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Chapter 1
Admissions & college choice
Applications, essays, English tests, and how to choose a school and a major abroad.
Applying abroad means learning a second system: a different calendar, different documents, and a different idea of what a strong application looks like. This chapter explains each step for the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, and links to the official page behind it.
What you will find here:
- how to compare universities and courses using the information each institution publishes about itself;
- how central application systems work, such as UCAS in the UK and the Common App in the US, and where each university sets its own rules;
- English tests: which ones a university or a visa accepts, and where to check;
- personal statements and essays: what each system asks for, written in your own words;
- how to read an offer, a conditional offer and the documents that follow it.
Every deadline in this chapter shows the date we last checked it. Deadlines differ by university and by year, so the university’s own admissions page always has the final word. Read how we check our sources in the editorial policy.
Guides in this chapter
AdmissionsIELTS vs TOEFL: which English test each destination accepts
IELTS and TOEFL compared: format, scores and the new TOEFL 1–6 scale, and which test each visa route and university accepts, with official sources.
AdmissionsStudy in Canada: requirements for international students
The study permit requirements for Canada in order: DLI acceptance, PAL or TAL, proof of funds, documents and fees, each from canada.ca with a checked date.
AdmissionsUK grading system explained for international applicants
How UK degree classes, master's grades and A levels work, and how two UK universities convert US GPA, Indian percentages and Nigerian classes to a 2:1.