Hey Guys! This is my first blog post so I hope it meets you well. I’m going to talk about how I, as a Jordanian student, applied to a university in the USA along with the procedures every international student has to take. To begin with, I’m not like the regular Jordanian student following the “Tawjihi” system; I follow the British curriculum which consists of IGCSEs and A-levels. I will hopefully get the chance to tell you guys a few things about this curriculum in a future post. As for now, the first thing you need to know is that all Arab/International students who don’t hold an American passport or a residency card must take the TOEFL exam to show their proficiency in English language. Moreover, a requirement to all major universities is the SAT exam which is a very important exam that our system, unfortunately, fails to prepare us for. However, you should look at the bright side! You can use sources available on the internet to prepare yourself for it and you should do that as early as possible. I personally signed up to receive the daily question from college board and I borrowed a book from my friend which I believe was called “Barron’s SAT”, both aided me vastly and helped me achieve a slightly above average SAT score from the first time.

Now, if you have a specific university in mind; then open its website, read the admission requirements, follow the guidelines and then apply…That’s what I did! However, most people make a common app account which is very user friendly. Make sure you start applying as early as possible as I started late and was unable to apply to universities that I yearned to go to. Another thing is that you should always ask, ask and ask! Don’t hesitate to ask your counselor or teacher anything. You could even ask your English teacher to review your college essays before submitting them but of course don’t let him/her write it for you as you will be only cheating yourself.

A very vital thing you should take account for is your transcript. Here, in the Arab world, universities usually ask for the overall average of 12th grade or “Tawjeehi” in Jordan. In the states, they look at your GPA. Your GPA “Grade Point Average” is basically the average of your grades throughout high school so from grades 9-12. Many students, like me, think 9th, 10th and 11th grades are rather insignificant compared to 12th grade but they’re not. Therefore, I advise you all to maintain good grades throughout the four years of high school not just the last one as your GPA plays a huge role in getting you admitted to universities of your choice.

Finally, the recommendation letter is very important. Don’t just ask your teacher for a recommendation letter. Give them a deadline and a word limit. Pick your teachers wisely! All in all, applying for a university in the states from a country like Jordan isn’t difficult at all! Just put a little effort into it and you’ll be fine.