In the 1990s the demand for college graduates in the USA considerably increased. Advances in technology and greater interconnectivity of world on the political and economic scales have set harsh standards for professionals in various spheres. In response to this demand the majority of high-school graduates nowadays consider college education as their top priority.
In the United States the quality of college education does not vary significantly across the states and is set at a high level. In fact, there is not much of a difference between a university and a college. The difference is quantitative, not qualitative. A university is normally comprised of a number of colleges. In colloquial speech a university graduate would still say that hes gone to college.
University can be either sponsored by the state or privately. Private universities are generally more expensive, and allegedly, offer a higher quality education. They are purported to hire top professors in their respective fields, to have better facilities (libraries, computer labs, sport arenas), and, therefore, are more prestigious than their state counterparts. The prestige of a particular school is assessed by considering the number of its graduates and their subsequent employment in their professional fields, their average incomes and perspectives for promotion.
Research conducted by a university is also a factor contributing to its prestige. If the research is done on hot topics in promising fields and is heavily subsidized by governmental and private/corporate sources, then it will attract prominent researchers and prepare better graduates more adapted to the demands of the real world.
Admission to universities in the USA is done on a standardized basis. Normally, two criteria are used when applicants eligibility is considered. The first criterion is the applicants cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) used for evaluating the students performance in high school. Another criterion for admission is the score that the student receives for a standardized national entrance exam. There are several types of national exams. Depending upon the preference of a particular university, an applicant can either take a SAT (the Scholastic Aptitude Test) test or an ACT (American College Testing) test. Both tests are composed of three parts: language proficiency, mathematics, and logic). Each part is evaluated separately and then a total score is computed. Additionally, certain colleges require the so-called Achievement Tests (ATs) to be taken in conjunction with either SAT or ACT. ATs are basically subject tests which assess ones expertise in a particular field. Besides the above requirements, foreign applicants have to take a TOEFL test of English proficiency and receive a score in the range from 500 to 600 with the maximum possible score of 677.
Another way to get admitted to the University of your Dream is to be an outstanding athlete. US colleges are well-known for their drive to recruit as many promising athletes for their teams as can be possible in the competitive atmosphere of collegiate sport. Americans are obsessed with competitive sports, so collegiate teams are of great importance. In exchange, not only do athletes get admitted, they also receive tuition waivers (exemption from paying for tuition).
|
|
|
If an applicant has successfully enrolled at the university, the next troublesome issue he/she will have to resolve will be a financial one. Annual tuition and various fees vary in the range from ten to fifty thousand dollars depending upon the reputation of a particular school and the type of its sponsorship (state or private). There are, however, colleges which considerably reduce their tuition fees for state residents. A student can opt for getting financial assistance. The distribution of money allocated for student support is done on the basis of the cumulative annual income of the applicants parents. A lot of American students apply for student loans. They dont have to repay those virtually unlimited loans until they graduate. When they settle down and get a job, they have to start repaying the loans on a monthly basis with low interest rates.
Students coming to college from military service dont have to worry about any academic expenses. All their university bills will be covered by the military. Additionally, the army and the navy pay their veterans a monthly stipend. This type of reimbursement for military service suits a lot of young people who have the urge to study but do not have means to do so.
Once in school students have to make a tough decision concerning their major field of study. Unlike Russian universities which admit students to specific departments already chosen by the applying high school graduates, American colleges give students an option of choosing their field during the first two years of study. During these years the student can comfortably take classes from the list of general requirements which are obligatory for all majors. Such courses as English composition, foreign languages, college algebra, history, etc. are normally taken in the freshman and sophomore years and many of them are prerequisites for more advanced courses. To alleviate the hassle of decision-making students are assigned to academic advisors who guide them throughout their school years suggesting courses necessary to meet graduation requirements.
If a student chooses to continue education in graduate school (M.A. and Ph.D. programs) he/she will need to take Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), either general or subject test or both. Business students take another type of test, GMAT (General Management Admissions Test), while future lawyers are required to take a Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Admission to graduate school is based upon the cumulative undergraduate GPA score, graduate tests score, a letter of intent (explaining the reasons behind the students choice of the graduate school) and recommendation letters written by professors of the students undergraduate school. Master of Arts (M.A.) programs are designed for two years of study, at the end of which the student has to successfully defend a thesis. The final academic degree conferred on the student, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), requires two additional years of research and study and a successful defense of a doctoral dissertation at the end. In graduate school students have a good chance of getting a tuition waiver and an offer of a graduate teaching/research assistant position.
|
|
|
In the last year of college students start sending out resumes to potential employers and very often by the time they graduate they already have a couple of offers from interested organizations. On the whole, although college education in the USA might be quite taxing financially, it usually pays off in the long run.
IV. Answer the questions:
1. What factors contribute to the prestige of a university?
2. What is the system of national exams comprised of?
3. Who can get a tuition waiver?
4. What are the ways of getting money to pay tuition fee?
5. How is the major field of study chosen?
6. What are the options of post-graduate education?
V. Explain the following abbreviations:
GPA, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, M.A., Ph.D., GRE, GMAT, LSAT
VI. Explain in English:
University facilities; standardized basis; applicants eligibility; the admission policy of the university; tuition waiver; to enroll at the university; annual tuition; cumulative annual income; student loan; reimbursement; general requirements; prerequisites for more advanced courses; academic advisor; a letter of intent.
VII. While reading the text single out the similarities and differences with the USA system of higher education. Answer the questions after the text:
