Without a doubt, the most important thing for an international student to consider when selecting a university in America is how well equipped that university is at dealing with international students. Without a working knowledge of special considerations that need to be made for international students, you may quickly find your career at a university to be unmanageable. Moving to a new country is enough to handle in the first place: adapting to an education there is, without a doubt, something in which you will need much guidance.

First, look online at the university’s website at their department dealing with foreign students. These departments should be fully staffed, with people who have previous experience working with students from different countries. Make sure that the staff seems like people with whom you can feel comfortable. They need to be people who you can ask any questions without feeling embarrassed or intrusive. They should give off the feeling of actively wanting to help you, not a feeling of wanting to be left alone or of being clueless about the subject you are asking about. Also, make sure that the department is affiliated with the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs or NAFSAh. Staff members who are members of this organization will be better prepared to handle international students, along with any paperwork that needs to be completed for access to the country. Read the rest of this entry »