The United States of America (USA) hosts the greatest number of international students in the world. Quality education, a unique curriculum, a multicultural environment, and abundant opportunities are just some of the reasons why many Bangladeshi students want to study in the USA. The land of dreams and opportunities, the U.S. offers high-quality educational options for students from around the globe. For the quality of education or the career prospects after graduation, the U.S. has monopolized the attention of most all study abroad aspirants. Let’s take a closer look at the world’s most preferred country for higher education.

Top Reasons to study in the United States:

U.S. colleges and universities are attractive to international students for many reasons. The surveys say that almost 600,000 international students are currently pursuing their higher education degrees in the U.S. Following are the top ten reasons why Bangladeshi students choose U.S. colleges and universities:

Excellent Academics: It is believed that world’s finest higher education is available in the U.S., especially in the field of technology. U.S. degrees are accepted across the world and are considered to be among the most prestigious.

High Quality Research: If research is your passion, the U.S. is the right choice. There are numerous research opportunities in every field that allows students to gain practical experience during their studies. In addition, due to funding from the U.S. government and public and private corporations, students who work as research assistants often receive a waiver of tuition fees and are provided with a stipend to help with their living expenses.

Flexibility in Course Curriculum Offerings: In addition to their major field of study and courses, students often have the option to take courses (called “electives”) in other subject areas, based on their interests. In addition, the selection of course offerings at most colleges and universities is very large and diverse. Sometimes students may even be able to “cross-register” or take courses at other nearby universities as part of their degree program.

Financial Assistance: In some situations, financial assistance is provided to international students. Most of the universities financially support international students either in the form of providing teaching or research assistantships. These assistantships are based on academic merit, rather than financial need. Awarded students will receive stipends, and/or either partial or full tuition waivers. In some cases, a student’s education could turn out to be completely free if the student exhibits exceptional skills in his or her field of study. Students also have the opportunity to receive grants, loans, and scholarships from various organizations.

Job Opportunities / Professional Training: Once students complete their degrees, they are authorized to work full-time for one year in a related field in order to gain practical experience. (As of 2008, students in certain fields can extend this to 17 months.) This program is called the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. Many talented students are hired as a permanent employee after they complete their OPT period by securing sponsorship from their employers for an H-1 visa. The H-1B visa is a temporary work permit for foreign nationals to work in specialty occupations like Software, Engineering, Teaching, Accounting, or Marketing. Students may continue their work without leaving the U.S. after the status change approval.

Types of Students Visa

• F-1 Student Visa: To study at an accredited US college or university or to study English at an English language institute.
• Exchange Visa (J-1): For participation in an exchange program, including high school and university study.
• M Student Visa (M1): For non-academic or vocational study or training in the US