🇺🇸 How to apply to university in the United States

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: Late August or September (the fall semester) for most new students; many colleges also admit for January.

Checked on 20 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

The essentials

Application system: None — apply to each institution on its own website.
When programmes start: Late August or September (the fall semester) for most new students; many colleges also admit for January.
International applicants: International students apply to each college directly, the same way as U.S. students — usually through the Common App, the Coalition application or the college's own form — and need an I-20 from the college for the F-1 visa.
Language: TOEFL, IELTS or another test the college accepts, where your schooling wasn't in English; requirements differ by college.

Key dates

There is no national deadline — each college sets its own. EducationUSA says undergraduate applications are typically due between November and January for a September start. Typically, early-round deadlines (early decision or early action, where a college offers them) fall in November and regular-decision deadlines in January; some colleges admit on a rolling basis. Check each college's international admissions page.

The dates for the next intake haven't been published yet. We add them once the official source does.

Your checklist

The usual steps for an international student applying to a bachelor's in the United States, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Talk to an EducationUSA adviser (free, in most countries) and shortlist colleges that fit your grades, budget and subject.
2.Check each college's requirements for international applicants: transcripts, recommendation letters, essay, and whether it wants SAT/ACT scores.
3.Take an English test if your school wasn't taught in English — each college sets which tests and scores it accepts.
4.Apply to each college by its own deadline — through the Common App, the Coalition application or the college's own form, whichever it accepts.
5.Apply for financial aid or scholarships at the same time; many colleges have separate, earlier aid deadlines for international students.
6.Accept an offer, show proof of funds and receive your Form I-20 from the college.
7.Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (it needs details from your I-20), then apply for the F-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate — it can be issued up to 365 days before your start date.
8.Arrange housing and travel; you may enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the start date on your I-20.

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Next steps

Sources

Written by CollegeMatcher in our own words from these official pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Dates change every year.

EducationUSA — Complete your application (undergraduate)