The following is a talk from a seminar on studying abroad in the U.S, held at the US embassy. Speaker: The first step to studying in the United States is researching your options to find a college that best fits your needs. You need to think about what you want to concentrate on. For example, is it all about which Major you choose? Or do you want to join a school that has outstanding extracurricular clubs like a Film or Debate Club. It all depends on what you want. You need to “define your priorities”. This should be the basis of your research for your future college. If you are concerned that you are not looking in the right places, then you can come here to the embassy where one of our staff would be happy to assist you or we have a library here full of books with concrete information on colleges in the US. The next step is to consider finances. The cost of living and studying varies across the United States and this will be an integral part of your research and planning. There are also many scholarships for studying in the US that you may be eligible for. The third step is to complete your application and apply for your student visa. This can be a very complicated step so if you want further information or assistance with this, the embassy provides a one day course that gives full detail on how to complete your application before the deadline as well as apply for your student visa. Our goal is to help you prevent making any errors and give you the best chance of being accepted and approved. The final step is to prepare for your departure! This step because it means you made it and are getting ready for your trip. Make sure your travel and living arrangement are all in order and don’t forget to attend the Pre-Departure Orientation here at the embassy. So to conclude, studying in the US can be a wonderfully fulfilling experience where you can study at one of the top international universities, and learn about a new culture. But you need to make sure that you do your research! Also, if you want to speak privately, then I will be waiting in the adjacent hall for about twenty minutes afterwards to answer any of your questions. Thank you!