Full article here: https://qwenu.com/2018/09/13/naija-talk-top-things-the-africans-must-know-before-applying-to-study-in-the-united-states-part-1/

An American education is highly valued around the world. Many prospective students want to study in the United States (US) that boasts some of the most renowned universities in the world including Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University amongst others. I broadly classify these potential applicants into two groups:

1) Those from very rich homes that can afford to pay the very high international student fees

2) Those from average to poor homes

The first thing you must know is that in the US, parents start preparing for where their kids will go to school even before they are born. Yes, you may not believe this but some parents have it all planned out – where the child will do preschool, kindergarten, after-school classes, sports, and other extracurricular activities. So by the time the child completes high school they are very competitive. Competitive, being the key word here. Contrast this to the average international student, like the Nigerian student who decides they want to go to the US in SS3 (senior secondary school year 3 – the equivalent of 12th grade).

Prospective applicants in Group 1: can afford to get into many small and medium-sized schools. While prospective applicants in Group 2 can only fulfil their dreams if they get scholarships or get loans. I have divided the steps you have to successfully navigate into various categories. Fulfiling these steps does not guarantee you successful admission into an American institution of higher learning but will at least provide you with a framework to execute your plan because even though the odds may be stacked against you; it is certainly doable and I have met students who matriculated into top schools directly from their home countries outside the United States.

Apt