The United States of America is a large nation in North America, often referred to as the “USA”, the “US”, the “United States”, “America”, or simply “the States”. There are 50 states, a federal district and 5 territories present in the USA. It’s applauded for its wide array of popular tourist destinations, ranging from the skyscrapers of Manhattan and Chicago, to the natural wonders of Yellowstone and Alaska, to the warm, sunny beaches of Florida, Hawaii and Southern California. The climate varies along with the geography, from tropical in Florida to tundra in Alaska. Large parts of the country have warm summers and cold winters. Some parts of the United States, like California, have a Mediterranean climate. The most used language in United States is English but it’s not the official language.

THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
The American education system is divergent from other countries. In the US, education is not the primarily responsibility of the federal government but the state and the local government. Every State has its own department of education and laws regulating finance, the hiring of school personnel, student attendance, and curriculum. The public education system is further divided into local school districts, managed by a school board, representing the local community in some states.
The American students attend primary school around the age of six. They attend five or six years and then go onto secondary school which consists of two programs: the first is “middle school” or “junior high school” and the second program is “high school.” A diploma or certificate is awarded upon graduation from high school and then may go on to college or university. College or university study is known as “higher education. In US, the courses are graded using percentages, which are converted into letter grades.
In Universities, the session begins from August or September and continues through May or June. The majority of the students begin in autumn. The academic year is consisted of two terms called semesters but in some schools three term calendar known as trimester system is used. Some others further divide the year into the quarter system of four terms, including an optional summer session.

THE US HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
It is divided into following levels:
Level 1 – Undergraduate
Level 2 – Postgraduate
Level 3 – Doctorate

TYPES OF US HIGHER EDUCATION:-
STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
A state college or university is run by state or local government.

PRIVATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY
Private college or universities are run as opposed to being run by a branch of the government. Tuition will usually be higher than state schools.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Community colleges are two-year colleges that award an associate’s degrees (transferable), as well as certifications.

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
An institute of technology is a school that provides at least four years of study in science and technology. Some have graduate programs, while others offer short-term courses.

LIST OF TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES IN AMERICA
Harvard University ( Massachusetts)
Stanford University ( Stanford )
University of California, Berkeley ( California )
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts )
California Institute of Technology ( California )
Princeton University ( Princeton )
Columbia University ( New York )
University of Chicago ( Chicago)
Yale University ( Connecticut )
University of California, Los Angeles ( Los Angeles )

LIST OF COURSES OFFERED BY AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
Arts and Humanities
Arts, Fashion, Geography, Linguistics, Philosophy, Modern Language, English Language and Literature, History
Business and Management
Accounting, Business, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing
Engineering and Technology
Aeronautical Engineering, Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science
Life Sciences and Medicine
Agriculture, Anthropology, Biology, Medical, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Psychology, Veterinary, Public Health
Natural Sciences
Astronomy, Earth and Marine Sciences, Mathematics, Metallurgy, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Physics
Social Sciences
Politics, Accounting, Education, Journalism, Law, Leisure and Tourism, Media and Communications, Sociology, Sports Science, Statistics, International relations, Politics

JOB PROSPECTS
ARTS AND HUMANITIES – Professor, Urban Planner or Environmentalist, Advertising account manager, Personal assistant/ Secretary, Picture researcher,/ editor, Presenter, Print Production manager/ Assistant, Public Relations officer.

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT – Accountancy, Advertising, banking, investment and financial services, General management, HR/personnel, Management consultancy, Public relations, Retail management, Sales and marketing.

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY – Analyst/programmer, Computer sales support, Database administrator, Information technology consultant, Software engineer/Trainer , Systems designer aerospace, biomaterials development, biomedical and medical technologies, civil engineering (consulting or contracting), electrical engineering and power generation, engineering design, ICT and telecommunications, industrial research, quality assurance and quality control, research and development, system analysis and software engineering.

LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICINE – Pharmacist, Nurse, Acupuncturist, Anthropologist, clinical researcher, counsellor, Hospital doctor, Microbiologist, Pharmacologist, Psychologist, Radiation Therapist, Radiographer, Social Worker, Speech and language and Therapist.

NATURAL SCIENCES – Actuarial work , Economic and statistical work, Scientific research design and development, Secondary school teacher, Marine biologist, Mathematician, Chemist, Environmentalist, Physicist, Geologist.

SOCIAL SCIENCES – Journalism, Management consultant, Market researcher , Solicitor, Barrister, Advice worker, Ancillary legal professions: legal clerk, licensed conveyance, Civil Service administrator, Excise and Inland Customs Officer, Higher education lecturer, Immigration officer, Passport Control, Insurance broker/insurance claims inspector/insurance underwriter, Local government administrator, Police officer.

STUDENT VISA
For studying in America, we have to apply for a Student Visa. There are two types of student visas:
F-1 (Student Visa) – This visa is for full-time students who enrolled in an academic or language program. They may stay in the US for the full length of their academic program plus 60 days but they must maintain a full-time course load and complete their studies by the expiration date listed on the I-20 form.J-1 (Exchange Visitor Visa) – The J-1 visa is issued for students needing practical training that is not available in their home country to complete their academic program. The training must be directly related to the academic program.