Admission requirements differ greatly from one institution to another.  All schools, however require students to submit official transcripts of courses and grades taken in high school and other post-secondary institutions and a formal application. Smaller schools require letters of recommendation. Most schools will require submission of standardized tests such as the TOEFL, and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), GRE (Graduate Record Exam), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), etc. Most of these tests are presented by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey. It is very important to begin the admission process early because in many cases application deadlines are far in advance of the start of the semester (sometimes as many as twelve months).  Students also need to allow time for scheduling any standardized tests needed for admission and then having the results of these tests sent to schools. Each college or university establishes its own unique policies regarding admissions.

Admission requirements differ greatly from one institution to another.  All schools, however require students to submit official transcripts of courses and grades taken in high school and other post-secondary institutions and a formal application. Smaller schools require letters of recommendation. Most schools will require submission of standardized tests such as the TOEFL, and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), GRE (Graduate Record Exam), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), etc. Most of these tests are presented by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey. It is very important to begin the admission process early because in many cases application deadlines are far in advance of the start of the semester (sometimes as many as twelve months). Students also need to allow time for scheduling any standardized tests needed for admission and then having the results of these tests sent to schools. Each college or university establishes its own unique policies regarding admissions.

There are four levels of degrees one can study for at an American college or university. They are:

• The A.A/A.S. degree or Associate's Degree
  

  A two-year degree given by a two-year community or junior college. It is possible to transfer from a two-year college to a four-year college for completing Bachelor's degree.
   

• The B.S. (Bachelor or Arts) or B.S. (Bachelor of Science) Degree
  

  Given after four years of study at an undergraduate college or university. This degree usually includes 60 credits of general education courses (Sociology, Psychology, History , Philosophy, etc;) plus 60 credits of specialization in the major. There are many types of Bachelor degrees- B.S.M.E. (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering), B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts), etc.