Everything I wish I knew applying to college as an International student

Applying to college is hard. It may be the first time you’re going to be away from family, and for some, it may be the first time you’re in a new country!

Sometimes college websites don’t give you enough detail and advice to help you make the right choice.

This is everything I wish I had known before applying to college as an international student.

Ranking isn’t everything

This may seem like the most important thing to look at when applying for college. But really, it doesn’t mean anything if your college is number one in the world if you aren’t happy. When making your list of colleges, don’t base everything on ranking. Having said that, don’t completely ignore it, just remind yourself there is more to a college than where they stand on a list. Even if a college is ranked really highly, they might not be the best pick for your course.

Location of nearby stores

Yes, it’s pretty obvious. But I’m not talking about just where it’s geographically located. I’m talking about the location of stores. If you decide to go to a small town college, make sure you check if almost everything you need is nearby. But go beyond that, you may think you won’t be homesick because you’re tough and used to distance, but food is a big deal.

Look for places that have restaurants, grocery stores, that have food from “home”. Having something like that around would make the process much easier. Aside from food, you need to see if there is an Apple/Samsung store or whichever brand you use, because if your laptop crashes, you need to be able to find a store that’s easy to get to. The same applies for clothing stores. Four years is a long time, and the wrong place can really ruin your college experience.

Making your way around town

View from a bridge, Bangkok, Thailand

You are a college student. You’re going to find yourself being broke at least four or five times. But, you still need to get around town to keep up with your social life. If you’re applying to a place where everything is too far, and you can’t walk, you’re going to need to learn how to make a budget, and use that for your transportation. Even if a place has public transport, it may not be the best and not the most convenient. In order to get all this information, speak to current students, or contact the head of the international office.

The journey home…

You’re an international student, you will find yourself flying back home at least once, if anything. Research as much as you can to find the best airlines. By this, I don’t mean the airlines that has a range of on air shopping items, I mean the student discounts that you get. Sometimes airlines don’t give discounts, but they let you carry an extra baggage, which can be super helpful if you don’t know how to pack light.

Additionally, find an airline whose miles reward program is actually rewarding, and the benefits include things like: priority security screenings and same-day seat upgrades, class upgrades.

The surrounding area and life off campus

Apple Festival, Ithaca NY

If you’re below the drinking age, chances are you are not going to be able to get into clubs or bars. So look for a college that has a great event life, this would mean finding a place with a great number of college clubs. Once you go to a place with a variety of campus organizations, you’ll learn to find new ways to have fun. Aside from that, look to see what else you can do in the city/town. Are there any Theaters? Arcades? Cinemas? Amusement parks? Malls? Festivals?

Holidays

You may not be able to go home every holiday or break, so you need to find a college that has housing for students who decide to stay on campus. If you’re on dining hall plan, and your dining hall is closed, having stores next to you (please refer back to above point), would be extremely helpful.

Safety

If you’re living in a big city, it’s amazing. But it can also be dangerous. Really anywhere in the world is dangerous, even the universities and colleges in small towns. Try to review the history of any security issues that happen on campus (fires, thefts, assaults) and see if there is a proper system in place to deal with issues like this.

Halloween

Diversity

As an international student, you probably have come from a place where diversity has not been much of an issue. It’s always great to meet people from different backgrounds and cultures, so look for a place that admits a good enough number of international students, this helps in not being that odd one out.

Regardless of where you go, it’s going to be tough making the big change. But as long as you find a place that accepts you for you, provides enough opportunities, is safe and welcoming you’re going to be just fine. You make your college experience, you’re about to embark on a journey that is illustrated by you.