School Selection
1、Official University Websites
Note that the most important resource is the official website of each university! No VPN needed; simply search for the English name of the American university to find its official website.
2、Top Universities
☞ http://www.topuniversities.com/
The homepage features the well-known QS university rankings. A distinctive feature is that this website allows you to browse by different categories such as university rankings and course guides, making it ideal for those who prioritize program and curriculum settings.
3、Cappex
This website cleverly sets up a "register first, then search" process.
“WE’LL HELP YOU DISCOVER THE ONES THAT FIT YOU BEST“ A big slogan reads. Not only can you search for schools, but you can also find relevant scholarship information.
4、Unigo
Many people have recommended this website, which includes schools, scholarships, and jobs/internships.
But the most thoughtful part is that the website also includes student reviews and ratings for each school, making school selection more objective.
5、Shmoop
Rather than a school selection site, this website seems more like a powerful study and exam assistant! Abundant study materials—doesn't it spark your inner drive?
6、Peterson's
On the homepage, you can search for schools or browse by major; the links in the search results can directly jump to the registration page of the school's official website, where application requirements, contact information, and other details are clear at a glance.
7、CollegeBoard
☞ https://www.collegeboard.org/
This is the official website of the College Board, used for SAT registration and score sending, so all students applying to US undergraduate programs will register on this site.
At the same time, information such as school location, housing conditions, and tuition levels is comprehensively gathered on this site.
8、USNews Education
☞ http://www.usnews.com/education
The renowned USNews is here! It includes not only school rankings but also program rankings.
Additionally, application requirements and academic profiles of various institutions are covered, but viewing the full rankings requires payment.
9、College Navigator
☞ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
In addition to acceptance rates and score requirements, it also includes information on campus safety.
Study Abroad Process
1、US Visa Information
☞ travel.state.gov
2、Proof of Assets for US Student Visas
☞ blog.iefa.org
University Rankings
1、U.S. News Rankings
☞http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
Currently the most recognized ranking in China, its evaluation criteria are the most comprehensive, taking many factors into account, and it is the ranking that includes the most factors among all lists.
2、QS Rankings
☞ http://www.topuniversities.com/
World university rankings, evaluating universities based on four categories: research, teaching, student employment, and internationalization.
3、THE Rankings
☞https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings
The best-known global university ranking in the West.
4、Princeton Review Rankings
☞ http://www.princetonreview.com/
The ranking basis emphasizes the student perspective, and there are many categories, such as best overall university, best-managed university, best financial aid, best academics, most beautiful campus, best athletics, happiest students, most liberal students, most conservative students, etc.
5、Forbes Rankings
☞http://bestcollegerankings.org/popular-rankings/forbes-college-rankings/
It judges universities from a student perspective. Forbes, in partnership with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, compiles the rankings, evaluating the top 15% of over 4,000 US universities based on teaching quality, student experience, and student achievement.
Unlike some rankings that use school reputation and funding as criteria, this list focuses on the most important things for students, such as whether courses are interesting and beneficial, whether graduates find good jobs, whether students graduate within four years, and whether they accumulate heavy debt.
6、Unigo Rankings
Great for learning about a school— information is concise compared to official websites, clearly categorized, with reviews and ratings (1-10) from current students, and student-shot campus videos, allowing you to get a visual understanding of the campus environment and daily life.
It also has filter options to narrow down schools, though the options are simple: student population, location, admission difficulty, cost, and state.
7、Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
It is a Chinese national research project, authorized by the Chinese government and published by the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) is the earliest comprehensive global university ranking, with an emphasis on measuring research strength.
Major Selection & Career
1、PayScale Rankings
You can use it to find salary rankings for various US undergraduate and graduate majors.
2、College Application Feedback
Through this website, applicants can get guidance from professional mentors who understand the college application process, helping review applications.
Mentors provide professional guidance throughout the application process, including key deadlines, recommendations, and interviews. These mentors have extensive experience and deep understanding of US schools and the application process.
Sounds great, right? But these services are all fee-based, ranging from $250 to $5,500 depending on the service.
3、LinkedIn
☞ http://www.linkedin.com/edu/rankings/us/
Use it for job searching and networking.
Standardized Tests
Essential Websites for SAT, AP, and TOEFL Tests
☞ http://www.collegeboard.org/
On this site, you can search for standardized test scores, acceptance rates, school type, location, housing conditions, majors, sports and activities, credit information, costs, diversity levels, and school service systems, making it a fairly detailed resource.
Study Resources
☞APP：Prep4SAT or website http://prep4sat.com
This app uses an algorithm to quickly identify test-takers' weaknesses and guide them to improve scores in a targeted way.
☞ http://www.petersons.com/college-search/test-prep.aspx
A comprehensive website for searching foreign universities.
☞ http://directhitseducation.com/sat-vocabulary-blog/
Includes books and a website, known for precise word selection; highly recommended.
☞ http://www.kaptest.com/shoppingcart.jhtml?classids=373016949
Has many answers to common SAT questions, and you get a set of practice questions after registering.
☞ http://www.english-test.net/sat/
A comprehensive test prep website with module-based practice for grammar, sentence completion, reading, writing, etc., allowing targeted review.
☞ http://www.ivyglobal.ca/sat/
News, materials, school rankings, and practice tests—everything you need.
☞ https://www.vocabvideos.com/
Mainly vocabulary videos, lots of fun videos though not too clear. If you have weak willpower or unclear goals, you can use this to learn words while having fun.
☞ www.number2.com
Sends you a daily practice question, along with some vocabulary exercises.
☞ http://www.testyourvocab.com/
An online vocabulary test website, useful for regularly assessing your vocabulary progress during SAT word review.
☞ http://www.vocabtest.com/
Also an online vocabulary test, it can be sorted by grade and level and helps you identify frequently mistaken words.
☞ http://lang-8.com/
An online platform to test SAT writing skills; native English speakers will proofread for free—a must for improving writing!
College Life & Academics
1、Scholarship Search
☞ APP: Scholly
Website https://myscholly.com/#scholly
We often hear that hundreds of college scholarships go unclaimed each year. Scholly helps students find these scholarships through both a mobile app and a website.
Scholly matches students with applicable scholarships, using 8 parameters to provide a tailored list of scholarships for each student.
This platform is commonly used by American students, but since international students have a lower scholarship application rate, use it as you see fit.
2、Buying Books
☞ Bigwords.com
Enter the titles of the books you need, and this site will tell you how to get the cheapest copies!
For American college students, this is the easiest and most convenient way to save on textbook costs.
3、Professor Ratings
☞ Ratemyprofessors.com
On this site, you can find student reviews of professors. While these reviews may carry some personal bias and you shouldn't believe them entirely, you can still get useful feedback to help decide which professor's course to take.
4、Essay Writing
☞ Owl.english.purdue.edu
5、Citation Help
☞ Easybib.com
If you're unsure how to cite your sources, just enter the website, book title, or other source into the site, and you'll get a complete and correct citation.
6、Reading
☞ Sparknotes.com
This site collects materials on many required readings. If you're confused about a book or article you're reading, you'll find plenty of related resources here to help you.
7、File Sharing
☞ Dropbox.com
A website where you can save all your documents and files, and share them with others.
Simple and convenient, it's a great tool to ensure file sharing and prevent data loss!
Must-Have App Recommendations
1、Exchange Rate: iMoney
Calculating exchange rates can be a headache, right? Multiplying, dividing—the arithmetic you learned in school is completely forgotten. It can be a real struggle, and shopping often kills a bunch of brain cells.
With iMoney, things are much easier: 32 common currency conversions with ridiculously simple operation.
2、Language: Google Translate
Google Translate can translate words and phrases in over 60 languages.
For most languages, you can speak the phrase aloud and then hear the corresponding voice translation. Turn your phone sideways to display the translation in full screen, making it easy for others to read when you need help.
Star the translation results for the country you're visiting, so even offline, you can access past translation results.
Abroad, Google's services are very stable and fast.
3、Maps: Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the world's most popular travel guide. Whether in print or digital, many travelers abroad rely on LP to explore the world.
Purchase and download the content for your destination city to your phone, and you'll have a thorough knowledge of the city even without an internet connection.
Use GPS along with offline maps, and you won't get lost even in the most chaotic city.
4、Ride-Hailing: Uber
Coming to the US where public transportation isn't well-developed, do you often struggle with choosing a way to get around? Uber can save you when you can't find a taxi!
It offers users a variety of luxury vehicles and dedicated driver services, currently covering over fifty cities in 26 countries worldwide.
You can enjoy professional, dedicated driver service through both reservation and on-demand options. When meeting your wealthy friends, Uber will definitely make you look cool!
5、Outdoor Dining: Outdoor Eating
When we choose to embrace nature, the first big issue is food.
This app is essentially a crash course in "outdoor dining" on your personal device, covering 80 delicious recipes suitable for outdoor cooking.
Its thoughtful design ensures you can prepare everything you need before heading out, so you can eat happily and healthily during your trip.
6、Free Internet: WiFi Finder
We've long developed the good habit of never using our own data if there's free Wi-Fi. With WiFi Finder, you can find over 650,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in 144 countries and regions worldwide.
Combined with GPS, no matter which country or city you're in, you can quickly find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, making it easy to post on social media anytime. Isn't that cool?
7、 Accommodation: Airbnb
Don't want to stay in a cold hotel? Want to stay in a local's "homestay" to better experience the local lifestyle? Then try booking with Airbnb.
Bookings are mainly done on the web, and the Airbnb app's main uses are:
① After arriving at your destination, you can check the host's contact info, maps, etc. at any time;
② Add relevant info to Passbook in advance.
8、Expense Tracking: Toshl
After a trip, many friends will ask you "how much did you spend?" This expense tracking app is a five-star recommendation.
Simple interface: just enter a tag for each expense. Cloud-synced across multiple platforms, then exportable as PDF and various document formats. Supports RMB, euros, rupees, and basically any currency you can think of, with automatic exchange rate conversion.
For events like a trip, you can set a budget in advance, then specify a time range and certain tags to easily summarize your final expenses.
I hope this article helps you. If you have other questions about study abroad applications or essay writing, feel free to add "CheersYou（清柚教育） Bro (WeChat ID: qingyouge23)" for consultation~
