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Educational Advising

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy provides information on the U.S. educational system and admission requirements to U.S. schools and universities to Chadians and third-country citizens desiring to study in the U.S. It provides information on standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), required for admission by U.S. higher education institutions. Information/registration forms for those tests can be collected free of charge at the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the Embassy.

The PAS also maintains a reference library on American schools and universities and provides pre-departure orientation to students leaving for studies in the U.S.

Most Frequently Asked Question: What are the requirements for study in the U.S.?

Answer: The basic requirements for admission to U.S. educational institutions are: (1) a strong academic background, (2) adequate financial resources and (3) excellent command of the English language.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS: There are over 3,000 institutions of higher education in the United States, which vary in terms of their requirements for admission. For admission to the better, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, international students will have to have outstanding academic records and recommendations from former professors. Admission to some fields such as Engineering, Computer Science, Law, Medicine or Business which are popular fields for U.S. students, is especially competitive. Completion of secondary school, with outstanding records, is required for admission to the university level. To be eligible for graduate study, leading to the Master’s or Doctoral degrees, students should have completed at least four years of university education and earned a first academic or professional degree.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS: In making a financial assessment of whether or not study in the United States will be possible for you, consider the following:

Foreign students currently studying in the U.S. agree that study in the United States is usually more expensive than they had expected.
The total cost for one academic year whether undergraduate or graduate, ranges from $15,000 to $25,000 or more.

Eighty percent of all foreign students are funded by home country sources. There is virtually no financial or scholarship aid available from U.S. institutions for undergraduate students from other countries.

Current immigration regulations greatly restrict any possibility of working to support yourself as a student, except as a graduate teaching, research or administrative assistant. Such assistantships are very rare in the first year of graduate study.

COMMAND OF ENGLISH: English language proficiency is a requirement for gaining admission to U.S. institutions of higher education as well as for achieving your academic and personal goals while in the United States.

To determine your level of English proficiency, arrange to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as early as possible – at least a year before you plan to enroll. Most institutions require a score of 500 to 550 on the TOEFL examination for academic admission. Selective institutions may require 600 or above.

Additional information on U.S. higher education and admission requirements can be obtained by contacting the Educational Adviser, Elvis R. Roass,

by telephone at 235 51-70-09/29 26 06, ext. 4391
by Fax at 235 51-56-54
e-mail at roasser@state.gov

For more information about American Schools and Universities please, go to http://www.educationusa.state.gov/ and to Institute of International Education for Fulbright and Humphrey scholarships.