Guides
Up-to-date guides for international students: choosing programs, applying, costs, campus life and careers in the US.
172 articles
- UC Berkeley’s MFA in Art Practice: Richmond Field Station Studios, Funding and How to Apply The University of California, Berkeley's Department of Art Practice offers one of the smallest and most selective studio art MFA programs in the country. This guide covers how the two-year program is structured, where its students work, what funding the department describes, and… Apr 14, 2025
-
Can U.S. Border Officers Search Your Phone? A Guide for International Students
Can a U.S. border officer look through your phone or laptop when you arrive at the airport? Yes. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can inspect electronic devices of anyone entering the United States, including international students, without a warrant. Searches are still … Apr 9, 2025
- UC Davis Summer Sessions: How Summer Courses Work and What International Students Should Know Summer is an optional fourth term at most quarter-system universities, and at the University of California, Davis it is a large one. This guide explains, as of November 2026, how UC Davis Summer Sessions work, why students use them, what they cost, and the visa rules internation… Apr 8, 2025
-
Beyond the U.S. News Rankings: How to Judge a University by Career Outcomes, Cost and Fit
Every spring and fall, universities announce their latest places in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. When the University of Washington's Information School tied for No. 1 in library and information studies in the 2025 Best Graduate Schools list, for example, the university… Apr 8, 2025
- Immigration Legal Help in Connecticut: A Guide for UConn and International Students Immigration questions rarely come at a convenient time. A SEVIS record changes, a visa is revoked while you are abroad, a family member is worried about enforcement, or someone on campus is approached by federal agents. For students at the University of Connecticut and other Con… Apr 5, 2025
- Professional Headshots and Your Online Presence: A Guide for College Students A profile photo is often the first thing a recruiter sees on LinkedIn or Handshake, and for international students the rest of your online presence now matters for visas as well as jobs. This guide explains how to get a professional headshot cheaply (often free through your coll… Apr 5, 2025
- Didn’t Match into Residency? How SOAP Works and Your Options for Reapplying Every March, thousands of medical students and graduates learn on the Monday of Match Week that they did not match into a U.S. residency program. Not matching is painful, but it is not the end of a medical career: there is a structured way to compete for unfilled positions durin… Apr 2, 2025
- ASA DataFest: How the Undergraduate Data Analysis Competition Born at UCLA Works ASA DataFest is a weekend data-analysis competition for undergraduates, held each spring at universities across the United States. It started at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is now sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA). For students inte… Apr 2, 2025
- NC State’s Fashion and Textile Design Major: What It Offers and How to Apply North Carolina State University offers its fashion degree through the Wilson College of Textiles rather than an art school, so design studio work is combined with textile science. This guide explains, as of November 2026, what the B.S. in Fashion and Textile Design (FTD) covers,… Apr 1, 2025
- Duke in Berlin: How Duke’s Study Abroad Program in Germany Works Duke in Berlin is one of Duke University's longest-running study abroad programs. It was founded while Germany was still divided by the Berlin Wall, has run for nearly 40 years, and is administered by Duke's Global Education Office (GEO) and sponsored by the Department of German… Mar 30, 2025
Comparing colleges?
Put up to six colleges side by side: rankings, admission rates, costs and graduation rates.