In order to acquire an education in the United States, there are several necessary documents one must have.

One needs to acquire a student visa and a certificate of eligibility and to fill up several other forms aside from the applications one is to send out to prospective academic institutions.

Ok – try not to get overwhelmed.

Lets take this one step at a time.

First a foremost, before one can be issued a student visa, there are several requirements one must obtain, forms one must fill up and submit.

(*taken from UnitedStatesVisas.gov)

1. A certificate of eligibility which you must get from your sponsoring educational institution in the U.S. If you are a regular student (an F visa) youll get Form I-20. If you are part of an approved exchange program (a J visa) youll get Form DS-1920.

* Further clarification will be made regarding student visas in an upcoming post.

2. Application Form DS-156

3. Form DS-158

4. Current, valid passport or travel document

5. Photograph. Requirements are strict for photograph size, type and quality. Please check with your nearest consulate for specifications before you get your picture taken.

6. Application fees. All applicants must pay the application fee. Some applicants, according to nationality and type of visa, must also pay an issuance fee.

7. Evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States

8. Evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad

For men between 16 and 45 years of age, a supplemental visa application Form DS-157 is also required.

Applications for student visas are sent through the US Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin.

An important thing to remember about applying for a student visa is to apply early – that is, one is allowed to apply 90 days in advance of the date of enrollment stated in ones certificate of eligibility.

Still hungry?

Savor these starters, while I brew up the next post.

A Slice of American Pie is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

The University of Phoenix online program offers students the opportunity to achieve: Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate level degrees in the areas of: Business, Information Systems, Education, Nursing, and Technology at their own pace and from the comfort of home.

The Master of Business Administration program or MBA Online Degree Program offered by the University of Phoenix is designed to enable a student taking management courses, to gain or advance the skills needed to function effectively within an organization. Through specialized coursework developed to build and enhance these skills, students will create and defend solutions for problems in crisis management, profitable growth opportunities, and changes in leadership. Throughout the course of this program students will gain the knowledge and experience to turn volatile -situations into well-managed problems. Students will have the chance to apply different tools and concepts towards achieving this, as well as analyzing a variety of alternate solutions to common problems in management. Students will select a course of action for solving situations, and then defend their choice.

The Master of Business Program at the University of Phoenix employs the use of problem-based learning, where students can polish their problem-solving skills, as well as improve their communication, creativity, information processing, and critical thinking skills. Student progress is assessed by the students ability to demonstrate effectively through classroom presentations: their skills in problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking.

Students are grouped together in learning teams. These learning teams will apply the principles of benchmarking throughout the course to research the most creative solutions to any given problem. This gives a learner a broader selection of alternatives for solving problems.

The MBA Degree Program offered by the University of Phoenix consists of 39 credit hours and includes 3 proficiency courses. These are (MBA501, MBA502, MBA503) which may be satisfied through an undergraduate business degree, undergraduate coursework, or graduate coursework. Students may also waive 9 additional credits through graduate courses and may even qualify for a 21-hour residency. Ask your UOP Online Education Counselor, for more details about this waiver and residency, if you think you may qualify.

A review of The University of Phoenix Online MBA Degree is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

The program is designed to integrate into students lives and to be applicable to their current job situations right from the start. Its accelerated pace is helpful in allowing students to utilize what they have learned in the program as quickly as possible in their work environment. The courses are designed to explore management and organization processes and apply them to a global business environment.

The MBA program is 43 credits and consists of a 1-credit foundation course and seven 6-credit seminars. Each seminar is 14 weeks long. Students have 3 weeks off between each seminar. Students are grouped into a cohort of about 30 students who stay together during the duration of the MBA program. A facilitator is assigned to each cohort.

The seminars required to complete the online MBA program are: MBA Fundamentals (1 credit); The Role of Managers and Organizations in Society (6 credits); The Dynamics of Individuals and Groups in Work Organizations (6 credits); The Marketing of New Ideas (6 credits); Technology and Operations Management (6 credits); Economics of Management Decisions (6 credits); Organizations and the External Environment (6 credits); and Strategic Action Planning/Elective Component (6 credits). In addition all students are required to complete a noncredit course, Introduction to Graduate Library Research Skills, within their first 6 credits of study.

The seminars are taught by experts in the field. The faculty members all have extensive professional and management experience. In addition, more than 89 percent of them hold a doctorate degree. Students also have a facilitator assigned to them who will stay with them throughout the entire program.

U of MD University College MBA program has a streamlined general admissions process that can be completed online. Admission into their online MBA program does not require the completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). There are also no residency requirements.

To apply, prospective students need to complete the online application for admission, send in the application fee, and write a personal statement. Once the application is received, applicants will receive further instructions on submitting their transcripts and other pertinent information. The status of an application can be tracked online.

Upon completion of U of MD University College MBA program students have the option of continuing on to earn a dual degree. During any point of the MBA program students may inform the college that they are interested in pursuing a second degree in the following areas: Master of International Management; Master of Science in E-Commerce; Master of Science in Health Care Administration; or Master of Science in Management. Students have a full seven years from the date of completion of the first graduate course to complete their dual degree.

A review of the University of Maryland Online MBA Degree is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), which count prestigious Jesuit schools such as Georgetown, Boston College, Fordham University, and the University of San Francisco, as members.

Online Regis University is the largest multimedia-based MBA program in the country today. All of this is due to the universitys ability to utilize the most modern technologies and software, to bring its excellent teaching methods, materials, and faculty expertise to the net.

The online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program seeks to educate students about the domestic and international business environments, identify the elements that influence the dynamics, as it provides students the strategies, skills, and tools; they will need to make intelligent decisions.

The Regis MBA curriculum, with its 11 courses is certainly reflective of the program objectives. Each of these courses is structured to complement the knowledge gained from the preceding courses.

The Regis University online MBA degree curriculum, accomplishes this aim, with the use of four course levels.

The first course is appropriately called the FOUNDATION COURSE, and is a required course for all MBA students.

Essentials of Business Development I & II

At the end of these two foundation courses, the student will have an enhanced grasp of basic business concepts & principles, statistical modeling macro and microeconomics, business financials, cash flow and management, through lectures and case studies.

The second level is composed of CORE COURSES. These are required courses for all MBA students and the course emphasizes the use of critical business skills.

The Economics of Management

At the end of this course, the student will have the improved ability to utilize methods, concepts and models both quantitatively and qualitatively, from a managerial perspective.

Ethical and Legal Environment of Business

This course focuses on the ethical strategies the MBA student can utilize when confronted by issues for the publics good. Such issues as labor laws, product liability, public issues management and administrative procedures, are covered.

The EMPHASIS COURSE is the third level course. There are seven courses for each MBA program and they are more generally known as degree -specific courses.

These course titles are revealing of subjects focus.

Issues in International Business

Financial Decision Making

Marketing Management

Electronic Business Systems

Managing Change

Managerial Leadership

Innovations in Operations

Strategies in a Global Environment

This is the last level, called the CAPSTONE COURSE, and is required of all MBA students. By the end of this course the MBA student will have superior management skills to identify and critically examine how international economic, political, business and financial factors, affect the long-range plans of the company.

In short, a Regis University online MBA degree, will improve the graduates ability to become an outstanding leader, enjoy career advancement, income and personal satisfaction.

A review of the Regis University Online MBA Degree is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

An average student has to spend three hours of study for every hour spent in class. Fifteen hours per week is the average time for a university course. Depending upon the university courses subject, classes may be held during the evening, afternoon or in the day. To support the academic university courses, they may also have to attend the clubs, athletics, recreational activities and societies.

The overall requirement for the degree along with the degree elements will be explained to the students by the faculty advisor. The advisor should be kept informed if the student has any specific area of interest or careers in mind while selecting the university courses. The university courses can be chosen by the students based on their degree requirements, schedules and their interests.

During the transition to the university course, there will be a peer mentor or an upper class student studying in the same degree program to assist the first year students undergoing the university course.

Study skills are enhanced by free workshops conducted through out the year. By appointment and during the regular hours of office, the professors will also assist the students to overcome any problems faced by them during their university course period. For specific classes, tutorials and labs facilities will also be available for the students. In case of difficulties, the students studying a university course are encouraged to contact professors, faculty advisors or counselors to overcome their problems.

The cost of university courses depends upon the area of study and the lifestyle of the student. The technology fee, student fees and tuition fee are standard and must be paid by the students.

Each university course focuses on its studies. To cite an example, languages, politics, history, psychology are people oriented university courses in the Bachelor of Arts program. Where as the university courses under Bachelor of Science programs such as statistics, mathematics or biology are not people oriented.

Within a university course, in the degree program, a major should be chosen by the students. Within the overall degree, this is a specific study area. The majority of the courses will be related to the specific discipline when a major subject is chosen by the student. A student selecting history as his major in his university course will be studying more history related material than any other areas of study within that course.

Whilst selecting the university courses, try to find out the courses disliked during high school and concentrate more on the courses liked. To find more about the interesting university courses, make an appointment with the liaison officer for a discussion. Take a tour of the universities and colleges to find out more about the courses available.

A Guide To Choosing A University Course is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Writing one’s College Admission Essay is not the same as writing a research paper. This means that one’s essay should not be formulaic as though one is just stating facts about oneself. There’s a tendency for most admission essays to be boring and lifeless if one writes it in the form of research paper. The moment that the admission officers discover that one’s writing and essay is a complete drag, they are likely to miss the important details contained in the essay even though the credentials are excellent. The first thing an applicant has to remember is that Admission officers want the essay to be personal and imaginative. The next thing they have to take note of is how to write something personal without making it appear as a lifeless paper. The trick for this is to make the tone of the essay a conversational one. Since one is talking about his life, narrate it in a light humorous tone as though one is talking to another person like a friend. In this way, one will definitely get the focus and the hearts of the admission officers. People should freely express themselves. It is observed that the grammar is not given so much concern because the Admission officers are not reading an essay to find out if the applicant knows about subject-verb agreement. The application essays were created so that the Admission officers will know the applicant’s attitude and outlook in life.

The student’s goals in writing their College Admission Essay should always be to make it memorable. The applicant should ensure that the readers will peruse the essay from beginning up to the end. One can use witty catch phrases as well as funny stories and jokes as a springboard to start introducing one’s topic. Speaking of topics, it is best to stick with personal experiences rather than re-stating one’s resume or academic transcripts. Admission Officers are on the prowl to find unique personalities that will blend with the school’s standards and environment. They are after the authentic person behind the numbers and statistics i.e. grades. Another thing that the students have to remember in writing College Application Essay is to be original and individual. This means that their writing should reflect the unique individual creature that they truly are. Being creative and imaginative does not really have to be fictional. One’s admission essay should be true, honest, and most importantly sincere. The Admission officers can go beyond the beautiful words and detect if it’s true or not. Aside from that, Admission officers read thousands of essays, and they can’t recall everything they read. Thus, it is the applicant’s job to make a real impression on the reader. Make your essay fun and exciting. Don’t simply provide a lifeless detailed paper about yourself; instead show them colors and wonders of your personality.

A Fun College Application Essay Will Be Remembered is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

It was estimated by the US Census Bureau that a bachelor degree holder earns approximately $2.1 million over 40 years of his working life. The drastic truth is that a college graduator can expect to earn nearly a million dollar more than his school-educated neighbor does. This sizeable stretch and notable disparity of lifetime earnings raised demand, boosted popularity, and consolidated American firm faith in the value and significance of higher education.

According to the survey conducted for the Chronicle of Higher Education the American nation continues to have a confidence in the value of a college degree, with more than the half of respondents saying it is essential for success.

The fact that college education is rewarding financially and economically to the individuals and the entire country is not a secret for anybody. An economic value of qualified and competent specialists is notable and reflects as a weighty factor, which has a great impact on the rapid economic growth of the country.

Benefits you can reap of higher education

However, there is a number of benefits you can get from getting a college degree:

1. First, college degree is your guarantee of financial independence, stability and secure future you can enjoy, having a steady profession and being armed with a set of practical skills and sound knowledge.

2. The world is changing constantly, so no one knows what to expect tomorrow. Therefore, we should be ready for everything, having a solid ground under our feet. Higher education is your solid ground, which can provide you with a confidence for future, and immunity from economical drops.

3. Higher education can give you an opportunity to master a profession with good job opportunities and skills, which are in demand. After all, education permits you to have steady and gross income.

4. A college degree gives you a great chance to be a master of your own life. Educated person has much more leeway and freedom of choice not only in the respect of career opportunities, but also in sense of moral and spiritual values.

5. Higher education can provide you with a possibility to be a free thinker, to see obvious in hidden implication, to analyze, generalize, and make conclusions. In a word, it uncovers the essence of being and helps increase the understanding of the world.

6. You can realize the most cherished and precious dreams of yours, to become a pilot, to have a gorgeous house on the seaside, to have a chic expensive car.Education makes your dreams come true.

7. Higher education expands your knowledge base, sharpens your critical thinking, and consolidates your confidence.

8. Your college experience can be both life affirming and career enhancing. The classroom and the coursework expose you to diverse people and ideas.

Overall, it is practically impossible to enumerate all the opportunities you can get with a college degree in hands and acquired knowledge in brain, though you should remember the only one thing that the world higher education opens before you is boundless and versatile.

Education gives you something that cant be measured in terms of money that you can earn. It is impossible to place power, freedom, and independence you possess being educated on the same footing as material benefits you can enjoy. You cant buy it for any price, but can easily get with higher education.

A College Degree Is Worth Millions is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

Invariably the vast majority of freshers will be pleasantly surprised. The University or College will be populated by a broad variety of people, from many walks of life with a diverse range of outlooks and opinions. Look beyond the initial confines of your college, house or dorm, the establishment will have many more people who will share similar interests to yourself. Some of the tips we have received from other students:

1. Meet as many people as you can, introduce yourself, smile and be confident. Everyone is in the same boat whether he or she appears to be or not.

2. Be yourself. Real friends will want to know you for who you are, warts and all!

3. Keep your opinions about others to yourself until you know whom you can trust

4. Take your washing to the laundry. Dont save it all up to take back home to mum at the hols. She really wont want five minging black bags to see to.

5. Have a good time

6. Join a few societies at first week fairs. If youre not sure its for you but are interested take note of an e-mail/ contact address to get more details later. Its sometimes hard to find the right contacts later, its a big place.

7. Phone home and let your family know youre all right, (even if you dont exactly feel it). Theyre probably more worried than you are.

8. Everyone feels at least a little homesick at first, and worried or just on a down. Talk to new friends you feel you can trust, and maybe write/call friends at home.

9. Youre at Uni for a few years, make the most of it, its over before you know it. Then youll miss the freedom and long holidays.

10. Keep in touch with family and friends at home, e-mail is easiest.

11. Dont hang round with one little group ignoring everyone else. Youll miss out on the chance of making other good friends as well.

12. Seriously dont be careless with your money – it is the little extras here and there that have a way of quickly draining your bank account!

13. Dont let peer pressure turn you into a beer-monster; you dont have to drink all the time. If friends have a problem with you ordering soft drinks when you want, theyre probably not the friends you need. Drinking soft drinks is easier on the pocket, not to mention healthier.

14. Beer sessions.. It’s a good idea to leave the beer until the weekend when you haven’t got to worry as much about getting it together the next day.

15. Don’t let everything get bottled up. Talk to somebody, family and friends or a student help line. Being away from home, especially for the first time can make you feel well lonely and lost. Talking about it usually puts everything into perspective.

16. Cooking. The curry house on the corner may do student specials. Take-away burgers may an easy option when you have a stack of work to do. But your money won’t see you through the term. It really will be like throwing it away. Try cooking. Get a few basics in, salt, pepper, gravy mix, (goes with everything). If youre house sharing, perhaps chip in. Veg stews are pretty easy, gut-filling and cheap, especially if you go to the veg shop. Youll find a good cookbook worth the investment too. Ask the bookshop for one for the catering students course! Itll have everything step by step.

17. When youre going out for the night. Take just as much as you need, or want to spend. Its very easy to have a few more beers when youve already had a few.

18. Clubs and stuff, almost all charge a joining a fee or pay-as-you-go. They are excellent for meeting people, blowing off steam, getting invites, finding something to take your mind off your subjects for an hour or two. But they can have a scary impact on your pocket. Whilst you may want to try climbing, sky diving, hockey and archery, stick to a few you know youll like and will be able to keep up with. You wont have time for all of them anyway.

19. Live your first year as best as you can, youre only a fresher once.

20. The ”B” word .. When you have a fat student loan in your bank balance, the easiest thing to do is spend it, its just sitting there itching to be used. Dont. (Or starve) Theres this word youll know very well by the time you leave University ”Budget”. Plan ahead so you dont end up with too much debt. Sit down and work out what youve got coming in, what has to go out, rent etc. If theres anything left over divide that by how many weeks until the next cheque clears. Then half that; you will need panic money some way down the line. Remember theres always stuff youll need that you dont put in the budget, stuff you just overlook – shampoo, photocopying, and toothpaste.

20 Secrets To Surviving In Your First Semester At University or College is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

The senior school I went to was an all boys school. A number of the boys in my year were out of control, quite wayward and disruptive. What they required was a strong and firm teacher who was not afraid to kick them into line.

In a class of thirty boys it only needs a couple of bad apples to turn the teachers life into a bit of a nightmare. I have to say that at times I felt sorry for a number of these teachers who it has to be said looked like they were struggling to cope. In these classes where the teacher struggles to keep control, the whole class are affected and the standard of education for the people who are their to learn will drop. The teacher is having to spend so much time in trying to calm down and control the disruptive pupils that they have little other time to spend on teaching the other children.

I saw this happen time and time again to such a point it became very boring. What these annoying and disruptive kids needed in my opinion was one hard slap and another one if the first did not work.

In the first three years of senior school in Maths, we had a teacher who was so good it was untrue. She was called Mrs Washbourne and was as hard as nails. Not one boy dared to mess about in her class and they all had respect for her as a teacher. I really enjoyed going to her lessons and at the end of the third year I managed to finish second out of one hundred and eight boys in the final exam. I was very proud of this performance and Mrs Washbourne stated that I was heading for an A grade at GCSE level.

The problem was that Mrs Washbourne was only qualified to teach up to the end of this third year. I now had a maths teacher who even though on paper was more qualified than Mrs Washbourne was in truth so far off her standard it was unbelievable. He had no control over his class at all and was not even able to look at your eyes when he was speaking to you. The naughty boys of the class were in heaven once more and yet again I was unable to concentrate and receive the standard of teaching I desired.

In the final examination I only managed to obtain a grade C, no doubt this was partly my fault, however I also blame a poor teacher and the overall standard of education at my school.

Why The Standard Of Teacher In Schools Are So Important is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com

For students, its very hard to juggle a job with school and family life. Thats what makes an online education so attractive. Students have the ability to fit their coursework into a schedule that works for them, while still holding down a full time job and taking care of responsibilities at home. Getting an online college diploma offers students a chance to obtain a college education without shirking their other duties. This works especially well for older students who didnt go to college right out of high school and instead chose to pursue a career. Whether you work best at two in the afternoon or two in the morning, online diplomas offer the convenience and flexibility you need in your busy life.

For other students, the idea of sitting in a classroom is not very appealing. Many potential students desire to obtain a degree, but are turned off by the thought of having to work at the pace of others. By choosing to obtain a degree online, you have the ability to work at your own pace. Whether you want to focus and complete your coursework ahead of schedule, or feel that you will need extra time during certain portions of the class to truly master some of the more difficult concepts, an online degree provides you with the flexibility and options your desire.

Additionally, with online diplomas you are still receiving the same level of education you would in a traditional classroom. Oftentimes, the scope of your degree program even allows you to learn more information than you would in a classroom. Because students are not limited by geography, you also open up wider connections to network and are able to obtain assistance and support from your teachers and classmates via internet chat rooms, forums and of course e-mail. These methods of communication allow for quick feedback, and you cant beat the convenience.

If youre interested in getting an online college diploma, you dont have to worry about the level of respect youll receive from other colleges or employers. In most cases, online diplomas are still well respected in the workforce, and as long as they are properly accredited you will have no trouble furthering your education at other colleges or universities, whether online or off. So, not only do you reap the benefits online university diplomas offer in terms of convenience and networking opportunities, but will still receive the same level of respect you would if your degree came from a traditional brick and mortar facility.

Receiving an online college diploma can help you achieve your educational goals in a convenient manner, and allow you to juggle multiple responsibilities much more effectively than a traditional classroom setting would allow. The benefits to receiving online diplomas are endless, and students everywhere are turning to the internet to further their education. While traditional learning institutions will never be abolished, the internet offers multiple opportunities to succeed in your educational goals, and provides a flexible environment for you to do so.

Why Should You Get An Online College Diploma? is a post from: Reference Education Center | FTP2009Istanbul.com