Application Deadline Time—or Time to Get Started

If you have been working on applications for admittance to U.S. colleges and universities, here is a reminder that it is time to send in the last pieces. If you have not started on your application, do not wait any longer. Most final deadlines for U.S. universities fall between mid-November and the start of January. Beginning your research and preparing your application a year or more ahead of the typical September program entry date is recommended.

The first thing you should do after deciding on your field of study and finding universities to which you would like to apply is to take the tests required for admission.  Take the TOEFL and other tests well ahead of admission deadlines.  Besides the TOEFL and other tests that schools of interest may require (SAT for undergraduates and GRE or GMAT for graduates are most common), a complete application consists of the following:

1. Application form and application fee (note that fees are sometimes lower if application forms are completed online)
2. Scholarship request or financial aid form
3. Recommendation letters (usually two or three are required)
4. School transcripts that shows your grade average (one copy of the original document and the certified translation)
5. Photocopy of diploma (once you graduate) with certified translation
6. Personal statement or essay

Some institutions may have additional requirements; read instructions carefully.

The EducationUSA Iran website provides more application process information and tips.

Visit www.educationusairan.com to learn more.

Colleges versus Universities

While the terms are synonyms in the United States, “colleges” are often smaller institutions than “universities,” and focus on undergraduate teaching rather than research. Being called a college doesn’t necessarily mean that only undergraduate studies are offered and some colleges have excellent master’s and Ph.D. studies. Smaller, teaching-oriented institutions can often provide students with more individual attention and support.

If you are an undergraduate, consider two-year colleges as well. These are usually public institutions that tend to offer lower tuition rates then four-year institutions. They also generally have less demanding admissions requirements and can give you a chance to improve your grades before applying to a four-year college or university. Be sure to pursue a “transfer” rather than “vocational” program and work closely with an academic adviser at your college to plan for moving on to the bachelor’s level at a four-year institution.

The Matchmaker search engine on the College Board’s website is a good tool to find undergraduate programs (at both two- and four-year institutions).

Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/ for more information. You can either search through the full Matchmaker options to find a college, or search specific majors of your interest.  If you are not sure of a major and/or how to plan for your future, do research through the College Board’s career center where you can read about the hottest careers and industries with the fastest and biggest growth. 

For additional links and information on undergraduate application, visit http://www.educationusairan.com/undergrad_study/default.htm.

U.S Medical Study: Residency and Other Options

Students interested in U.S. medical study most commonly complete their medical education in their home country and then apply for a medical residency in the United States.  Few international students are admitted at the earlier first professional degree level (leading to the M.D.), and those few generally also have a U.S. undergraduate degree.

If you are determined to pursue medical school at the first professional level, you should consider first earning a U.S. bachelor’s degree. You can major in any subject and still enter medical school but be sure to take courses that medical schools require   such as chemistry, physics, calculus, and biology. Note that public medical schools usually enroll students from their state or region so be prepared to apply to private medical schools.

Keep in mind that there are significant costs for each of the four years of M.D. studies.  For 2007-2008 tuition annually averaged approximately $40,000, for a total of $160,000 for all four years. No scholarships are generally available for M.D. studies.

If you want to pursue a residency instead of an M.D., you will have better chances of admission and receive a stipend rather than paying tuition. The challenge at this level is completing the rather complex ECFMG certification and residency application process. EducationUSA Iran can help with this process through our website, which outlines the steps involved. See http://www.educationusairan.com/fields_study/medical_residency.htm for more information.

If you are interested in nonclinical studies (involving research in a biomedical science rather than working with patients), another option is to apply for a graduate degree program in the field of interest. The application process for such degrees is much simpler than for a residency, involving the standard steps for graduate programs in any field. See the EducationUSA Iran website graduate section at http://www.educationusairan.com/grad_study/default.htm for more information on U.S. graduate degree application.

If you are interested in clinical study at the undergraduate or graduate level, but not in a residency or M.D., you may want to consider study in a different health-related profession. You will still have to go through some type of certification process before you can do any hospital internships or other work with patients and some programs will still have residency restrictions, but typically both admission to programs and qualifying to work with patients are less complicated and rigorous than applying for medical residency programs.

Another option is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree to be a physician assistant.  The term “physician assistant” should not be confused with “medical assistant,” which is more of an administrative position. A physician assistant is an advanced practice clinician licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a licensed physician.  Before applying to physician assistant programs in the United States be sure to confirm that this position exists where you want to ultimately live and work as a doctor.

Law

The U.S. first professional law degree (Juris Doctorate or J.D.) is based on the American legal system and prepares individuals who plan to live and practice law in the United States.  To apply for a J.D. students usually must take the LSAT (not currently available in Iran) and the TOEFL, and complete a four-year undergraduate degree, as well as other admissions requirements. International students accepted into a J.D. program may have difficulties during the visa application process, since this degree is the preliminary step to living and practicing law in the United States. 

Master’s degrees in law, most commonly the Master of Laws (L.L.M.) or Master’s in Comparative Law (M.C.L.), have become increasingly popular for non-U.S. lawyers, who use them to build an international perspective into their résumés. Many programs are designed specifically to allow international lawyers to learn more about U.S. law, while in some other cases students can specialize in a particular area of law to complement an existing law degree obtained from their country of origin. These programs will ask for the TOEFL and other standard admissions requirements, though not the LSAT.

L.L.M. programs typically last between one and two academic years. Students generally must have a degree in law from their country of origin before applying for an LLM program.

Many L.L.M. programs provide a broad curriculum in American law, international law, and comparative law.  Others provide more specialized courses in subfields such as intellectual property, human rights law or international environmental law.  Some programs have required courses, some do not.

Not all law schools offer L.L.M. programs, and some schools offer programs for U.S.  students or students practicing in “common law” systems only (most countries besides the United States and the United Kingdom use a “civil law” system instead of common law.). Check with individual schools for information about policies affecting students from outside the United States.

As you think about applying for a legal education in the U.S., be sure to do your research and find a program that is the best fit for you.

Here’s a list of resources to help you get started.

• American Bar Association. 
• Association of American Law Schools.
• Association for Legal Career Professionals.
• Equal Justice Works.
• LLM Guide.
• Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
• National Conference of Bar Examiners.
• National Jurist.
• You can also visit the EducationUSA Iran site for more details on U.S. education in law:  http://www.educationusairan.com/fields_study/intro_bus_law.htm