Get to know the differences between Direct Entry into US Universities & Pathway into USA Universities

It's no secret that the Ivy League schools are among the hardest colleges in the country to get in to. In fact, at every Ivy League college in 2017, acceptance rates fell below 13%, with Harvard University stooping to a seemingly impossible 5.2%. Indeed, getting into the Ivy League has never been more difficult.

So what is Ivy League?

Most people are convinced that Ivy League stands for eliteness and high academic standard. But why? You will be surprised to find out how the Ivy league actually came about. ‘Ivy League’ was the name of a sports conference in the USA which consisted of schools that grouped together to play sports against each other. Not so academic right?. There are now a total of eight schools that make up the Ivy League; Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

How hard is it to get accepted into an Ivy League university?

These eight schools have a reputation for being highly selective during their admissions process. According to USA Today, these schools have some of the lowest acceptance rates of admissions, averaging less than 10 percent of students received an admissions offer. Harvard University received 39,494 applicants for the Class of 2021. The prior year, the institution accepted a record low of 5.2 percent of applicants.

Not only are Ivy League schools incredibly difficult to be accepted into, but their tuition costs are also some of the highest in the USA. Tuition and fees at Columbia University for the year 2016-2017 was US$55,056. That does not include room and board. Most Ivy League schools tuition is in the range of US$45,000 - $60,000 a year.

Study Plan Progression Chart

If your aim is to get into one of the Ivy League University in the US and unable to meet the selection criteria - there is another way which is undergoing the Community college system.

Many international students from all over the world have tried the Community college system and have gone to Ivy League Universities via their 2 + 2 study plan progression.

In the United States, community colleges (once commonly called junior colleges), are primarily two-year public institutions of tertiary education. Many community colleges also offer remedial education, GEDs, high school degrees, technical degrees and certificates, and a limited number of 4-year degrees.

After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a university or liberal arts college for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree.

In the United States, an increasing number of American students are using community colleges as a pathway to earn bachelor’s degrees at prestigious universities like the University of Pennsylvania and New York University.

There are several reasons international students may choose to attend a community college. They are often much more affordable than four-year colleges.

Determine your long-term academic goals - If you plan to transfer to a four-year college, it may be wise to research the community colleges that often feed into the four-year college or university. If your goal is to become certified in a field or get a two-year associate’s degree instead of a bachelor’s degree, a community college education in the United States may make you more competitive at home.

Make sure the community college is accredited and that your credits will transfer -  A school that is accredited is recognized as having met a certain degree of quality education. Courses taken at accredited colleges are also more likely to be transferable to other colleges and universities, which is important if the community college intends to earn a bachelor’s degree elsewhere.

Get a sense of the culture -  Different parts of the United States have different climates and cultures. Research the city and surrounding areas of your prospective community college, and determine whether the school has special programs for international students.

The following community colleges have some of the highest populations of international students in the country:

Houston Community College (Tex.)
Santa Monica College (Calif.)
Lone Star College (Tex.)
De Anza College (Calif.)
Montgomery College (Md.)
Green River Community College (Wash.)

Determine your housing needs -  There are about 200 community colleges with residential buildings on campus, Ms. Kent said. However, there are many community colleges that don’t have dorms or any residential buildings. Students may have to look for their own apartments near the community college or ask the college for recommendations.

USA Education System in a Nut Shell

Differences between Direct Entry into US University Verses via Community College in the US

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