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ocation, funding, class size, faculty, campus activities, placements—there are a host of actors international students need to take into consideration while planning to pursue higher studies at U.S. universities. However, many students focus heavily on the rankings or brand value of an institution when deciding where to apply. While ranking can be a way of assessing the overall academic environment of an institution, it should not be the primary consideration. So, what is the most important factor students should keep in mind while choosing schools? “In my experience, there is only one answer to this question: the college fit, or in other words—the measure of how much a college or university meets your needs and wants,” says Cameron Sadafi, interim senior
assistant director, international team manager at the University of California (UC), Berkeley. “Often, I see students get excited about UC Berkeley’s rankings, which tend to be outstanding. However in comparison to how the individual ‘fit factors’ of the university meet the needs of you and your family, rankings lose a lot of relevance regardless of the institution.” Sadafi advises it is important to ask questions related to these fit factors: academic, social, environmental, financial and professional. “The fit of these factors to your individual needs will be crucial to your success at any college or university— significantly more than any ranking,” he continues. “Therefore, when choosing a college or university, it is important to identify
Courtesy Deepali Shah/Foothill and De Anza Colleges
Finding the 10 EDITION 2 2022
