In the US, a national education system does not exist. Each state government sets its own educational standards and education policies. Education institutions in the US are either government-own (i.e. publicly funded) or private-own (i.e. privately funded).
School Education (K-12) Unlike school education, pre-school education or early childhood education (ages 2-5) is not compulsory in the US. School education (K-12) is divided into 3 stages which are Elementary School (Kindergarten, Grades 1-4), Middle School (Grades 5-8) and High School (Grades 9-12). In general, children at age 5 will start kindergarten and graduate from high school at around 18 years old. Each school can determine their own academic calendar but mostly starts from end of August or September until May or June of the following year. Schools are categorized into public schools and private schools. Public schools should follow the set curriculums from state/local government whereas private schools have the flexibility of choosing its own curriculum and staffing. As public schools are fully subsidized by state government, international students are only allowed to study for a maximum of 1 year as an exchange student. Such limitation is not applied to private schools which can admit international students to any grade level. However, each private school has its own admission criteria for international students. Some can be very selective.
Basic Application Requirements: School transcripts US entrance test (SSAT or ISSE) English language proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS) Recommendation letters from current English/Maths teachers and Principal
Higher Education US has the largest higher education market in the world with more than 4000 colleges/universities deliver higher education. Higher education institutions are further categorized into 2-year Community/Junior College and 4-year College/University. US higher education institutions adopt either semester or quarter based system for academic calendar whereas credits calculation are different. In general, an academic year starts in Fall, but some colleges/universities also accept students in other intakes. Semester System: An academic year is divided into 2 sessions - Fall and Spring. Fall Semester starts in September until December whereas Spring Semester starts in January until May with around 18 weeks’ duration in each semester. Quarter System: An academic year is divided into 4 sessions: Fall (September to December), Winter (January to March), Spring (April to June) and Summer (June to August) which is optional. Community/Junior College Community/Junior colleges offer a wide range of 2-year programs in associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Some community colleges may also deliver a limited number of 4-year bachelor degrees. The 2-year Associate Degree qualification enables students to transfer the 2-year credits to the college/university as soon as they have fulfilled the required credits (60 credits for Semester System; 90 credits for Quarter System) with good GPA. The diplomas and certificates are vocational education training which enable students to join the workforce with specific job skills immediately. Some private colleges and community colleges also offer University Transfer Program (UTP) for students. The UTP modules are identical with the designated 4-year College/University for future progression,
Basic Application Requirements: Completion of High School with transcripts English language proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS) Financial support documents (minimum 1 year tuition fee plus living costs)
College/University Colleges/Universities delivers 4-year bachelor degrees. Some may also deliver master degrees (e.g. MA and MS), professional degrees (e.g. MBA, JD and MD) and doctorate degrees (e.g. PhD). Colleges/Universities are either public or private. Public colleges/universities receive funding from the US government whereas private colleges/universities are funded by endowments (e.g. donations) and private sources. In general, students should submit application to their intended college/university one year in advance. Students will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree after they have completed 120 credits (Semester System) or 180 credits (Quarter System) from college/university.
Basic Application Requirements: Completion of High School with transcripts English language proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS) US entrance exam (SAT or ACT or not required, depends on university) 2 school recommendation letters Statement of Purpose or Essays Financial support documents (minimum 1 year tuition fee plus living costs)
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