Study Abroad: Advantages of Studying at US Universities

Many of you are already aware of the trend, where students prefer studying abroad mainly in top Universities of US. But why? Why would they want to study in the US?

If you ask anybody who has studied abroad, he or she will probably tell you that it is a life-changing experience and one of the most rewarding things he or she has ever done. Perhaps getting an overview of what you can learn from studying abroad can help you make your decision.

Well, we have some details that you should know. Peter Davos, Founder and Managing Director of Carian College Advisors, a Dubai-based educational consultancy explains the advantages of studying in US as following.

Flexibility, variety of choice, culture, and resources, the number of options in US universities are vast.

The main benefit of studying in the United States is the flexibility of the undergraduate curriculum offered by American universities. Students are encouraged and compelled to take a broad assortment of courses and are only required to declare their major at the end of their second year of studies.

They are not required to pursue the intended major they have declared on their application, which most students subsequently change their minds about at least once.

America is a large country, teaming with educational options and courses of study. There are over 4,000 degree-granting institutions of higher learning in the US. Arizona State University, America's largest with over 72,000 students, offers over 250 academic programs from as choices.

There are large public universities, such as the University of Texas-Austin and the Ohio State University, which have in excess of 50,000 students, as well as elite Liberal Arts colleges, such as Harvey Mudd, whose graduates complete PhD's in Science and Engineering at the highest rate in the country - outpacing even graduates from MIT and CalTech.

The student bodies of Harvard, Columbia, Penn, Yale, Princeton, Brown, MIT, NYU, Cal Tech, Boston University, and Northeastern University are comprised of at least 10 per cent international students, a number that continues to increase annually.

This diversity is further enhanced by American students, whose many religions, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds add cultural richness to college campuses which is seldom replicated in those of other countries.

American universities are present in all fifty states in the US, catering to every geographic and climate preference imaginable, and emphasise the real world application of studies.

Some universities, such as Northeastern and Drexel, help and require students to complete paid internships in their intended field of study as a requirement for graduating through their popular Co-Op programs. Cornell University, an Ivy league School, has the finest Hospitality school in the country, helping place its graduates in top hospitality management trainee programs throughout the world.

While there has been a large influx of Indian and Chinese students into US universities over the past ten years, students from the GCC have become increasingly more attracted to the US for the previously aforementioned reasons.

Saudi students now constitute the fourth largest international student body in the US, according to the International Institute for Education, with over 70,000 choosing to study in America.

The United States' designation as the leader in global education and destination of choice for international students will continue into the foreseeable future and should be seriously considered by every applicant intended on studying abroad.