The best resource and free to all international students are EducationUSA Advisors in your country. Currently there are about 450 EducationUSA Advising Centers in 150 countries.

They are not supposed to promote or advertise for a specific college/Unviersity, but rather their jobs is to advise you on finding the right school that fits your career goal; assisting with the application process, entrance exams/testings, student visa and interview process. Once you are admitted/accepted and prior to your departure, the larger advising centers will hold Pre-Departure Orientation.

To find an advising center near you, go to http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php, click on region/country.

You should contact international admissions offices at universities you are interested in. Every school can have a different admissions application process so if you've found a school you like, speak to them directly to find out specifics. That way you can make a well educated decision about what school would be the best fit for you.

Dickie Hargrave University of North Texas, Denton, TX International Recruitment Manager www.international.unt.edu studyatunt@unt.edu

If you're interested specifically in what life is like as an international student, you should check out sites where students tell their stories about life in the US.

Examples are the State Department's Exchanges Connect social network (connect.state.gov) and i-student life (i-studentlife.com). I also manage a blog where international students write about their experiences studying in the US - everything from affording their education to studying in a non-native language to the types of culture shock they've experienced. You can read their stories on VOA's Student Union (http://blogs.voanews.com/student-union).

Jessica Stahl jstahl@voanews.com