Study Abroad
Researching Unis Abroad Without Losing Your Mind
US and Canada applications can feel like a second job. Here's how I'm staying organised and sane.
Researching universities abroad can sound exhilarating, until you're knee-deep in entry requirements, visa fees, and tuition costs.
When you picture studying abroad you might think of three words: independence, new people, new environments. Freedom. But this reality is extremely difficult to achieve without structure. I used to spend hours passively scrolling, slowly accumulating an absurd number of tabs, until I stopped and started organising information on deadlines, application processes, and requirements into something manageable.
The sooner I accepted that there was no single guide, no script for me to follow, with each university having its own distinct guidelines that always seemed to alter my plans, the more productive my research became.
Start with constraints, not dreams (yes, really)
Dreams matter, but constraints turn research into decisions. I wrote down:
- Courses I'm genuinely excited about (not just "prestige")
- Budget reality (fees, living costs, flights home)
- What I need to feel supported (community, climate, distance from family)
Studying abroad isn't just an academic move. It's emotional too, especially when you're leaving people you love. Naming that honestly helped me pick better questions to ask.
My research findings
Once I organised information by key criteria (SAT requirements, application fees, and financial aid), patterns became much clearer. Here's what I found for the Ivy League universities:
Ivy League: fees, SAT, and financial aid
| University | Application fee ($) | SAT requirement | Financial aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | $80 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
| Cornell | $85 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
| Columbia | $85 | Test optional | Meets 100% of need |
| Dartmouth | $85 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
| Harvard | $90 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
| Princeton | $70 | Test optional | Meets 100% of need |
| Pennsylvania | $75 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
| Yale | $80 | SAT required | Meets 100% of need |
Ivy League: acceptance rates
| University | Brown | Cornell | Columbia | Dartmouth | Harvard | Princeton | Pennsylvania | Yale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 5% | 8% | 4% | 6% | 3% | 4% | 6% | 4% |
These acceptance rates are extremely competitive. If you're looking for universities with a strong reputation but a more realistic chance of admission, higher-acceptance-rate universities are worth serious consideration too.
Universities with good reputations and higher acceptance rates
| University | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 88% |
| Michigan State University | 88% |
| University of Kansas | 93% |
| Weber State University | 100% |
| Troy University | 96% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 60.6% |
My "one hour" rule
Three nights a week, I do one hour of structured research: official university pages, verified costs, one trusted forum thread maximum. When the hour ends, I stop, even if I'm in the zone. It keeps the obsession in check.
Scholarships and financial aid
I'm building a simple spreadsheet: scholarship name, deadline, requirements, link. I'm not applying to everything; I'm choosing a shortlist that fits my profile and my energy.
Progress isn't measured by how many tabs you have open; it's measured by the next small, completed step.
If you're researching too, breathe. You're not behind. You're building a map.