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It's all very well getting excited about University in the US - and you should be - but how do you actually go about securing a place at the University of your dreams?

Applications for admission to US Universities does vary slightly from institution to institution, but the basic requirements are the same. US Universities require the Standardized Assessment Test examinations. SATs consist of a Verbal/Reasoning/Writing test, and two separate subject tests. The SAT I as it is called, is approximately 4 hours long, and the SAT II (subject tests) are an hour each. You can choose which subject tests to take based on your academic strengths, although some Universities require you to take certain subject tests (so check first). SAT test sessions run throughout the year, and there are testing centers in the UK, Europe, and the rest of the world. It is strongly reccommended that you complete your testing by the November testing deadline (or January at the very latest) in order to ensure that your tests are received in time for consideration. In your profile's "To Do" section you will find all of the information to register for the necessary tests. SATs are multiple choice - see next page for details.
The application itself can be completed in two different ways. You may either follow the individual Univerity's online application on their website, or you can fill out the Common Application and have it sent off to all school that you are considering. The Common Application is a free service that keeps track of all of the forms that you need to complete for your admission, and provides links to forms that you must give to other people to complete. In addition to keeping track of your application, it is also possible to pay your application fee through the Common Application website. The application fee is approximately $65 per university, and can be waived for financial reasons if you would qualify for Financial Aid. If this is the case for you, then make sure you send a letter explaining your situation as soon as possible.
As well as general application details your application will consist of up to three short essays, supplementary questions, teacher evaluations, and mid-year school report. Your essays, test results, answers to application questions, and teacher evaluations are crucial to your success - which is why this site offers resources to maximise your chances. Use our proofreading service, or have a mentor help you through the application! You can check these out under "Services" above, and they are the way that you can ensure that your essay and application will be of the highest quality, and exactly what admissions officers are seeking. All of our mentors and proofreaders attend top 5 US Universities and have been through this process themselves!

The SAT in more detail:

The SAT I consists of multiple choice questions designed to test your Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The best way to prepare for the exam is by taking practice exams - as this will give you a good idea of where you stand. If you haven't done any Maths in a while it is unlikely that this will affect your Mathematics score dramatically - as the questions do not require technical knowledge. The questions are not extremely difficult, but you should still plan to spend time preparing - if you can take an IQ test, you can take the SAT I. The writing section of the SAT I consists of multiple choice questions, and a brief essay question. Getting a good score here depends entirely upon your ability to structure a piece of writing with a clear focus, evidence, and a conclusion. It should not be too long, and above all it should be coherent (as it may be graded by a computer program).
The SAT I is scored out of 2400 (800 for verbal, 800 for quantitative, and 800 for writing). 660 is an average score on each component (1980 in total) for students attending the Universities we list on this site. However, the higher your score, the better your chances. The SAT II is also scored out of 800 for each test, and the main piece of advice is to choose tests where you are very confident about your knowledge - because it is not always certain that you will have been taught exactly the same branch of a certain subject. Take more tests if you can, to choose the best scores to send off. A poor SAT score can often be remedied by good high-school results. All Universities understand and recognise international testing and qualifications - so you needn't worry about trying to explain how they compare to the Advanced Placement tests in US high schools.