Studying abroad in the US is a great experience and offers great value to students, both personally and for their resume. Whether you are studying at another university for one semester, a long-held wish to spend a few months abroad or discovering funding programs of the German Academic Exchange Service can be the trigger for studying abroad. Especially America attracts many young people, both as a country and as a location of many excellent universities.
These advantages bring with it a study abroad

Going to study in another country widens the horizons, improves the language, matures the personality and makes you feel good in the CV Also, studying offers the perfect time to go abroad. One is young, has a solid framework through the study and thus a good opportunity to meet people and make new contacts and also a student visais usually easier to get than a work visa for the US. In addition, studying abroad offers the opportunity to plan generous time to travel and to explore the new country, for example during the semester break or on the weekends. Friendships and contacts made during the study period can last a lifetime, and many students discover a second home in the distance during a semester abroad, to which they continue to draw many years after their time there.

Study abroad in the USA

The most common route to study abroad leads most students to the ERASMUS program, which organizes and financially supports one or two semesters abroad at a European partner university of their own alma mater. For countries outside Europe the ERASMUS program is not planned. Many students who want to go abroad and out of Europe without ERASMUS are attracted to the USA. The land of limitless possibilities, known from so many films, lures with longing places like New York or California, and those who have the chance to spend a semester or two in the US will immerse themselves in the lives of Americans and get to know the country differently a vacation.
Studying in America: Campus life up close

The peculiarity of many American universities compared to the German universities is that they are campus universities. This principle is unusual in Germany, often the universities in the German cities are organized decentralized and the students live in different dormitories or private apartments across the city. At the university one comes only for lectures and courses and for learning. In the US, most campus students' entire lives are spent on campus. They live, eat, learn, relax and celebrate in the same place and spend a lot of time exclusively on the campus. The campus of a university is a small town of its own, with lecture halls and dormitories, cafés, restaurants and libraries.

The fact that the American students not only see each other in the lectures, but spend almost their entire study life together, the cohesion among the students is very strong, which also benefits German students abroad. The sense of community is high and who as a German studies in the United States, will have no problems quickly find a connection. Close contacts is easy and a good time abroad is almost inevitable. The relationship with the supervisors and lecturers is usually narrower than in Germany. Study groups are smaller, cooperation between students and teaching staff is tight and the relationship is often more intense than in Germany.

Go to the US for all your studies? No problem

Anyone who would like to spend not just one or two semesters abroad, but also all of his studies in the USA can do it. The organization is, however, much more complex than if it is only for a few semesters. Nevertheless, it is quite an option after a bachelor in Germany, for example, to make the master in the US. For example, the home university may have contacts with American universities and may assist in applying for a Masters degree. Overall, students are much more on their own when it comes to organizing their entire study in the US (whether Bachelor or Master or just one of them) than if they have a German university behind them, as is the case with a semester abroad. However, it is a possibility and, above all, a great opportunity to study in the USA.
The most important requirement: no studies without proven English skills

If you live in the USA for several years, you will also be immersing yourself more intensively in the culture and everyday life on the ground and getting to know the country and its people even better. Applying for a degree program is on your own, the application information, which requirements must be met, etc. are best accessed via the websites of the universities in question.

The most important requirement for studying in the USA is English proficiency. It's not possible without them. If you are unsure about your English and would like to refresh your knowledge before starting your studies, you can take a language course at the university (or at private institutions). However, as a foreign student, admission to a degree program usually requires proof of a language test such as the TOEFL test. The knowledge of English should be there, otherwise it is not possible to study at the university.
An international career orientation thanks to USA studies

Anyone who wants to spend his entire studies in the USA as a German must be aware that he qualifies for the American and also for the international labor market, which of course is an advantage. However, depending on the orientation, it may be difficult to get a job in Germany again with a degree from the USA, as country-specific knowledge may be required. For example, law is one of the subjects that can not easily be studied in Country X and practiced in Country Y, and there are limits in other disciplines as well. But if that does not cause you any headaches or if you are just looking for an international career,
Some peculiarities of studying in the USA

Overall, the study in the US is much more scholar than in Germany. There are more lectures, more frontal lessons and less discussion and course offerings than at German universities. In addition, there is often a compulsory attendance. Especially those who know the German system will find the American very different, and not everyone is accused of this schooled form of teaching. But the support ratio between lecturers and students is often narrower, which many students find pleasant.

Important to know for USA applicants is: colleges are the usual form of higher education students take their bachelor's degree. These programs usually last four years. For a Master, students have to go to the Universities. The master's degree courses usually last two years.

There are countless programs in the USA as well as in Germany. Anyone who already knows what he wants to study can choose the various universities that offer this program. Those who do not yet know which course of studies they want to prove exactly, can be inspired on the websites of the universities.
What does studying in the USA cost?

Another important point besides the visa is the cost of studying in the US. Higher education is significantly more expensive in the US than in Germany, and anyone who chooses to study in the US, depending on the university, can expect to pay between US $ 2,000 and US $ 30,000 per year. In private elite universities, annual costs usually start at just $ 30,000. Financing the study is therefore an important issue and, if possible, an attempt should be made to get a scholarship or other financial support. For a semester abroad, for example, a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service is conceivable; anyone who would like to spend all their studies in the USA can also apply for scholarships. In addition, the cost of flights, the cost of private living and straight students who come to the US for one or two semesters, usually want to look at the country in their free time. Since America is not a cheap place and traveling there is relatively expensive in relation to other countries, money must be budgeted for.
Complete the proper insurance cover

In order to be well insured during your stay in the US, it is important to take out a health insurance policy. For students who spend several months or even years in the country, there are special rates. Without overseas health insurance, you should not risk going across the pond - after all, the cost of medical treatment in the US is higher than in any other country.