Application Channels, Schedule and Other Integrated Information
Applying for the universities in America is usually the primary goal forthose who want to study abroad. However, the process can be tough and complicated to go through. Hence, Valour has designed this article, “Application method for American Universities for Dummies”, to help you understand the application channels, schedules, and the required information to better conquer this tedious process.
What are the applying channels?
While some schools like MIT has its own unique application system, most schools utilize the following 3 channels :
1. Common App
The most common system when making an application, currently there are about 800 universities collaborating with Common App. Pupils can fill out their personal information, upload transcripts and finish submitting their personal essay. In addition, some universities require students to answer some exclusive questions. After completing all the processes, pupils may submit applications for up to 20 universities at once.
Pupils can use Common App to search for the colleges they’re interested in, and put them into the application list. The system will then show the requirements, deadlines and other information relevant to that university for references.
Click here to browse the collaborated schools on Common App
2. Coalition App
A system that was mutually built by more than 150 colleges. Although it covers less schools than Common App, it allows students to apply for higher ranked schools such as Harvard, Yale, or Columbia, etc. It also allows students to gradually upload their learning data, extracurricular activities from Grade 9, which could easily exhibit pupils’ personal characteristics by tracking their experiences step by step. In short, Coalition App is a much more comprehensive system.
Click here to browse the collaborated schools on Coalition App
3. UC App
UC App is a platform exclusively for 9 Californian universities like UCLA, UC Berkeley etc., no matter how many of the UC campuses students are about to apply for, there’s only one unified application that pupils have to complete, and the deadlines are on the same date. What differs from the Common Application process is that “essay doesn’t play a role” , as the UC App only requires students to fill out 4 college-relevant questions.
Application Process, what are EA/ED & RA/RD?
The authorities will open vacancies for Early Action (ED) and Early Decision (ED), which are methods for those who want to send in applications in advance. While some schools’ EA/ED acceptance rates are higher than the rate of Regular Decision (RD), EA/ED are slightly different in their regulations and limitations. Thus,those who apply should carefully evaluate which channels they want in order to better pursue their dream schools.
- EARLY ACTION (EA)
The deadline of EA is around Nov. 1st, and the result will be released in December.
1.Students applying for EA do not have to enroll after receiving the offer, they only have to reply whether they are coming to the schools or not before May 1st.
2.Normally, a student can apply for EA to multiple universities simultaneously. (Non-restrictive Early Action)
3.If students applied for EA, they still can do Regular Decision (RD), and when they are accepted by EA, there’s no need to retrieve applications in other schools.
4.Single-choice Early Action and Restrictive Early Action are special EAs where students must not apply for EA and ED to other schools at the same time, which means if students choose to use Single-choice Early Action or Restrictive Early Action, students may not apply for any other schools within the Early timeframe. If students are rejected from EA, they can apply for ED2 and RD as a second chance.
- EARLY DECISION (ED) (Including ED1 and ED2)
Compared to Early Action, there are more restrictions in Early Decision. For example, students can only apply for one school, and they MUST register if they are accepted. Hence, pupils should be aware before they take an ED plan.
ED1
Deadline will be around November 1st, and the result will be announced in December.
During the application process, students can only select one school(two or more are not allowed).
1.If the students are accepted by ED, they must finish the enrollment process, and if the regulations were violated, authorities possess the right of canceling your ED entrance.
2.While applying for ED, students can still apply for other schools’ RD; however, if one is accepted by ED, RD applications must be cancelled.
ED2
Deadline will be around January 1st, and the result will be announced in the middle of January or February.
1.The only difference between ED2 and ED1 is it’s time frame.. In other words, if one was rejected by ED1 from university A, he/she still has the opportunity to apply for university B’s in ED2.
2.The regulations are the same as ED1’s.
- What is RA/RD?
REGULAR DECISION (RD)
Deadline will be around January 1st, and the offers will be distributed between the middle of March and the beginning of April.
RD is a normal application channel, students can select multiple universities simultaneously, and can decide whether to register after being accepted.
ROLLING ADMISSION (RA)
There is no limitation on deadlines and applications, and all applications are accepted until the RA quota is met.
What do we need to prepare for before we apply for the universities in America?
- English Graduation Diploma
- English transcript (with GPA)
- English language certificate: IELTS or TOEFL
- Entrance exam score card: SAT or ACT
- Completed Applications
- Completed Essays
- Supplement essay (University requirements)
- Application fees
- Copy of passport
- English recommandation letter : 2
- English Financial Statement
Admission requirement and rankings of Universities in the U.S. (Top 50s)
| Ranking | Department | TOEFL requirement | IELTS requirement | SAT requirement |
| １ | Princeton University | N/A | N/A | 1440-1570 |
| ２ | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Minimum: 90 Recommand: 100 |
Minimum: 7.0 Recommand: 7.5 |
1500-1570 |
| 3 | Harvard University | Report card required, not specified |
N/A | 1460-1580 |
| 3 | Stanford University | Minimum: 100 | Minimum 7.0 | 1440-1550 |
| 3 | Yale University | Minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1470-1560 |
| ６ | University of Chicago | Not compulsory, but suggest providing one |
Not compulsory, but suggest providing one |
1470-1570 |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins University | Minimum: 100 (Recommanded：R/L 26、W: 22、S: 25) |
Minimum: 7.0 | 1450-1560 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | Not specified | Not specified | 1440-1560 |
| ９ | California Institute of Technology | Not specified | Uncounted | 1530-1570 |
| 10 | Duke University | Recommand: 100 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1450-1570 |
| 10 | Northwestern University | Not specified | Not specified | 1450-1540 |
| 12 | Dartmouth College | Minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1450-1550 |
| 13 | Brown University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 8.0 | 1420-1550 |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommend: 7.0 | 1450-1560 |
| 15 | Rice University | Minimum: 90 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1450-1560 |
| 15 | Washington University in St Louis | Minimum: 90 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1470-1570 |
| 17 | Cornell University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.5 | 1420-1540 |
| 18 | Columbia University | Minimum: 105 | Minimum: 7.5 | 1450-1560 |
| 18 | University of Notre Dame | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.5 | 1400-1550 |
| 20 | University of California, Berkeley | Minimum: 80 Recommend: 100 |
Minimum: 6.5 | 1300-1530 |
| 20 | University of California, Los Angeles | Recommended minimum 100 (Minimum: 22 per subject) |
Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1290-1510 |
| 22 | Carnegie Mellon University | Minimum: 102 (Recommand: 25 per subject) |
Minimum: 7.5 (per subject) |
1460-1560 |
| 22 | Emory University | Minimum: 95 (Minimum: 21 per subject) |
Uncounted | 1350-1520 |
| 22 | Georgetown University | Minimum: 100 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1370-1530 |
| 25 | New York University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.5 | 1370-1510 |
| 25 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1340-1530 |
| 25 | University of Southern California | Minimum: 100 (Minimum: 20 per subject) |
Minimum: 7.0 | 1350-1530 |
| 25 | University of Virginia | Not specified | Not specified | 1340-1500 |
| 29 | University of Florida | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.0 | 1280-1440 |
| 29 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1300-1470 |
| 29 | Wake Forest University | Minimum: 79 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1310-1470 |
| 32 | Tufts University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1390-1540 |
| 32 | University of California, Santa Barbara | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1230-1480 |
| 34 | University of California, Irvine | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1180-1440 |
| 34 | University of California, San Diego | Minimum: 83 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1250-1470 |
| 36 | Boston College | Minimum: 100 | Minimum: 7.5 | 1370-1490 |
| 36 | University of Rochester | Recommended minimum: 100 (W/L: 25、S: 24、R: 26) |
Recommended minimum: 7.5 | 1340-1500 |
| 38 | University of California, Davis | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1150-1410 |
| 38 | University of Texas at Austin | Minimum: 79 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1240-1470 |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | Minimum: 95-105 | Minimum: 6.5-7.5 | 1300-1480 |
| 41 | Boston University | Recommended 90 up, minimum in 20 per subject |
Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1339-1500 |
| 41 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Not specified | Not specified | 1220-1480 |
| 41 | College of William and Mary | Minimum: 100 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1230-1510 |
| 44 | Brandeis University | Recommended minimum: 100 | Recommended minimum: 7 | 1280-1500 |
| 44 | Case Western Reserve University | Minimum: 90 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1350-1520 |
| 44 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1390-1540 |
| 44 | Northeastern University | Not specified, but 75% of the students accepted were at the minimum of 99 |
Not specified, but 75% of the students accepted were at the minimum of 7.0 |
1390-1540 |
| 44 | Tulane University | Minimum: 95 | Recommended minimum: 6.5 | 1350-1490 |
| 49 | Ohio State University | Minimum: 79 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1300-1420 |
| 49 | University of Georgia | Minimum: 80 | Minimum: 6.5 | 1240-1410 |
| 51 | Lehigh University | Recommended minimum: 90 | Recommended minimum: 7.0 | 1300-1430 |
| 51 | Purdue University | Minimum: 80-88 (Different in every dep.) Recommended minimum: 20 |
Recommended minimum: 6.5 (Recommended minimum 6 per subject) |
1190-1440 |
| 51 | Rensselaer polytechnic institute | Minimum: 88 | Minimum: 7.0 | 1330-1500 |
| 51 | Villanova University | Not specified | Not specified | 1330-1460 |
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