Getting Into College: Entrance Requirements and Challenges
Many international students coming to the United States quickly discover that getting into a North American college or university is much harder than they imagined. Unfortunately, students often think that a few quick months at a language school should prepare them enough to pass the TOEFL test. The reality is that in addition to more time to digest and learn the language, classroom expectations and requirements can be very different. For example, some of my students are often shocked that to get an A in my class they need 94% in the class (very common requirement in the US), and that passing is at least 60%, not 50% as in their countries. So, please share your ideas on the subject of getting into a university in your country and the things international students might find surprising in terms of university requirements and classroom expectations.
Randall
47 comments:
In my country ,everyone who want to become an university or college student must pass the entrance exams .The exam are organized at a same time.I think we should have chance to join in examing at different time,so we may have more chance .
thank you
Well, here in Brazil, those willing to get into a public university have to take a mandatory entrance exam called "vestibular", and depending on the subject they want to study, they need to get a very high score.
On the other hand, it is easier to get into private institutions, but they're usually quite expensive.
Well, in Vietnam, the higher education is very hard to attend! You must graduate high school with the standard scores at least or higher!Depend on your scores,you'll be get into a quality university, college or not!If your score is very few, you could get into a private higher education
In my country to join collage and University you have to pass the
national exam. To join the government collage the required
point is a little higher than the private one. For certain majors like law and medical school you have to score a highest grade.
Hi, there. It is quite interesting to read through what the other country people think about their education in thier own country. I am from Japan.And I went to Uni in Japan for Bachelar degree and Australia for Mater degree.Compared with two country,I found out that Australia uni is very easy to get in and graduate. To get High score is , of course , difficult but just getting pass and graduate from uni is very easy compared with Japan uni.The hours for studying is just like Junior high in Japan, which means most of Junior high student can graduate from Australia uni. In japan, to enter Junior high, high school and uni are very very difficult And they have to study very hard for long hours. Even some student died of that because of too much pressure. Which uni you entered will decide your life, being poor or rich person in their life. In this point of view, you may understand how difficult to get in japan uni and how easy we feel to graduate from australia uni.But there is one point which we can discuss about japan uni. We have too much studying before uni and most of uni student don't study in uni.Frankly speaking, they think uni is 4 years holiday in their life because they have to work very hard after graduation. You guys must know how long and hard Japanese work.Then uni accept this situation. And then, they don't study at at all at uni. One day I wrote how to cook curry in economics exam and passed through.That was funny though.If I conclude this topic, just go to junior high and high school in your county and come to Japan uni. You don't need to study anything but still you can get higher degree and if you wanna be scholar or some sort of highr position, it is pretty easy.And after that, you can go back to your own country then get very good position in society. I am sure you gonna be rich and have sort of succesfrul life.
ezsjujfoHi, in my country Iran if you wanna study in government uni you have to pass a difficut national entrance exame called "Konkor".it's too difficult because it's quite free and students don't pay nothing for studing ,so every one likes studing there,but when they get in that's almost done ,and they graduated.Of course there are privet universities,but you have to pay a lot of money ,if you wanna study there.there is no guarantee for finding a good job after finishing because of so many graduated.
in my country - Viet Nam, to get in to any uni or colleges, u have to take an madatory national exam and u have to get score above basic point. If not, u 'll fail and won't be allow to any uni or college. In my country, universities are better and more favorable than colleges.
In Taiwan, every student who wants to get into university need to attend the entrance exam held by the government. Depending on your score, you can get into national unversities or private ones. Usually, national schools are better than pricates. However, commonly the private school is better than state school in USA. I was suprised at that when I first heard about the phenomena. However, not all state schools are behind the pricate ones. For instance, UC Berkeley is a nice school. Another differce btw Taiwan and USA is the tuition. Usually the national schools cost much less than private ones. Therefore, national colleges guarantee tlow tuition. However, in united states, some public schools are expensive such as Berkeley.
Hello! I live in Russia. In my country everyone can get free higher education at Goverment Higher Schools if he has the right stuff. First you must pass extrance exams as in many other countries and sometimes to be interviewed . But it's quiet difficult to get excellent scores. As for me I passed exams on maths, physics and Russian when I entered the University. State scholarship is a small amount of money so students have to work to earn their living. There is a joke that a student is always hungry and cold)).
In China it used to be very difficult to recevie higher education, but things become much better in recent years and the number of students who have the opportunity to enter college is increasing steadily.
In china is very difficult to getting into college or national famous university.First, every student who was gratudated from high school must pass the unitive exam which was hold by ministry of education.The exam was organized in all the country 23 provinces at the same time. But different area have different question test.In my oppinion,this point is not equal for all the students.If you can got high scores in the exam,then you have chance to choose the college or university which you want to go.higher score have more chance.but if you failed in this exam,you can't continue to have higher formal education unless you swing to the high school for study and take exam next year.this is one instance.another side is someone who study very hard in his/her high school and have excellent achievement in the exam, but he maybe can't get into the national college due to poor family can't afford the school tuition.then he or she must give up the good chance for higher education.
so in cuba , everybody has an opportunity for public university, but first the hight school students have to pass the entrance exams,by the way, in cuba there are not private university.
Hi Randall, how are you?
In Colombia when the students are in eleventh grade ( ultimate year of the secondary) do a public exam called "las pruebas Icfes". Many years before this exam was important for majoring in a public university or college, but not nowadays. Public university do its own exam and the students need to get the more higher scores.
The students that have money go to a private university and poor students (that is the majority in my country) due aspire a public university.
IN this moment there are many professionals that don't get any jobs.
The unemployment in my country is very high.
Alexi Durango Vásquez
Cartagena, Colombia
To get a degree and a better life/job it depends on your motivation. If you are really determined, you can make it anyway. Having money and high score after finishing high school you got only fast start to obtain a degree and a career. Otherwise it will take some time to prepare for Uni exams and find a whatever job for living and education. In both cases you have to study very hard after you passed the entrance exams.
In my country, Korea
I need listening skill so this site help me .
thank you
In Korea many students study english a lot but it doesn't help them when they study in America, because they can't speak fluently or understand native speakers.
In my country, have to graduated in high school. If they don't that, they try on special test for enter the university or college.
thank you.
in my country, korea
i need english listening skil
so this site will help me
thank you
In my country,if you want to enter a good university you need to have a good score that is an admission examination because many good universities want a good score.
In my conutry, Korea, we uasually have to take a exam. That exam is national exam. So all of student take a exam at same date. If score is good, that student can enter the good uviversity.
In Korea, we need to get a good score from Korean SAT(Scholastic Ability Test) and university pick students, who are getting a highest score, and it makes students do infinity compete.
In my country, alomost of students prepare the university entrance examination and high school grade.
the opportunity of this exam is only one in every year. so many students who want retest, wait a year.so we try preparing the exam perfectly. and high school grades very important too. therefore when we enter the highschool, we spend a lot of time to study.
If my country, have to graduated in high school. because if we don't have graduate duty, we can't apply to university or college. But, if they don't do that, they try to another test. Then they apply there. But, people usually graduate high school.
In my country South Korea.
MY country think important to english skill so now I'm inUSA.
I'm studing English.
I want to english conversation well. I believe this site help me.
thank you
In KOREA, students have to do same exam for getting into college or university. That exam always
tests on every end of the year.
For entrance university, students are required to exam grades. Also students are required to grades at high school marks.
I come from in Japan so,I am studying English in U,S right now.
I was suprised by this story because some of people did not take classes.They paid for our expensive tuition but do not learn our classes,I can not understand.
I saved for my class so,I think that I am going to go the university.In short,some of people had better to think themself.
in Viet nam, you have to complete the high school programe befor taking an national exam to get in a university or a college. There only one that national exam per year, you better choose a university suitable with your ability. And you have to compete at a high rate. It's easier to get in a private school.
If you graduate from a reputable university or college, you will land a good job easier.
Thank you!
I am a HK student and when you start studying Form 4 at school, you must choose the course about the liberal arts or science. Then you will be like joining a score competition. You in Form 5 should pass the HKCCE for continue Form 6. In Form 7 you should attend HKAL for getting into a university. Of course all subjects must be passed and should be averagely D grades. Sometimes, university requirements include performances of interviews and other specific requests.
Actually getting into universities is a hot competition in HK. Some classmates have well-done in some subjects but only one subject is failed, then study in universities will be doomed to failure. So everyone must work hard and have a good basic in Chinese and English.
It is lucky for me to find this website, It is very helpful for me, because my English is very poor
well in my country it´s not that much important to be in class as getting high scores in test. it doesn´t matters where you get the information as longs it´s rigth.
Here in Colombia there are many universities publics and privates. butI think the public ones, are better, but it's a little complicated to studie in a public university, usually you must to do an admision test,and many people do the test. then you must to keep on with good notes, I feel that I'm lucky for studing in Univalle, because for me is one of the best universities here in my country.
I don't understand why those people think they can enter to college there easily if wherever you go, you must suppose there are entrance exams and you have to be good at.
in my country (Colombia) when young people finish the last grade 11th. everybody takes an exam designed by the government. its name is "pruebas de estado or Icfes"every person that wants to go the college, present this results (Icfes) for enter at the university.
every carrier takes the results that are necessary for itself.
In my carrier "foreign languages" the university organized other exam, that is the 30% the oportunity for enter at university for choise the best languages foreign students and preparate better the people that study this carrier.
I'm a student at univalle which is a public university here in cali, colombia and is very hard to get in because is really great, has a lot of amazing teachers and it has a low cost.
In Colombia, the majority of people want to study in a public university because they have the reputation to be the best, it happens because of the exams that they make to us, and your score in the state proofe, depending on what you want to study is the level of exigence in certains subejcts.
And public university are very cheap too.
i like the education system in United State. Now, international students can study college program that is easier for them to study the subject in English. Toefl is not required forcely unless student finish the ESl program of school. Besides, students have many chances to improve their study such as repeating the class to take the highest grade,or changing major in another field.I also like the way of study in America. It is comfortable. Students have many choices to fit best. Online classes, a various list of class timing, and so on.
In recent years, it's easy to get into college in Taiwan. In my point of view, the Government has to control the entrance requirements and quality of college students. This is because people in Taiwan can't land a job easily if he/she just graduated from college. (Almost everybody has a bachelor degree.)
In my county,Iran,all the peole who have finished their school want to go to university because of several reasons.first of all,they will get the higger position in the society.also,the boys are free for 2 or more years of joining to the military service.as you khnow ,in Iran,the boys at the age of 18 should join to the military service for 2 years exception those are accepted at univercity.next,they think they can find the better job,althoug it is not a fact.we have 2 kinds of university.the national and private university.for getting into the national univercity it is necessary to pass the dificult exam called konkur.at this univercity is no need to pay.and every thing is free.for the private on also we have the entrance exam but it is no as dificult as the first one.
if you want to enter a prestigious university in my country you must pass your exams with a really high score or to have much money/ powerful connections. And if you have neigher this nor that-STUDY,LEARN,MASTER etc. This way is for me! I'm doing it at the moment)I improve my English with the help of this site. Thanks for Randall)))
I obtained a bachelar degree in China and I'm a graduate student in France now. Personal view, there are many differences in higher education between China and France. Firstly, the entrance requirement is more strict in China than in France. The percentage of students who can attend higher education are 20% and 90% in China and France respectively. Secondly, it is easier to graduate from university in China than in France. Last but not least, the students have more freedom to choose the subject and causes that they like in France than in China. Now I'm preparing TOEFL. I'd like to pursue a PhD degree in Canada this year and then I can know about the Canadian higher education.
best regards
Well, here in chennai, those willing to join reputed college with having lesser marks had to pay more money to get the seat. The colleges in chennai has become business oriented. But for sure, We cannot expect quality education from chennai.As i dont want to mention those colleges, I request all the students who are looking for colleges not to pay huge amount for engineering seats.Instead, one can invest their money on business and grow.
well, here in Viet Nam, students want to enter the University who have to try their best, because the University exam is very hard and it's organized in the same time in whole country and after the graduating highschool exam. i think that's good, because it help chosing people with the level is not good, even good to enter the University.
I studied in a public university here in Venezuela. It´s very difficult to enter. You must pass a exam very long and complicated. My university is the best in my country. Being a graduate of that university is an honor.
My university riceive a foreing students, but not many.
Hi, there
In my country, all high school students or someone who has a certificate of a high school diploma must take a SAT ("Suneung" in korean)to get into college. Some students who are good at sports, however, can enter a college without the exam.
In addition, many korean students are forced to study more than 10 hours a day to get into "SKY" like "IVY League"
Hi all, I come from VietNam. In my country, when you want to get into a college, first you have to graduate high school with required points, and then you take an entrance exam to apply for a university or college you like. The exam is hold once a year. You have to pass so many candidates in order to get into this university or college. Besides public uni we also have some private uni which anybody with a lower score can apply for.
I think the challenges of this examination is not due to its difficulty but stress that it puts on the candidates. Everybody wants to take this exam and can be a student of any uni and so do their parents, if they can not do it well, they fell too shy to meet other people.
So in my opinion, getting into university is not the only way in one's life. There are many other ways for each one to choose, the most importance is that they always do their best in the field they choose.
In VietNam,students take the entrance exam into universities once a year, often in mid-summer, after the high school final exam. In the past parents often made decision for the uni which their childeren went to because they paid tutions and other school fees. But now many children work hard through school and most of them are people who land a job more easily in the future with their part time job experiences.
In my country, Brazil, There are public and private universitys. Is necessary to do a hard entrance exams. The entrance exam for public university is more disputaded, despite be more difficult than private. This happen because two facts, in my opinion: quality of education and to be free (is more expensive private university). A good alternative are scholarschip offered by government or own university. Thanks by oportunity of improve my english!
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