Most U.S. universities expect international students to have a secondary school diploma or secondary school examination results that would enable them to attend a university in their home country. This is particularly true of the most competitive universities, which look for students with high grades (among other things). However, remember that there is a wide range of admission standards and acceptance rates among U.S. universities and colleges. Since the U.S. system of education places great emphasis on breadth of knowledge, it is also important that your secondary school study has included a variety of subjects such as English, mathematics, natural sciences (physics, chemistry, and/or biology), humanities or social sciences (history, geography, economics, politics, or similar subjects), and a foreign language. Lastly, universities will not usually accept international students who are younger than age 17.

A basic requirement for successful study in the United States is the ability to communicate in English. If English is not your native language, U.S. universities and colleges will ask you to take an English language proficiency test before admitting you to a degree program. Almost all institutions require that this test be the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A few may accept scores from other examinations or administer their own tests. For further information, check each college's catalog or contact the admissions office to discuss your situation. As with many areas of U.S. education, each institution sets its own English language admission standard, but some general guidelines on requirements are given in the section on TOEFL scores below. Some institutions may grant conditional acceptance with the understanding that you must attend English language classes at their college prior to starting your degree program. Once you have reached the required English language level, you will be able to start your studies. Keep in mind, however, that in some cases it may be difficult for you to obtain a student visa in your country if you cannot prove sufficient command of the English language to begin study in the United States.

The test is offered on many days in the month, but only at a limited number of computer-based testing centers. You may have to travel some distance to reach the nearest test center. See current updates at www.fulbright.hu.

Test Registration: Pre-registration is required, and it is NOT possible to go to the testing center and hope to find space available that same day. Computer-based testing registration deadlines vary. According to TOEFL instructions, mail-in registration deadlines are three weeks ahead of your desired test date, one week ahead of the test date for fax registrations, and two days ahead of the test date for registration by telephone. Note that a credit card is required to register by fax or telephone. You can indicate the days when you would prefer to take the test, and the test administrators will try to accommodate your request. However, at certain times of the year, or in certain cities, centers may be very busy. It is therefore advisable to register at least two to three months in advance of your desired test date. For those countries where paper-based testing is still offered, the test is given on certain dates during the year, and registration deadlines are approximately six weeks ahead of those dates.

TOEFL Waivers: If you are a non-U.S. citizen and non-native speaker of English who has been educated in English for most of your school life, your TOEFL requirement may be waived. Allow sufficient time in the application process to correspond with the U.S. university about this issue. American universities will probably not accept secondary school English language examination results as proof of your language ability.

Scores: The total number of questions you answer correctly and your score on the essay form the raw scores for each section. Raw scores are then converted to a scaled score for each section, which for the computer-based test ranges from 0 to 30. From these a total score is calculated, which ranges between 40 and 300 for the computer-based test. Each college decides for itself what score is acceptable. In general, colleges consider a total score of 250 or above to be excellent and a score below 97 as inadequate. Average scores range between 173 and 250 for undergraduate applicants.

Note that community colleges do not usually require applicants to take standardized admissions tests.

U.S. standardized admissions tests are primarily multiple-choice aptitude tests that are intended to measure the skills necessary for undergraduate study. American colleges and universities use admissions tests as a means of assessing all applicants (from the United States and other countries) against the same standard. Keep in mind that secondary school diplomas and examinations are not an equivalent to admissions tests, and that tests are only one part of the application — good test scores alone do not guarantee admission to the schools of your choice.

The SAT is given several times throughout the year at locations worldwide. Preregistration is required, and deadlines are usually six weeks prior to the exam. More specific information about dates, test centers, fees, and registration procedures is available. You can get copies of the registration bulletin from the College Board in the United States or from your nearest EducationUSA advising center. You may be asked to pay postage costs for these bulletins. U.S. centers also usually have sample questions and other test preparation materials for the SAT tests available for reference use, loan, or purchase.

Content: The SAT is a measure of the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you'll need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. It is administered seven times a year in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories, and six times a year overseas.

SAT II Subject Tests are also primarily multiple choice, but are only one hour long. They measure knowledge in specific subject areas. The subjects currently offered are:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Chinese with Listening
• French
• French with Listening
• German
• German with Listening
• Italian
• Japanese with Listening
• Korean with Listening
• Latin
• Literature
• Mathematics Level 1
• Mathematics Level 2
• Modern Hebrew
• Physics
• Spanish
• Spanish with Listening
• United States History
• World History

Many U.S. colleges and universities, especially those that have more competitive admissions criteria, either require or recommend one or more SAT Subject Test scores for admission and/or placement purposes. Be sure to check each institution's requirements before registering for an SAT Subject Test. While some colleges specify which subject tests you must take, others leave the option up to you. In this case, it is advisable to take exams in your strongest areas of study.

The ACT is administered by the American College Testing Program and is given up to five times annually at testing locations around the world. Unlike the SAT, the number of times the test is offered varies from one test center to another. As an international student, you may not need to take the ACT. If it is required, however, plan ahead to make sure you do not miss the test date(s) at your nearest center. Preregistration is required, and deadlines are two to three weeks prior to the exam. Since the ACT is not as widely accepted as the SAT, check to see if the universities where you are applying will accept ACT scores in place of the SAT exam.

Content: The ACT Assessment is a multiple-choice test that measures English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.