Enrolling in a US university?

Okay, so you've received acceptance letters from one or more US universities. Now, you must organise your options and make a final decision.

By the first week of April, most US universities have mailed out acceptance letters to prospective students. As an international student, therefore, you should ideally have received your acceptance letters from the schools to which you have applied.

If you have not received final notice, it is advisable to e-mail the admissions department in order to clarify your status.

Acceptance letters should be grouped by response -- general acceptances, acceptances with awards, conditional acceptances, deferments, waiting lists and rejections.

General acceptance letters offer a student admission to the university, but do not offer any scholarship money or the distinction of honours enrolment. Still, those who receive general acceptance enter into a school with an unblemished record.

Acceptance with awards denotes that the applicant has not only been selected for admission, but has also been awarded scholarship money and/ or been enrolled in honours courses. This is the most distinguished acceptance letter an individual can receive, and indicates the university's immense interest in a candidate.

Conditional acceptance indicates that the applicant has been chosen for admission, provided he or she completes a programme designed to help the student transition into university life. This programme generally involves tutoring, academic counselling and, if necessary, the completion of 'remedial' (pre-university) courses.

Students who enter into a university under conditional acceptance are often placed on 'academic probation' until they prove their commitment to academics through average/ good grades. Students on academic probation may not participate in certain extra-curricular activities and must keep marks above a minimum grade point average (usually 2.0).

Deferments demonstrate that a university is interested in the applicant, but feels that he or she is not quite ready for university life yet. Deferment letters often encourage students to continue their studies, improve standardised test scores and bolster their candidacy before re-applying at the next opportunity. At some universities, students also have the option of requesting a deferment if they do not feel ready for university life, or if extenuating circumstances prevent immediate enrolment.

If an applicant is placed on a waiting list, on the other hand, it means that he/ she has met all the requirements of the university, but must wait till the admissions process is completed for other students who have been accepted beforehand. If, in the course of this process, previously allotted admissions spaces become available, wait-listed students are offered enrolment.

Rejection letters indicate that the university is not interested in the candidate, and that the rejection is final, unless the candidate dramatically alters his/ her profile. Of course, you can always re-apply to a school that has rejected you. In order to save time and money, however, the rejection letter should be interpreted as a sign to look elsewhere.

Now that we've classified the letters by response, it's time to review financial and preferential options before making the decision to enrol.

Assuming that you want to enrol as soon as possible, separate the deferments and rejections, and focus on schools to which you have gained solid acceptance. If time is not a pressing matter, however, feel free to include deferments and rejections into your final pool.

At this point, there are three major questions you should ask yourself:

1. Which of these universities has a location and campus that you find appealing? Where will you fit in and be most comfortable, socially speaking?

2. Which of these universities is the most affordable and is offering you value for money in terms of the fees you will be shelling out?

3. Which of these universities fits your academic requirements and will help launch your career?

Now let's set about analysing the above questions, and see why they are so important:

1. Location/ campus/ demographics

Students often underestimate the importance of location in selecting a school. If the school is in the middle of small-town America and you are a big-city Mumbaikar, make sure you're ready for a life on-campus and in the cornfields. There will be no din of traffic; there will be little public transportation, and nightlife outside that which the university offers may be non-existent.

On the other hand, if you are unused to life in the big city, you might reconsider living in New York City in an apartment on your own. Perhaps a smaller campus with a subdued atmosphere would suit your tastes.

Linked to location is climate; the US is a huge nation that features a dramatic range of climates. In the north and northeast, the academic calendar starts off during the cool fall and crisp spring, with frigid winter in the middle! Make sure to do a little research and find a climate suited to you.

The US offers myriad options for higher education; there are tiny liberal arts colleges that offer personalised lessons and intimate campus environments, and then there are large research universities that offer specialised degrees, but don't offer small classes or a cosy campus.

Another component is demographics. Would you be more comfortable in an institution that has an established international community? Or would you prefer to be a trailblazer, and enrol in a school that will force you to interact mostly with Americans?

You need to answer this question to the best of your ability. Tomorrow, we analyse questions two and three as well as the final decision to enrol.