United States
Four-year degrees where you usually choose a major after a year or two, and where the application is read as a whole rather than scored on marks alone.
How the degree is shaped
Four years, with the first year or two spent on general requirements across several subjects.
You declare a major later, so arriving undecided is normal rather than a problem.
Admission is made by a committee reading the whole application, not by a rank on a single test.
Before you go further
What Indian applicants are routinely not told
None of this is hidden — it is on the official sites. It is simply not what the material aimed at you leads with.
Marks are one part of the application. Essays, what you have done outside class, and letters from people who taught you carry real weight — which is unfamiliar if you have prepared for Indian entrances.
Many universities are currently test-optional, and which ones changes year to year. Check each institution rather than assuming.
Financial aid for international students varies enormously between universities and is decided by each of them, not by any central body.
The route in
Applying through Common App
One application sent to many universities, though a number of institutions apply through their own systems instead. Each university adds its own questions.
Open Common App (official site, opens in a new tab)
Link reached the official site on 23 August 2026. We did not read the page — dates and eligibility are published there.
We link to it and take nothing from you for doing so. Deadlines, requirements and fees are published there and change between cycles — this page does not track them.
Tests usually involved
SAT
Aptitude testA reasoning test in reading, writing and mathematics, used mainly by universities in the United States. Many now treat it as optional, and which ones do changes between cycles.
ACT
Aptitude testThe other United States aptitude test, covering English, mathematics, reading and science. Universities that accept one generally accept the other.
TOEFL
English language testAn English language test widely accepted in the United States and elsewhere. Institutions publish their own required score.
Duolingo English Test
English language testA shorter, cheaper online English test accepted by a growing but limited set of institutions. Check whether the specific university accepts it before sitting it.
Official source
Permission to study is decided by this body. We do not summarise what it requires — those rules change, they are regulated, and getting them second-hand is how people lose money.
U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs (official site, opens in a new tab)
The official site answered on 23 August 2026 but declined our automated check. The link is live; open it directly.