in your home country and that you will return home after you have completed your studies. If you are brining family with you, it would be good to mention that they also have compelling reasons for returning to the US after you complete your studies. Your visa is only valid as long as you are enrolled.

Length of Stay
Once study is complete, you may stay up to 12 months to pursue practical training, but then you have 60 days to prepare to leave the country.